Why did Belgians cut hands in Congo?

To make up for the low production, troops began to use hands as currency – chopping them was a way of punishing workers who did not fulfill their quotas, and, at the same time, served to show that soldiers were doing their part in exerting pressure over the local population to ensure the fulfillment of these quotas.

How were people treated in the Belgian Congo?

Administration of the Belgian Congo. Leopold II’s reign in the Congo became an international scandal due to large-scale mistreatment of the indigenous peoples, including frequent mutilation and murder of men, women, and children to enforce rubber production quotas.

How do they cut off hands in Belgium?

The Belgium mythological story In the ancient Belgian city of Antwerp, a giant demon named Druon Antigoon used to live near the Scheldt river. He fought with the monster and after conquering him, he cut off the giant’s hand to teach him a lesson and tossed it into the river.

How did Leopold treat the Congo?

On February 5, 1885, Belgian King Leopold II established the Congo Free State by brutally seizing the African landmass as his personal possession. The people of the Congo were forced to labor for valued resources, including rubber and ivory, to personally enrich Leopold.

What happened to children in the Congo?

“Atrocities were mostly committed against adults — women were kidnapped and men were killed. Children, on the other hand, were often indirect victims of the system of terror, not of hanging,” Pierre-Luc Plasman, author of Leopold II, Potentat congolais ( Leopold II, Tyrant of the Congo) said in an email.

What was the Abir Congo Company?

The ABIR Congo Company (founded as the Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company and later known as the Compagnie du Congo Belge) was the company appointed to exploit natural rubber in the Congo Free State. ABIR enjoyed a boom through the late 1890s, by selling a kilogram of rubber in Europe for up to 10 fr which had cost them just 1.35 fr.

What was the Congo Free State scandal?

Under Leopold II’s administration, the Congo Free State became one of the greatest international scandals of the early 20th century. The ABIR Congo Company (founded as the Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company and later known as the Compagnie du Congo Belge) was the company appointed to exploit natural rubber in the Congo Free State.

What were the effects of the Congo War of Independence?

Colonialists committed well-documented atrocities against the Congolese people during this period, including the murder of labourers who failed to meet their production quotas for goods such as rubber and ivory. After an international outcry, the Belgian parliament voted to annex the territory as a colony, ending Leopold’s personal rule over it.