Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

The Maji-Maji revolt stands out as one of the major phenomenal occurrences in the political development of colonial and postcolonial Tanzania. It started on July 31, 1905 and lasted until 1907, when the last remnants of the revolt were crushed. It was indeed a classic example of a peasants' revolt against their colonial masters' unfavorable economic policies, constructed and carried out, however, within the boundaries of the prevalent belief system. Its suppression nevertheless brought dire consequences for both the natives and the German colonial regime. One lasting consequence of the revolt was the decimation of a hitherto thickly populated environment, which has since served as a games reserve. As with other European colonists, German colonial rule in Tanzania was directed along economic lines in order to provide much-needed raw materials for German industries and also extract adequate tax for colonial administration. The situation reached its peak when the new governor, Gotzen, decided to increase cotton growing by creating communal cotton plantations (shambas) , where each native was expected to work over a specified period of time per month under the supervision of African headmen and colonial officials. As the plantations expanded and production increased, the demand for more labor meant peasants were taken away from subsistence production to work for the European colonists' ... log in or subscribe to read full text