 |
|
In 1905 a young African man, Kinjikitile Ngwale, began to move among the different ethnic groups in the newly founded colony of German East Africa, inspiring his followers with a message of opposition to the German colonial authorities. In the tradition of visionary prophets (see Chapter 7), Kinjikitile claimed that by anointing adherents with specially blessed water (maji in Swahili), he could protect them from European bullets and drive the unwanted Germans from East Africa. Kinjikitile’s reputation quickly spread, drawing followers to him and other like-minded prophets across 100,000 square miles of territory. Although the Germans executed Kinjikitile in 1905, they could not prevent his followers from taking part in a broad insurrection, called the Maji-Maji Revolt. The Germans brutally suppressed the uprising, killing between 200,000 and 300,000 Africans. The Maji-Maji Revolt and its brutal suppression revealed an intensity of opposition to the world of nations and empires that surprised many at the time. Pressures against the dominant system came from two directions. In Europe and North America, cultural and social changes prompted a diverse group of critics who felt left out of the emerging nation-states, especially women, proletarians, and frustrated nationalists, to demand far-reaching reforms. In Asia, Africa, and Latin America, anti-colonial critics and exploited classes also expressed their opposition to the Euro-centered order.
Chapter Objectives
|
||||||||||||
