Identification of and discussion on the types of oral sources used, how were they used, problems or challenges faced as well as appreciation of any outstanding achievements and 4.providing general overview on the extent to which oral sources have been shaped the book.(HI 364)

The discussion relied 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 Illife, Kimambo and Temu. He was attached to maji maji research projects which was lead by John Illife.

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.

The motive behind his research was to put majimaji outbreak in a fair Approach which was formally contrary to the colonial perpectives over the war, since for the time being,the sources of information relied only on the government official documents which explained much on how the government implemented the policies against the local Resistance.

Identification of types of oral sources used.

Oral source are sources which provide verbal information about the past,they are handed down by the words of mouth.

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

It 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 Ngindo where at the beginning Ngindo was the subordinator of Ngoni and this evidence was given by Ngindo 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-Ngindo 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 accout shown by Gwassa is when he wanted to explain how the war started. It was shown by an eye-witness by the informer 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”

Another eye- witness account was given in explaining how majimaji war originated in Nandete.The explanation was given by Mzee Mangaya “ The wawolo were much the very heart of the war for they have much fiercieness and they were very stubborn to this day”

Also Oral Reminiscence has been used.

This refers to the account of the recent nature. This means they are not real oral traditions because of their life time and in a sense that they are not date beyond the life time of the informant as the oral traditions do.

A study like this one raises a problem of interpretation of oral sources sometimes even when their validity has been established. From the beginning the Vancina model of oral research proved unworkable, for a the very nature of the sources presented methodological problems. In the strict sense or as defined by vancina this are not oral traditions of majimaji peoples.( Gwasa 2005).

So, examples of these oral reminiscences has been stated in form of Oral traditions involving Poems, Narratives, Song and chronological source like Matumbi calendar as well as Formulae ( Geneologies), and the following are those oral reminiscence used in the book;

Narrative

These are coherent account of the past handed over the generation.(The past stated in this work is that which is not beyond the life time of Majimaji war). It has been used as the source of oral informations 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 should 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.The poem given by Mzee Nassoro Hassan Kipungo of Makata Liwale.

                            “Mnasimama?

                             Tunasimama!

                             Na Jumbe hongo!

                             Na Jumbe Hongo!

                             Mbuyuu……….?

                             Mbuyuu……….!

                             Kwa Mungu mkiri!

                             Kwa Mungu mkiri”

In case of song, there is one which was taught by Kinjekitile which reminded Africans about their freedom and solidarity it is also insist about African free man and not as slaves. The song was sang by Mzee Mohammed Nganoga Nimekwako Muba of Ngarambe Ruhingo.

                           “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 chini

Likasite Mboweta from Muchela, Mwengei

Ngingama Mbunde from Mundi”

Other sources used to construct historica informations are Mnemonic devices, Field Observation and Anthropological method where by he stayed for a certain time in the Areas of his research.

Gwasa used mnemonic devices in his book in order to recall the past informations, Forexample the use of Mwembe kinyonga at kilwa kivinje to remember the place where the Leaders of Majimaji war and Omary Makunganya were Hanged.Another source is Field observation in which Gwasa visited almost the whole area of which the battle fought. Examples of the areas he visited ar like Nandete where the war started, Madaba, Kibata, Samanga Ndumbo, Liwale, Namtumbo, and Mikukuyumbu where bishop Casian Spisse and his party were killed.

In how the sources identified used, Author wrote several text in different Majimaji districts to explain different aspects in the book.

Forexample, Kilwa text, Mzee Suid Borafia Mtanga explained the story of Omary Makunganya, The attack at Kilwa and his defeat.Also Liwale text, Mzee Msham Matondoi Mtimbo of Kipule explained that the Ngindo on receiving the news of defeat reasoned thet “ If they have defeated Makunganya, They can defeat the Ngoni”

Also, in these text, each informant in a particular sub-center were give a number in which the Author used to site the informant in his work. Also the sources were used to compare with Archival material inorder to test their validity.

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;

Contradiction between oral information, this was seen when the author trying to explain the date of occurrence of the war. Example some of the informant said the cotton seems to have uprooted on 20^th july and its where Kitumbi Mwando engagement on 23^rd july but it still seem some slight different between these and exact dates because oral sources show cearly that the war broke out in the 7^th  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, Kibata and Mochela are 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.

Another problem was language, during interview, the preferred language was Kiswahili, but the problem was the mixing of Swahili terms with local dialects, a thing that gave the researcher a difficulty in the interpretation of  some words to get the correct meaning.

Appreciation of any outstanding achievements

Dispite of all challenges, Gwassa has achieved in reviewing the concept of the war in which the Eurocentric views called the war as Rebellion. According to Gwasa, The term Rebellion if unquqlified it has been used in the past alludes to trison by a country`s citizens. A true Rebellion thus may occur if those who rise are a body of legelly constituted citizens against legally established government. Granted that germans were colonials and the Africans subjects who opposed colonialism, The term and definition of Rebellion hardly apply.

Another 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.

This study was conceived as a contribution to the history of Tanzania and Africa. It was intended to contribute to the historiography of African wars of resistances against colonialism. In so doing, it was hoped to provide new insights in our understanding of the mechanism of mass resistance and in the use of oral sources (which are not oral traditions ) in conjunction with Archival and secondary materials.

Generally, the book is result of the research done by the Author ( Gilbert Clement Kamana Gwassa 1939-1982) which started from 1966 and 1969 through various types of oral sources like Eye witness account and Oral reminiscences acompaigned with other methods like Anthropological method, Mnemonic devices and field observation.

-Teacher’s comments;

1. Anthropology is not an oral method in of types of oral methods an author used.

2. Infrustructure was another obstacle that the author faced.

3. Other achievements includes; -Proper handling of oral sources.-Refute ideas of colonial scholars who considered maji maji war