The politics of environment control in northeastern Tanzania 1840-1940. (HI368)

Book presentation

The politics of environment control in northeastern Tanzania 1840-1940 James Leonard Giblin USA University of Pennsylvania press 1992

Question the main aspects are

1   The  main argument point of the book and a summary of key issues/themes that covered in the book

2    Description of the research process /, methodology the author has used in other words how the researcher conducted the research?

 BIOCRAPHY OF AUTHER

JAMES LEONARD GIBLIN has been member of history department  since 1986 University of lowal  His  primary research interest is Tanzania and East Africa in the nineteenth and twentieth  centuries  in Northern Easter Tanzania 1840-1940 University of Pennsylvania press  explore  connections between environmental and political change More relent research  on social  research on history  in twentieth  -century  Tanzania has been  published  as A History of the Excluded  he is co-editor of two books and  has contributed articles to a number of elicited volumes including journal of Africa History and Azania

He current work includes co-direction of a collaboration research project on the oral history of majimaji war, a major rebellion against German colonialism in Tanzania 1905-1906

The main point argument of the book is .The politics and environmental control in northeastern  region of Tanzania where by during the pre-colonial period patronage and patrons were responsible for environmental control in zigua society through clearing of  bush and thicket to keep away wild animals and insects as well as bush fires .Fires clearing and grazing created a health environment for livestock keeping particularly in the pangani and wami river valleys and other heavily settled localities .Pangani valley holds large cattle herds grazed them on the river banks  and pinned them on river island at night (pg28-33)

During colonial period the Germany book the power of patrons however between 1890 and 1930 they allowed the patronage to be replaced by short term labour relation which is unlike during pre-colonial patronage did not provide labour with long term access to food reserves during the colonial period  therefore formers were left with no alternatives but migration, resort that disrupted agriculture due to land scarcity interrupted control of the vegetation that harbored disease bearing insects and finally to the outbreak of the  bovine disease .This is the way how politics influenced environmental control during the colonial period

After independence politics of that that period shaped the environment through ujmaa villagilization policies where by police and soldiers for people and burned their home the government was hoping that ujamaa resettlement to be self sufficient ,but the possibility that large ujamaa villages might have cleared disease carrying insects from sizeable areas then the government continued with the re-estabishment  of condition that would have allowed  livestock to regain resistance to tryponosomiasis and the  theileriosis

That is the way how the politics influences the environmental control during the pre-colonial period , colonial period and the post colonial period

Themes covered  the farms  managed to control boving infection mainly by setting bush fires ( Agriculture  and trade  )

                                           PART ONE

                                        Chapter one and two

Agriculture (pre –colonials ) cultivates was based on alluvial soils was also common south of Wami river where streams  were frequency the water been sometimes brackish  and  on their banks Indian corn (sorghum ) tobacco,  groundnuts,  sweat potatoes and of few bananas were grown ( pg 20)

Trade Uzigua trade was first  described in writing by the British Merners smee and Hardy who in 1811 reported that  Uzigia supplied livestock,  ivory and slaves to the Swahili port  of pangani, kipumbwe and Sadani in return of cloth , beads , copper wire and iron goods (pg22-23 )

Method of controlling caltle diseace the  farmers managed to control babbign fedion mainly by setting bush fire since  burning flenced new vegetation committees by allowing the development of Miombo trees  as a primary ecological formation (pg 32-33)

PART TWO

CHAPTER THREE ,FOUR AND FIVE

The expansion of Zanzibar merchant activities in Northern Eastern Tanzania lead to the emergence of new political regime. The spread of of chieftains placed many inhabitants of zigua in great change of enslavement the firearms furnished by coastal merchants helped chieftains to capture slaves for export as well as domestic employment (pg 55)

                                   CHAPTER FOUR

uses records of catholic missions a source that require some discussions  of missionary  activities and outlook to analyse relations of production under the late pre –colonial leader the missionanies  used the labors of dependence of  cultivate  large fields for an additional  to employ the mission  inmates they also adopted the practice of neighbouring communities by organizing  day long parties at which they provide food and drink to groups from neighbouring villages who performed field work (pg67)

                                    CHAPTER  FIVE

Show tension between individual ambition and mutual responsibility also reveals  this tension shaped the polities of patronages and environmental  management  under chieftains( pg 73)

                                     PART THREE

                                    CHAPTER SIX SEVEN AND EIGHT

                CHAPTER SIX

Survey economic changes  of the early colonial period including  orientation of trade the imposition of colonial taxation and labour  demands and the transformation of relation   between  patrons and dependant following the abolition of slavery

                   CHAPTER SEVEN 

Shows reveal why peasant account from Handeni link the decline of pre- colonial leaders and disappearance of patronage  with infantilize, and why peasant  believe that this development are related to modern scarcity. Example [Mtunte] killed the kigego of his slave ( Mtumwa] then this slave created an aproar. “ why have you strangled my chid? Mtunte replied  I would as soon   kill even you yourself” so the women went to the German fort, she accused Mtunte who was arrested

                             CHAPTER EIGHT

Compare the last pre –colonial famine of 1884 to 1886 with crisis of German period  example the elder say “every morning  my father awoke to find more cattle died  Hence shows that their prediccesors colonial famine led to the depopulation ,the spread of diseases,  bearing of insects and epizootic (pg129 )

                                      PART FOUR

     CHAPTER NINE

It focuses  in the change  in local political authority  under the administrative system of indirect  rule such that according to sir Donald Cameroon write that colonial administration meat base up the people  own tradition (pg) Also  Uzigui society practiced peasant Agriculture  where emerged after the first world war  government announced  that  all household  had to have a cotton plots( pg 147)

        CHAPTER 10

It shows the ecological deteriotion discussed research that were performed to show the causal connection of famine and episotic which was causes by labour  conscription crop requisitions and military operation during the first world war. Example in 1925 Uzigua experienced influenza pandenic as well as constant food shortage

                              

                             PART II RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Pictography; This means the use of pictures which represent work orphase  which provide historical evidence of the past events .Example Spiritan depiction of the one of the healecs whom missionaries blamed for infanticide holding  an apparently fearful  child( pg 110 )

A handeni plantation in ruins;  the house built at kwediboma about 1910 by rubber planters  (pg 147)

Field observation ; visiting the area and use his /her eyes to observe the particular event on the field Example touting  the central  Nguu highland ,where carefully tended plots surrounded  settlement, covered depression and crouded  along water causes( pg 156)

Performances the author deployed a number of performances for example( pg97 )

                     “sonyo mwana mnyamala kulia kumwa kizungu

                       Wakizungu haunawenyewe

                      Aingia motto akuhumu

                     Mwanao aingia mtoto akuhumu

                  Which translated in English as

              “ Don’t cry  sonyo, about the European

               For European  have their own ways

               Or about a child who comes into accuse you

               Even if your child that accused you

According to a modern hand in cesident  Omar Malingwa  the song potrays the sorrowful  sonyo as he watched the departure of his  dependents and reflected that Europeans rules had so diminished respect for elders that even their own children now danced bring  acquisition against them in German court

Archives;  information collected from other documents secondary sources Example German democratic republic .Central  state  Achieves  ( Postodam) Handeni District headquarters  ( handeni) handeni District  files, TIRDEP  meteorological and hydrological  data for the Tanga region ,Tanga ,August 1977, cited interview method where by the author used cited interview  which was interview by the past researcher and  documented  some where Example At Magamba Village; Group interview with elders September 30-1983 At Mgera Village; Ali Mohamedi Masomo and group interview with elders August 19  1982