article
Notes on the history of the Lakeside Tonga of Nyasaland
African studies • 18 (3) • Published In 1959 • Pages: 105-117
By: Van Velsen, J..
Abstract
Van Velsen writes about Lakeside Tonga history and the difficulty in interpreting oral history, because he argues it is always highly selective in order to support current social structure and power relations. He constructs five periods: I) the ‘dim past,’ ii) the penetration of slave and ivory trading groups, iii) the Ngoni invasion, iv) the waning of Ngoni power and waxing of British power, v) period of British administration. He only discusses periods two through four in this paper. According to van Velsen the Tonga are a heterogeneous group of four separate tribes that coalesced under conditions of trade and war.
- HRAF PubDate
- 2001
- Region
- Africa
- Sub Region
- Southern Africa
- Document Type
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnographer
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Ian Skoggard ;1999
- Field Date
- 1951-1956
- Coverage Date
- 1780-1881
- Coverage Place
- Nkhata Bay district, Northern Province, Malawi
- Notes
- by J. van Velsen
- Includes bibliographical references
- LCCN
- 45015602
- LCSH
- Ethnology--Malawi