HI 368 Oral history



QUESTION ON ASPECTS
3.    Identification of and discussion on the types of oral sources used, how were the  oral  sources used, problems or challenges faced as well as appreciation of any outstanding achievement.
4.    Providing a general overview on the extent to which oral sources have shaped the book

We are going to discuss our work on the following aspects.
Ø  Identification and discussion on the types of oral sources used.
Ø  How were the oral sources identified used.
Ø  Problems or challenges faced the author.
Ø  Appreciation of any outstanding achievements.
Ø  General overview on the extent to which oral sources have shaped the book.
The outbreak and development of the Maji maji war 1905- 1907 was written by Gilbert Clement Kamana Gwassa who was born in Kibondo district of Kigoma region in Western Tanzania in 1939-1982. He received secondary education in Tabora boys and later joins Makerere University gain Bachelor of Arts in history. He joined the new established University of Dar es salaam as the tutorial assistance under professor Ileffe, Kimambo and Temu. He was attached to maji maji research problem which was lead by John Ileffe.
He stated his own PhD research on Maji maji war in Umatumbi land. He is the attribute to the founder of Maji maji war research.
Identification of types of oral sources used.
Oral source are sources which provide verbal information about the past, they are handed down by word of mouth. It has been divided into two types that are eye-witness account and oral tradition. Oral tradition has been categorized into four categories that is poem, epic poem, formulae and narrative.
Types of oral sources used by Gwassa in writing the book “The outbreak and development of Maji maji war” were as follows.
Eye-witness account
Refers to oral information given by a person who witness the event or participated on the event. Gwassa uses eye-witness account when explaining the situation existed between the Ngoni and Ngido where at the beginning Ngido was the subordinator of Ngoni and this evidence was given by Ngido elder
 “Oh we have already surrendered to the Ngoni
and we work for them as well as pay them tribute
 but they still add more and more.
Also evidence provided by the ex-Ngido German solders recall “Now then were defeated and were half-submitted to them. We become slaves to the Ngoni, we worked for them, we sent salt, clothes and everything to the Ngoni.”
Another eye- witness account Gwassa used when he was explaining the aftermath of the maji maji war especially famine how it was existed. A married lady who saw the German occupation during the fifteen years of 19th century she reported horror of the maji maji famine.
 “Since my birth I have never seen such scarcity.
I have seen famine but not one causing people to die.
 But in this famine many are dying, some unable to do
 work at all, no strength and food consist of insects from
woods which they dig up, cook and eat”.
Eye-witness account also shown by Gwassa when he wanted to explain how the war does started. It was shown by an eye-witness who recalled the incident
“We slept after the news that the Matumbi would attack
Samanga. The following moning at nine o’clock a man
 come to report to Akida Mohamed bin Issa that, those
Wamatumbi have come , Mohamed bin Issa then told
stein and they and the askari went out to meet the Matumbi.
They found them uprooting cotton”
Oral tradition.
Refer to testimony transmitted from one generation to another generation or serious of historical information transmitted oral from one generation to another, there are four types of oral tradition which are Poems, Formulae, Epic poem and Narratives. In this book “The outbreak and development of maji maji war 1905-1907”. The following are the oral traditions used by the author:
Narrative
These are coherent account of the past handed over the generation. It is been used as the source of oral in writing the book. Example of narrative shown when the author wanted to explain the attack made by the Matumbi to Arabs this was narrated by Mzee Ambrose Ngombale recalled the story
 “soon they went to attack Arabs at Kibala later my father
 got news that Seif and his fellows Arabs were being fought
and they were about to kill him. My father then sent but his
slaves and children and took tins of gun-powder his big indicating
 by his hand   about 30 inches high.
They all went to Kibata to help Akida seif,
 the Arabs but they were not very many Jumbes.”
Narrative also shown by Gwassa when he was explaining the death of Hopfer who was said to be escorted to Jumbe Kapilima of Njinjo who had joined the maji maji war. This was explained by Matumbi source
 “then the Matumbi made for planter Hopfer who used
to extent much labour from the Wamatumbi. They killed
 him and those who killed him were the former Wayao who
 wanted the wealth he had. Hopfer was trembling with fear.
 He had no askari and he knew he would be killed.
So he sought means and ways of escaping to kilwa.
They cheated him saying ‘let us escort you thither’.
 On the way they killed him so that Kitambi could
acquire his wealth.”
Poem
These are traditions learned by heart or learned by rote. It was also used to write the book. It has been used as a symbol of preaching consciousness and inspiration since they are using ideology of maji so they sould not have doubt that bullet will pass on their body. It was given by one informant that song of inspiration which had been tought by KInjekitile.
                            “Mnasimama?
                             Tunasimama!
                             Na Jumbe hongo!
                             Na Jumbe Hongo!
                             Mbuyuu……….?
                             Mbuyuu……….!
                             Kwa Mungu mkiri!
                             Kwa Mungu mkiri”
Another song was taught by Kinjekitile wchi remained African about their freedom and solidarity it is also insist about African free man and not as slaves.
                           “Twe Mkina Seyyid said twate,
                            Twe Mkina Seyyid Twanga
                            We are all Seyyid Saids. All of us.
                            We are all Seyyid, all by ourselves”
Formulae
These are similar to normal poems only that they do not follow any language rules examples Genealogies. Gwasa used genealogy to show the list of leaders gathering at Nandette it included.
“Ngogota Mniwa from Pungutini
Libobo Nondo from Pungutin
Ngomile Kilindo from Tawa or Mtumbei chin
Likasite Mboweta from Muchela, Mwengei
Ngingama Mbunde from Mundi”
Problems or challenges faced oral source in writing the book;
Like other oral sources work also Gwassa faced a lot of problems in both during collection and interpretation or evaluation of oral information from informant such problems are as follows;
Scope and scale, this was shown when Matumbiland was the area war originated but it hardly any detail study had been undertaken which make to involve the whole part of South of Tanzania due to lack of oral sources in Matumbiland.
Contradiction between oral information this was seen when the author trying to explain the date of occurance of the war. Example some of the informant said the cotton seems to have uprooted on 20th july and its where Kitumbi Mwando engagement on 23rd july but it still seem some slight different between these and exact dates because oral sources how dearly that the war broke out in the seventh month.
Scanty of information this was seen when the author found some of the informant live in area and also other place were found no resident example the Madaba is now game reserve which writer could hardly find informant from the area.
The problem of hiding the first name, among the Wamatumbi informants when a researcher was collecting information the Wamatumbi neglected to give their complete biography to researcher which termed as problem  because it interfere in compiling and check the validity of some information collected.
Appreciation of any outstanding achievements
Dispite af all challenges, Gwassa has achieved in writing this book through the use of oral sources he collected from the field. The following are some of the appreciation of any outstanding achievements of this book.
Outstanding achievement the author has been able to establish relative chronology where he arranged the chapter according to the events.
He also succeeded to use anthropological method where he lived in the area and tried as much as possible and quickly to learn about them and their language so as to be able to follow conversation and interview much more easily and sensibly.
Despite of how the war scattered all over the Southern of Tanzania but the author have been able to study all of the area and come out with how the war was organized.
A general over view on the extent to which oral sources have shaped the book.
The writer of the book was able to use various types of oral sources which shaped the book. The writer used oral sources like eye-witness account, poems narratives whereby he used them to reconstruct history in African perspectives. He managed to collect oral information to write about Maji maji war whereby he showed the root causes of the war by using various sources in Southern Tanzania.
By using oral sources the writer managed to counterpart the argument of European scholars that the oral sources con not be used to reconstruct the history of illiterate society. There are still a lot of writings about the history. In order to write a good history of Africa we have to employ all these oral sources, written sources and archaeological sources as Gwassa employed in his book.


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