See also: Indirect rule and Colonialism.
Direct colonial rule is a form of colonialism that involves the establishment of a centralized foreign authority within a territory, which is run by colonial officials. According to Michael W. Doyle of Harvard University, in a system of direct rule, the native population is excluded from all but the lowest level of the colonial government.[1] Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani classifies direct rule as centralized despotism: a system where natives were not considered citizens.[2]
The opposite of direct colonial rule is indirect rule, which integrates pre-established local elites and native institutions into the government.[1]