A History of Malawi: 1859-1966

by John McCracken

Overview

A distinguished scholar's magnum opus and the first full account of Malawi's colonial history.

This is the first comprehensive history of Malawi during the colonial period. Using a wide range of primary and secondary sources, it places this history within the context of the pre-colonial past. The book examines the way in which British people, starting with David Livingstone, followed by the pioneer Scottish Presbyterian missionaries and including soldiers, speculators, colonial officials and politicians, played an influential part in shaping Malawi. But even more important is the story of how Malawian people responded to the intrusion of colonialism and imperialism and the role they played in the dissolution of the colonial state. There is much here on resistance to colonial occupation, including religious-inspired revolt, on the shaping of the colonial economy, on the influence of Christian missions and on the growth of a powerful popular nationalism that contained within it the seeds of a new authoritarianism. But space is also given to less mainstream activities: the creation of dance societies, the eruption of witchcraft eradication movements and the emergence of football as a popular national sport. In particular, the book seeks to demonstrate the interrelationship between environmental and economic change and the impact these forces had on a poverty-stricken yet resilient Malawian peasantry.

Malawi: Mzuni Press

John McCracken is Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Stirling University. He has taught at UniversityCollege of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, UniversityCollege of Dar es Salaam and was Professor and Head of the Department of History at Chancellor College, University of Malawi from 1980-83 and returned as Visiting Professor in 2009. John McCracken was awarded ASAUK's Distinguished Africanist Award in 2008.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781847010506
Publisher:	BOYDELL & BREWER INC
Publication date:	09/20/2012
Pages:	503
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.50(d)

Table of Contents

List of Maps, Photographs & Tables x

Acknowledgements xi

Abbreviations xiii

Note on Terminology xiv

Glossary xiv

Introduction 1

1 The Land & the People 7

The natural environment

Production & exchange

Political & social organisation

Trade & conquest

Patterns of violence

2 Commerce, Christianity & Colonial Conquest 38

Missionary imperialism: Livingstone & his legacy

Christian colonies

The colonial occupation: treaties & flags

Conquest & resistance

The aftermatch of invasion: collectors & chiefs

3 The Making of the Colonial Economy, 1891-1915 74

Settlers & the state

The origins of labour migration

Peasant production

Regional responses

Conclusions

4 Religion, Culture & Society 100

Islam

The emergence of Christian communities

Mission education

Missionaries, medicine & disease

African encounters with Christianity

5 The Chilembwe Rising 127

The thangata regime

John Chilembwe

Marginal men

Interpretations

Consequences

6 Malawi & the First World War 147

The campaign

The impact of war: death, death & disease

The impact of war: memory & dance

The aftermath

7 Planters, Peasants & Migrants: the Interwar Years 162

Peasant & planter

Transport & traders

Labour migration & the making of the 'Dead North'

Famine, disease & demographic change

8 The Great Depression & its Aftermath 193

Malawi & the world Depression

White farmers & the Depression

Peasants: the Lower River

Peasants: the Liongwe Plain

The Depression & the colonial state

Popular responses to the Depression

9 Contours of Colonialism 215

District officers

Towards indirect rule

Native Authorities

Tribal identity & Native Associations

10 The Age of Development 237

The Second World War

Colonial planning

The cash crop boom

Tea planting

Labour migration

Medicine & disease

Education

Constitutional change: initial stirrings

The origins of Federation

Federation & Nyasaland: 1953-1963

11 The Urban Experience 282

New towns for old

Blantyre

Workers & businessmen

Urban culture

12 Peasants & Politicians, 1943-1953 304

The crisis of thangata, 1940-1953

The Nyasaland African Congress, 1944-1950

Malimidwe & the advent of Federation

Congress & the anti-Federation campaign

13 The Liberation Struggle, 1953-1959 336

From apathy to agitation, 1953-1956

The new politics, 1955-1958

The gathering storm

State of emergency

14 The Making of Malawi, 1959-1963 366

The Malawi Congress Party, 1959-1961

The new Governor

The 1961 elections

The road to seccession

The MCP in Government, 1961-1963

Initiatives in education

15 Prelude to Independence: Unity & Diversity 403

Internal divisions

Dunduzu Chisiza & the democratic alternative

The labour movement

Coercion, control & the MCP

16 Revolt & Realignment, 1964-1966 429

The cabinet crisis

The Chipembere rising

Cabinet crisis: interpretations

The consolidation of the Banda regime

Change & continuity

Bibliography 461

Index 472

Editorial Reviews

This major history [.] replaces all previous histories of the country [and] will stand as a foundation to all future research. Its breadth of treatment is as impressive as its immense range of primary and secondary sources.

ROUND TABLE

[An] awe-inspiring book...McCracken has now delivered his long-awaited magnum opus. ... A towering scholarly achievement [that] will surely stand the test of time for generations to come.

IJAHS

An impressive work of detailed scholarship and a highly recommended addition to academic library International Studies and African History reference collections.

MID-WEST BOOK REVIEW

A highly valuable contribution to historical writing on Malawi and provides a useful synthesis of previously published work. ... [It] will inspire a new generation of historians to deepen our understanding of these issues and many more that remain under-researched in the country's fascinating but often neglected history.

AFRICAN AFFAIRS

A truly monumental achievement, and the fruit of a lifetime's work at the forefront of the study of Malawi.

JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN STUDIES

A masterful survey of Malawi's modern past [which] is bound to become the go-to text for students and scholars ... and must surely become a standard reference for those interested in Malawi's modern history, politics and economics.

AFRICA

[A] magisterial account [and] a landmark event in the country's historiography. [.] It is a book so distinguished by the depth and quality of its analysis that it will take its place in the front rank of the literature addressing the colonial period in Africa. [.] Scholars, students and all interested readers will be grateful to have such a comprehensive, gripping and dependable account.

THE SOCIETY OF MALAWI JOURNAL

This is a book which should be read by anyone interested in the history of Africa. McCracken has produced a text which will shape research on Malawi for years to come.

LUCAS

A good solid read.

CHARTIST

This is a book which should be read by anyone interested in the history of Africa. McCracken has produced a text which will shape research on Malawi for years to come. LUCAS

A highly valuable contribution to historical writing on Malawi and provides a useful synthesis of previously published work. ... [It] will inspire a new generation of historians to deepen our understanding of these issues and many more that remain under-researched in the country's fascinating but often neglected history. AFRICAN AFFAIRS

A truly monumental achievement, and the fruit of a lifetime's work at the forefront of the study of Malawi. JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN STUDIES

A masterful survey of Malawi's modern past [which] is bound to become the go-to text for students and scholars ... and must surely become a standard reference for those interested in Malawi's modern history, politics and economics. AFRICA

[An] awe-inspiring book...McCracken has now delivered his long-awaited magnum opus. ... A towering scholarly achievement [that] will surely stand the test of time for generations to come. IJAHS

[A] magisterial account [and] a landmark event in the country's historiography. [.] It is a book so distinguished by the depth and quality of its analysis that it will take its place in the front rank of the literature addressing the colonial period in Africa. [.] Scholars, students and all interested readers will be grateful to have such a comprehensive, gripping and dependable account. THE SOCIETY OF MALAWI JOURNAL
A good solid read. CHARTIST
This major history [.] replaces all previous histories of the country [and] will stand as a foundation to all future research. Its breadth of treatment is as impressive as its immense range of primary and secondary sources. ROUND TABLE

From the Publisher