Honour in African History - Assetsassets.cambridge.org/97805215/46850/frontmatter/9780521546850... · ANDI SAM BU R U MT GISHU. ELGON LAKE VICT O RIA HA Y A R UNDI R W AND Nam A ug

Honour in African History

This is the first published account of the role played by ideas of honour inAfrican history from the fourteenth century to the present day. It argues thatappreciation of these ideas is essential to an understanding of past and presentAfrican behaviour. Before European conquest, many African men cultivatedheroic honour, others admired the civic virtues of the patriarchal householder,and women honoured one another for industry, endurance, and devotion to theirfamilies. These values both conflicted and blended with Islamic and Christianteachings. Colonial conquest fragmented heroic cultures, but inherited ideasof honour found new expression in regimental loyalty, respectability, profes-sionalism, working-class masculinity, the changing gender relationships ofthe colonial order, and the nationalist movements that overthrew the old order.Today, the same inherited notions obstruct democracy, inspire resistance totyranny, and motivate the defence of dignity in the face of AIDS.

JOHN ILIFFE is Professor of African History at Cambridge University and aFellow of St. John’s College. He is the author of many books, including TheAfrican Poor: A History (Cambridge, 1987) and Africans: The History of aContinent (Cambridge, 1995). The African Poor was awarded the HerskovitsPrize of the African Studies Association of the United States.

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African Studies Series 107

Editorial Board

Dr. David Anderson, St. Antony’s College, OxfordProfessor Carolyn Brown, Department of History, Rutgers UniversityProfessor Christopher Clapham, Centre of African Studies, Cambridge UniversityProfessor Michael Gomez, Department of History, New York UniversityProfessor Patrick Manning, Department of History, Northeastern UniversityProfessor David Robinson, Department of History, Michigan State UniversityProfessor Leonardo A. Villalon, Center for African Studies, University of Florida

other books in the series64 Bankole-Bright and Politics in Colonial Sierra Leone: The Passing of the “Krio Era,”

1919–1958, Akintola Wyse65 Contemporary West African States, Donal Cruise O’Brien, John Dunn, and Richard Rathbone66 The Oromo of Ethiopia: A History, 1570–1860, Mohammed Hassen67 Slavery and African Life: Occidental, Oriental and African Slave Trades, Patrick Manning68 Abraham Esau’s War: A Black South African War in the Cape, 1899–1902, Bill Nasson69 The Politics of Harmony: Land Dispute Strategies in Swaziland, Laurel Rose70 Zimbabwe’s Guerrilla War: Peasant Voices, Norma Kriger71 Ethiopia: Power and Protest: Peasant Revolts in the Twentieth Century, Gebru Tareke72 White Supremacy and Black Resistance in Pre-Industrial South Africa: The Making of the

Colonial Order in the Eastern Cape, 1770–1865, Clifton C. Crais73 The Elusive Granary: Herder, Farmer, and State in Northern Kenya, Peter D. Little74 The Kanyok of Zaire: An Institutional and Ideological History to 1895, John C. Yoder75 Pragmatism in the Age of Jihad: The Precolonial State of Bundu, Michael A. Gomez76 Slow Death for Slavery: The Course of Abolition in Northern Nigeria, 1897–1936, Paul E.

Lovejoy and Jan S. Hogendorn77 West African Slavery and Atlantic Commerce: The Senegal River Valley, 1700–1860, James

Searing78 A South African Kingdom: The Pursuit of Security in Nineteenth-Century Lesotho, Elizabeth

A. Eldredge79 State and Society in Pre-Colonial Asante, T. C. McCaskie80 Islamic Society and State Power in Senegal: Disciples and Citizens in Fatick, Leonardo A.

Villalon81 Ethnic Pride and Racial Prejudice in Victorian Cape Town: Group Identity and Social

Practice, Vivian Bickford-Smith82 The Eritrean Struggle for Independence: Domination, Resistance and Nationalism,

1941–1993, Ruth Iyob83 Corruption and State Politics in Sierra Leone, William Reno84 The Culture of Politics in Modern Kenya, Angelique Haugerud85 Africans: The History of a Continent, John Iliffe86 From Slave Trade to ‘Legitimate’ Commerce, Robin Law87 Leisure and Society in Colonial Brazzaville, Phyllis M. Martin

(continued after the index)






Honour in Afr ican His tory

John IliffeCambridge University






published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridgeThe Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom

cambridge university pressThe Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, AustraliaRuiz de Alarcon 13, 28014 Madrid, SpainDock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa


c© John Iliffe 2005

This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exceptionand to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,no reproduction of any part may take place withoutthe written permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 2005

Printed in the United States of America

Typeface Times 10/13 pt. System LATEX 2ε [TB]

A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Iliffe, John.Honour in African history / John Iliffe.

p. cm. – (African studies series ; 107)Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN 0-521-83785-5 – ISBN 0-521-54685-0 (pbk.)1. Honor – Africa – History. I. Title. II. Series.

DT21.I44 2004303.3′72′096–dc22 2004045687

ISBN 0 521 83785 5 hardbackISBN 0 521 54685 0 paperback






forjohn lonsdalecolleague, friend,and scholar






Contents

Maps page xiIllustrations xiiPreface xiiiAbbreviations xiv

1 The Comparative History of Honour 1

part one: hero and householder

2 Men on Horseback 11

3 Honour and Islam 31

4 Christian Ethiopia 54

5 Honour, Rank, and Warfare Among the Yoruba 67

6 Honour and the State in West and Central Africa 83

7 Honour Without the State 100

8 The Honour of the Slave 119

9 Praise and Slander in Southern Africa 140

10 Ekitiibwa and Martyrdom 161

ix






x Contents

part two: fragmentation and mutation

11 The Deaths of Heroes 183

12 Honour in Defeat 202

13 The Honour of the Mercenary 227

14 Respectability 246

15 Honour and Gender 262

16 Urbanisation and Masculinity 281

17 Honour, Race, and Nation 306

18 Political Honour 328

19 To Live in Dignity 350

20 Concluding Questions 367

Bibliography 371Index 393






Maps

1 Southern Africa. page xvi2 Eastern Africa. xviii3 West-Central Africa. xx4 West Africa. xxii5 Independent African states. xxiv

xi






Illustrations

1. Terracotta equestrian figure from the Inland Delta of theNiger, Mali. page 16

2. A young Kuba man. 1043. Wagas. 1134. Ham Mukasa and Apolo Kaggwa in 1902. 2105. Drilling at the stope face. 2886. Nkrumah addressing a party rally. 3107. Mobutu. 3358. AIDS. 365

xii






Preface

This book draws on forty years of research and study during which I haveincurred more debts of gratitude than I can list, but I am especially grateful toCedric Barnes, Shane Doyle, Sarah Irons, Bill Noblett, John Rowe, MichaelTwaddle, and the staff of the Cape Archives Depot, Cape Town.

The book is dedicated to John Lonsdale, with whom I have worked closelyfor almost the whole of my career. How much I have learned from him willappear from the text. How much I owe him for his unfailing enthusiasm andconsideration will, I hope, appear from this dedication.

xiii






Abbreviations

ANC African National Congress (of South Africa)BIFAN Bulletin de l’Institut Francais [Fondamental] de l’Afrique NoireCA Cape Archives Depot, Cape TownCAB Cabinet [records in PRO]CEA Cahiers d’Etudes AfricainesCFA Communaute Financiere AfricaineCMS Church Missionary Society [records in Birmingham University

Library]CO Colonial Office [records in PRO]CPP Convention Peoples’ Party (Ghana)CS Chief/Colonial SecretaryCSSH Comparative Studies in Society and HistoryCUL Cambridge University LibraryCWM Council for World Mission [records in SOAS Library]DO Dominions Office [records in PRO]FO Foreign Office [records in PRO]FOCP Foreign Office Confidential PrintICU Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (of South Africa)IJAHS International Journal of African Historical StudiesJACS Journal of African Cultural StudiesJAH Journal of African HistoryJES Journal of Ethiopian StudiesJHSN Journal of the Historical Society of NigeriaJMAS Journal of Modern African StudiesJSAS Journal of Southern African StudiesKAR King’s African Rifles

xiv






Abbreviations xv

KNA Kenya National ArchivesMMS Methodist Missionary Society [records in SOAS Library]MNA Malawi National ArchivesNS New SeriesOAU Organisation of African UnityPDG Parti Democratique de GuineePP Parliamentary PapersPRO Public Record Office, LondonRAL Research in African LiteraturesRH Rhodes House, OxfordRKA Reichskolonialamt [records in Bundesarchiv, Berlin]SAHJ South African Historical JournalSAIRR South African Institute of Race RelationsS of S Secretary of StateSOAS School of Oriental and African Studies, LondonTANU Tanganyika African National Union [records at party headquarters]TNA Tanzania National Archives, Dar es SalaamTRC Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)UNA Uganda National ArchivesUP Unofficial PapersUPC Union des Populations de CamerounWAFF West African Frontier ForceWFA White Fathers Archives, RomeWO War Office [records in PRO]ZNA Zimbabwe National Archives






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Documents

Honour in African History - Assetsassets.cambridge.org/97805215/46850/frontmatter/9780521546850... · ANDI SAM BU R U MT GISHU. ELGON LAKE VICT O RIA HA Y A R UNDI R W AND Nam A ug