Paper long abstract:

One hundred years ago, various societies in German East Africa fought the Maji Maji war, named for maji (water), the war medicine and its messianic message carried by messengers of the Bokero cult which spread the word of the need for resistance. The war, which commenced in July 1905 and in most areas ended as a military conflict in the following year, was mostly directed against the German colonial presence, collaborators with the colonial state, but also individuals perceived to be foreign elements, such as coastal traders in the interior. One area the colonial power was particularly concerned about was the south-west, known as Ungoni or Ssongea District. It was here that the military effort was tremendous. German counter-insurgency brought immense suffering to the African population in the area during the war and its aftermath: The systematic enslavement of women and children; the humiliation on the hands of colonial soldiers, auxiliaries, and their allies; starvation; famine pawning of children; and displacement. However, while the hardships for the majority of the population were immense, this paper argues that at the same time the Maji Maji war and its aftermath also provided opportunities for some to renegotiate their position of marginality as power relations became more fluid. Slaves, youths, and some women experienced at least a moment, and at times life-changing chances, of empowerment. In addition to interviews carried out in Ssongea District, the bulk of the new evidence presented here is located in the archives of the Benedictine mission station Peramiho. The wealth of material, including the chronicles of Peramiho and Kigonsera stations and correspondence by German colonial officials, allows for new insights into the Maji Maji war in Ungoni and for a contribution to the historiography of the war as well as to the wider fields of resistance, slavery, and social stratification in Africa.