Colonial labour migration and its impact in Mbeya District, 1920-1960
Loading...
Date
2009
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
This study examined colonial labour migration and its impact in Mbeya district from 1920-1960. The study was guided by the premise that transformation in economic, political and social activities in the second half of the nineteenth century led to the development of colonial labour migration in Mbeya district and other places in Tanganyika. Various mechanisms were employed by the colonial government to make sure labourers were available for production activities. As regards research methodology the historical case study was used for data collection and then the thematic approach was used in investigating the causes and impact of labour migration. The study integrated written and oral information in reconstructing colonial labour migration in Mbeya District. The study revealed that colonialists thought that in Africa they would find a number of labourers who would perfume all their activities, but this was not the case for Africans including those of Tanganyika. The colonialists then tried to solve the problem by selecting productive and non productive areas. That approach increased the problem of acquiring labours. Evidently, the introduction of colonial labour migration became the solution. The study has showed that the German colonialists first introduced labour migration in Mbeya District. During British rule, 1920-1960, labour migration increased more than the previous period for the following reasons; advancement of sectors of the colonial economy in Tanganyika , the need for labourers in South Africa and Rhodesia, and finally the impact of the second world war on the capitalist economy that demanded a number of labourer to improve their destroyed economy. Labour migration intensively affected the people of Mbeya district, and was the not cause of underdevelopment in the District, which left the legacy of people continuing to migrate, even after independence.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class Mark (THS EAF HD6300.T34J32)
Keywords
Labour, Mbeya district, Tanganyika
Citation
Jackson, A (2009) Colonial labour migration and its impact in Mbeya District, 1920-1960, Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam