▁despite ▁these ▁tra its ▁not ▁being ▁su ited ▁to ▁native ▁leadership . ▁Many ▁were ▁conserv ative ▁el ders , ▁and ▁thus ▁indirect ▁rule ▁fost ered ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁out look ▁among ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁population ▁and ▁marg inal ised ▁the ▁young ▁intellig ents ia . ▁Writ ten ▁laws , ▁which ▁replaced ▁or al ▁laws , ▁were ▁less ▁flexible ▁to ▁the ▁changing ▁social ▁nature , ▁old ▁custom s ▁of ▁ret ribution ▁and ▁justice ▁were ▁removed ▁or ▁b anned , ▁and ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁more ▁violent ▁pun ish ments ▁in ▁some ▁areas ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁crime . ▁Furthermore , ▁leaders ▁emp ower ed ▁by ▁the ▁govern ments ▁of ▁European ▁powers ▁were ▁often ▁not ▁familiar ▁with ▁their ▁new ▁tasks , ▁such ▁as ▁rec ruit ment ▁and ▁tax . ▁ ▁Inter pret ations ▁From ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁French ▁and ▁British ▁writers ▁helped ▁establish ▁a ▁dich ot omy ▁between ▁British ▁Ind irect ▁rule , ▁exempl ified ▁by ▁the ▁Indian ▁pr inc ely ▁states ▁and ▁by ▁Lord ▁L ug ard ' s ▁writ ings ▁on ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁northern ▁Niger ia , ▁and ▁French ▁colonial ▁direct ▁rule . ▁As ▁with ▁British ▁the or ists , ▁French ▁colonial ▁officials ▁like ▁F éli x ▁Eb ou é ▁or ▁Robert ▁Del av ign ette ▁wrote ▁and ▁argued ▁throughout ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁for ▁a ▁distinct ▁French ▁style ▁of ▁rule ▁that ▁was ▁central ized , ▁uniform , ▁and ▁aim ed ▁at ▁assim il ating ▁colonial ▁subjects ▁into ▁the ▁French