African History Lecture Notes - December 11th

Subject - Tanganiyka, Kenya, Uganda and Zanzibar - 1880-1950s

Themes
- British Imperialism was driven by a need for colonies to pay for themselves; to not be a drain on the treasury
- imperialism complicated by settlers
- varying forms of colonial governance and nationalism

1884 Berlin Congress - European powers met to carve up spheres of influence; they felt that if they didn't do this, conflict would grow between the great powers. Features
1 - carried out with no consultation or participation with Africans whatsoever
2 - ignored indigenous realities/peoples; resulting in straight-lines on the map
3 - Germany only united in 1870-1, and was therefore a relatively new player on the colonial scene, she wanted her 'place in the sun'

Britain, primarily, wanted access to the Suez Canal and South Africa - i.e. the far north and the far south; they viewed East Africa as strategically second-rate, but they colonized nevertheless as the didn't want Germany to have exclusive authority and access to the region

How were these spheres of influence to be realised on the ground? European treasuries were unwilling to spend large amounts of money, investing riskily in areas where they had little accurate knowledge
- so, all the powers set-up chartered companies; - the German East Africa Company and British Imperial East Company; they were set-up to investigate what existed in East Africa
- the British were particularly keen to take control of Uganda, as control of the Nile was extremely important strategically

In the 1890s, the governments took over; they moved to make spheres of influence physical realities;  In 1895 the British occupied Kenya. The problems of governance with no communication or transport infrastructure.

1895-1910 A major project was the construction of the Uganda railway, which was militarily important. 'Pacification', the military campaign in Kenya was also a project, but drained less resource.
- yet, the British still didn't really know how to govern, they just tried to get colonies 'up to speed' in terms of infrastructure

West Africa was viewed as uninhabitable; negative experiences with diseases and so on, but East Africa was seen as relatively hospitable. It therefore attracted considerable numbers of settlers, especially in Kenya, many holding ideas of 'colonial modernity', and intentions of rationalising the natives for economic and social gain.

Over a thousand white farmers were already present, occupying much of the best land. The British Commissioner wanted to create a shopkeeper class, populated by Asians, below settlers in the hierarchy, but above the undifferentiated mass of Africans. This first period was ended by the First World War. 

In the war, East Africa was a genuine theatre of battle, and the war ended with the Germans being removed from East Africa. Now Britain ruled all three countries, as well as Zanzibar
- Zanzibar had by far the oldest connections with the British; it used to be a naval base from which they patrolled for slave traders. The British took over in 1890, an example of 'gun boat' diplomacy, and established a British protectorate. Slavery was abolished, became mono-crop economy, very successfully. The crop was cloves, and Zanzibar became the biggest producer in the world, even if the lack of diversity made them venerable to fluctuations in world prices.
- deeply conservative and racially divided society. British Zanzibar was ruled through the overthrown Arab/Omani institutions, retaining the aristocracy. This replicated the late 18th and 19th century society, with all its divisions, which were in some ways exacerbated.

Tanganyika - was the main World War One battlefield. It was difficult to rule in a unique way. Its ethnically diverse make-up, a fragmented mosaic of over a hundred different 'tribes'. It therefore had no powerful leaders to rule through. In 1925 Governor Cameron decided to try and solve this problem by creating chiefs, where they previously were none. This 'collaborative class' was often corrupt, and is sometimes identified as the beginnings of hierarchical, or class, politics. Tanganyika was, however, less important to the British than the other two states.

Uganda, unlike Tanganyika, was a large collection of pre-existing, conquered states with which they could rule through. The main problem was rivalry between these states. The British, while still viewing them as subjects, gave the Bugandans a more collaborative role; which led to a self-identity of being distinct. Uganda was more difficult to make self-sufficient, lacking Kenya's good farmland. A period of trial and error, however, led to the cultivation of a combination of export crops, which made it break even.
- the problem with using the Bugandans was that it made other groups feel disprivaledged; the people on the northern fringe, Islamic groups and so on.

Kenya was the 'dream' colony. A comparatively high population density, with no powerful states and a benign climate. However, one problem that did develop for colonial rulers was the white settlers becoming too powerful. The settlers' hard-line attitudes towards Africans clashed with the interests of the administrators. In 1932, and in 1934, Land Commissions gave enormous power to the settlers; who used their economic power and connections back home to get their way against the wishes of the colonial government.

There were several uniting features - one was British caution; they were always looking for allies, colonial arrangements were often ad-hoc, poorly thought through. Part of the theory that colonial rule was based on was developed by Sir Frederick Lugard, who argued that 'indirect rule' would usually be the most effective, but since the theory was primarily an economic one, it was not set in stone, and could adapt to circumstances.

World War II had a profound effect on the region, despite the lack of fighting - colonial powers were relatively bankrupt, Britain was now a 2nd rate power; decolonisation, not previously on the agenda, or at least not high on it, was no a reality

Tanganiyka lacked ethnic politics, and was united by the Swahili language. There were significant (though not overlarge) White and Asian minorities. Peasant farmers, who had been previously excluded from National politics supported Nyrere.

In Kenya, nationalist politics evolved in and around the city of Nairobi, especially Kikuyu (home of Kenyatta) -who were the ethnic group exposed to the most white contact

the Mau-Mau was a four year conflict between the Gikuyu, the settlers and the colonial powers, leading eventually to Kenya gaining her independence 

Uganda was dominated by colonial processes, yet the Bugandans wanted independence - nationalist alliance disintegrated after independence, eventually leading to the brutal dictatorship of Idi Amin

the British rapidly left Zanzibar rapidly, without resolving the serious social problems on the island, triggering a period of severe ethnic violence 

footnote: colonialism is a huge part of African history, but actually quite short in time - much of the old rivalries continued