The politics of Environmental control in Northern Eastern Tanzania 1840 to 1940.(HI 368)

QN: Book three, aspects 3 and 4.

3. Identification of and discussion on the type of oral sources used, how were they used, problems/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.

James Leonard Giblin has been the member of history Department since 1986, he received his PHD at the University of Wisconsin at Madson in 1986. His primary research interest is Tanzania at East Africa in the 19^th and 20^th century. His first book is The politics of Environmental control in Northern Eastern Tanzania 1840 to 1940 published by University pennysyvania press and the second book is A history of Excluded, Making family refuge  in 19^th century Tanzania          1890’s-1960’s. Also he is a co-editor of two books and has contributed articles to a number of edited volume and Journals, Including the Journal include co-direction of a collaborate research project on the oral history of Majimaji war as a major rebellion against German colonialism in Tanzania during 1905-1907.

According to Jan Vansina, Oral sources are sources which provide verbal information about the past thus provide oral historical information inform of words. These oral sources can handed down or transmitted from one Generation to another through the word of mouth. Jan Vansina classified oral sources into two major types that is Eye witnessed account and oral tradition. Eye witness account refers to the oral information given a person who witness the event or participated on it while oral tradition are testimonies or statement that transmitted orally from one generation to another through the word of mouth it includes poems, formulae, epic poems and narratives.

James Leonard Giblin in his book Politics of environmental control in northern Tanzania 1840-1940 use different oral sources in reconstruction of African history as follows:-

Eye witness account, the author use eye witness account as he interviewed the people of handeni who were elders who witness the events and provide an explanation of the death of who was a chief of Uzigua, Abdala Hamani Msede who witnessed  Mtunte hanged by German, He said After Mtunte imprisoned the German announced  “we want all musical instruments, any  instrument at all, even if people only play rattles or do the selo la dence with singing done during female puberty rites ……………… we will see how Mtunte is hanged”. There were very many women there, they were told that when the man was hanged they should make a great noise. “All these I saw myself”  pg.102-103. Other people who witness the hanged of Mtunte were Ernest Mkomwa, Abed Juma pg.103

Another eye witness account used by the author is when he interviewed Said Hatibu who began cattle trading after serving as a Government Clerk and Jumbe, During the 1920’s and 1930 he made he made frequent troops to Kondoa where he brought one or two dozen cattle at a time for scale in the Pangani valley and the coastal towns and eventually used the profits to open shop pg.152, Other eye witness account seen on pg.123, 49 and 129.

Not only eye witness account but also Giblin use Oral Traditions to obtain oral information as follows:-

Formulae,  these are poems that do not follow the language rules as they do not bound by rules of composition, some of these formulae used by the author in his book are Genealogies’; where he showed both the hierarchical relationship between major chieftains and settlement leaders and alliances among chieftains along the caravan route, he visited Pangani 1844 just as a first generation of chieftain which also confined to Eastern uzigua and Handen district numbers of 51 community called wakinatuma state formed the first alliance under its founder Mauya, second alliance was under kidunda, Third alliance was under Mhela mwana, kisabengo, Mani and ended by sonyo the son the Mani in western uzigua and Nguu Haile and the fourth alliance among first generation chieftains in Handeni mountain were Mbwogo, kwediboma, Machaku and Pogwa Mnowowakala. A hierarchy of these alliance and spheres of interest enabled chieftain to function effectively within the Zanzibar centered system of trade, Also chieftain alliances facilitated the movement of trade with one chieftain Pg. 49-55.

              Another formulae used by Author is a use of song to portray the decline of sonyo following the departure of his dependants after the coming of European, Sonyo’s decline was lamented on a song as follows:-

“Sonyo mwana Mnyamala kula kumwa kizungu…… wakuzungu hauna mwenyewe……

Aingia mtoto ahukumu mwanao, aingia mtoto ahukumu” The song has been translated into English language “Don’t cry Sonyo about the Europeans……… for Europeans have their own way……. Or about the child who came to accuse you, even if it’s your own child that’s accuses your……” pg.97

              Also the Author use Epic poem, these are poems that potray the heroic character,  James L. Giblin use the epic poem in his work in explaining the history of Mhelamwana, one of the leaders and legend in uzigua. “The size of  Mhelamwana’s arsenal and his profligate use of slave labour are legendary; one told  Johann Kraptf’s time and still related throughout  Handeni district, has Mhelamwana ordering slaves to bail water from the strait of Zanzibar so that he might cross over to the island by foot”. Another legend tells of Mhelamwana’s attempt to dissipate heavy fog by having his soldier to discharge their guns into the air……….”  Pg.72.

              Author use legends when he explain about the witches who performed  Msukule spiritan away their sleeping victim during the night force them to work in field and return them to their bed before dawn. Pg.101.

              Narratives, these are coherent account of the past events, these account are handled over generation. Also James Giblin in his book use narratives to reconstruct the history of Tanzania For instance John Ford contended that pre-colonial African societies prevented trypanosomiasis from causing heavy mortality. But not by avoiding all contact with the tsetse flies (Glosina) that transmit trypanosomal infections. Instead he argue that these societies controlled infections by creating condition conducive to limited contact between tsetse and wildlife, human and livestock Pg.29.

              Although James L. Giblin uses various oral sources to portray the politics of environmental control in Northern Eastern Tanzania, but he encountered with some challenges like;

              Contradiction of information especially when the author collect different information on the same event, For example the root cause of the execution death of differently by various informants. Some argue that Mtunte’s offence was to sanction the killing of the “kigego” while other Account however say that Mtunte killed the child of  Mchekumbo, his maasai dependent pg.104,

              Lack of sufficient information, Giblin faced difficulties in explaining some historical information on certain historical event due to insufficient information for example he had no information about the crop damage caused by locust plague. “Little is known moreover about the distribution and movement of swarm, although evidence from uzigua during the 1930’s that indicate the locust causes widely varying amount of crops damage and struck neighboring villages at different time”. Pg.160.

              Transport difficulties where by the author describe the situation of Handeni in 1980’s. In these years, people travelled long distances by foot to describe this author said “In early 1980 there was severe transport difficulties which affected people of Handeni district as they travelled hundreds of miles or more by foot or by homemade wooden bicycle” pg.1.

              Lack of first hand information in the process of writing his book, The author lacks first hand information which can be seen in page 108 as a solution he decided to use written sources and pictorial images as he noted that “Picarda and other spiritans lacked first hand evidence of infanticide….” Pg107-108.

Another problem faced the Author in collection of information was Lack of the Memory in recalling the information, For instance Dungwe may have perished along with Mtunte but there is uncertainty of this point. The moment of death and even the number of the occurred has recorded in memory, eclipse by the indelible impression of Krapt.  Pg103.

However the author faced with some challenges, we appreciate him on the following outstanding achievements

The author succeed to use oral information to show the chieftains “political structure” and economic structure that benefited both themselves and their merchant allies by allowing trade to flourish in spite of predatory violence which they used to acquire power, Thus the evidences of the chieftains relations with each other, with subordinates settlement heads and with the agents of Zanzibari merchant capital demonstrates that they inter grated uzigua into an international commercial system and caused much of the violence that associated with the slave trade.

He succeed to use Absolute chronology to indicate exactly time to which some of events occurred for example “A hungry seasons in inter war uzigua developed in southern Ngu during January 1919” Pg162, “Loss of population 1929”pg.167 and “The crisis of 1925 and 1932-1935”. Pg168.

Giblin also succeed to use Genealogies’ to arrange historical events in his book like he use orally transimited knowledge organized around episodes such as the career of Mhelamwana, the execution of Mtunte and lumpulsory cultivation under bwana Pienaar pg

Also the author achieve to use more than one language so as to provide the best explanation    For instance in pg 69 where he explain that “when someone achieved mastery of farming ‘Ushujaa wa Jembe’ his brought him slaves”. Again he says ‘Chakula cha Asili’ original food pg37. Therefore, the uses of more than one language proof the strength of the author to describe things deeply.

Last but not least Giblin manage to use maps and pictography to describe events, Including the map of Northern province pg169 and auto de Mandera  pg. 36, Pictography  showing three generations of Parakuyu Maasai men pg175 and facets of healing and beliefs pg.63. Therefore maps and pictography give additional information which is important to readers.

            Generally, James Leonard Giblin have succeeded to use various types of oral sources to show how the politics and trade  affected the region’s history and that the recognition of their past important shapes the way modern farmers judge the policies of the Tanzania. The author control cattle infections depended on how external forces influence patronage and redistribution of wealth, he also show how social institutions and cultural models both at local and regional levels influence trajectories of changing human environmental relationships.