Teaching Notes

Teacher: Mr Mlilo

Maji -Maji Uprising of 1905-1907

It is an example of post pacification resistance.The people of Tanganyika rose against the ill-
treatment by the Germans in 1905.The rising was mainly influenced by religion.

Causes of the Maji-Maji Uprising

1.Abuse of the people of Tanganyika in plantations

A.Okoth argues that cotton programme proposed by the Governor,Von Soden,which required
that every Akida in the South of the colony establish a cotton plot where all his people would
come to work.The Tanzanians were abused in plantations became rampant such that the
Germans would work for nothing.

2.Taxation

According to E.Isichei heavy taxation burdened the people of Tanganyika.A multiplicity of taxes
were paid by Tanzanians this became a heavy burden to them.Taxation and the unpopularity of
the cotton programme also contributed to the unpopularity of the Germans.

3.Brutal colonial methods

Brutal colonial methods such as severe punishment and humiliation were resented by the
people of Tanganyika this left them with no option except to rise.

4. Abuse of women

The abuse of Ngindo were particularly incensed by the abuse of their women by mercenary
soldiers in the Germany.

5.Social and political causes

According to M.Tidy social and political causes were fundamental in the outbreak of the maji-
maji of 1905.Amongst the social causes were the activities of Germany christian
missionaries,who got administration to burn the sacred huts of traditional priests on the ground
that these were "havens of witchcraft" though often the traditional priests were strong
opponents of witchcraft.

5. Loss of land

Different tribes in Tanganyika lost their land to Germans so they decided to rise to get back to
their previous land.

6.Loss of independence

The people of Tanganyika rose against loss of independence. Many tribes were oppressed such
tribes like Ngoni,Ngindo e.t.c were abused by the Germans.

Organisation of the rising

The rising was influenced by the religious side.According to A.Okoth they emerged among the
wamatumbi a prophet called Kinjikitile Ngwale,who claimed supernatural powers and stood up
to lead a revolt against the Germans using forces of religion and traditional beliefs as the basis
of the organisation. He began to preach about the need for black men to unite,emphasing that
his medicine,the maji of the rising name was more powerful than European weapons.Near his
home at Ngarambe,there was a pool from the tributary of the Rufigi river which he claimed was
the dwelling place of the spirit,Hongo which possessed him.His teaching spread among the
people around the Rufigi and reached the Wamatumbi through a whispering called
Jujila.A.Okoth notes that Jujila was a secret communication from one person about the
emergence at Ngarambe of a powerful medicine man who would make white man vulnerable.
Ancestors it was further added,had not died,and would be shown to those who went to
Ngarambe.Early in 1905,pilgrimages to Ngarambe started.At Ngarambe,Kinjikitile,who had
assumed the title "Bokero" meaning the intermediary between men and the spirit,gave them the
medicine,a mixture of flour in water,which was smeared or sprinkled on the forehead of the
prospective fighter.The medicine was supposed to make them immune to European weapons
and commit them to war.A Okoth notes that Kinjikitile sent representatives through the
surrounding country to mobilise those who had not visited Ngarambe,administer the medicine
on them and train them for war.It was in this way that people of Kichi,southern
Uzaramo,western uluguru and ungindo got Kinjikitile's message.The organisation of the war had
revolved around the power of the maji,which in turn depended on religious faith.But in
circumstances of this war, which started in 1905 and ended in 1907.The Zaramo believed that
they should obey a spirit named kolelo,who was messenger of God.Many identified kolelo with
spirit hongo by whom Kinjikitile was possessed.

Course of the war

The maji-maji rising began in July 1905 when the Pogoro of kitope refused to pick
cotton.According to M Tidy the maji maji was a mass revolt involving almost many tribes in
Tanzania. A spontaneous rising broke out over a wide area and the Germans were caught
completely by surprise.Plantantions,missions,administration bomas and Swahili shops were
attacked.Several German planters,missionaries and many government officials (akidas and
jumbes) were killed,though some jumbes joined the rebellion such as the Ngindo chiefs
Abdallah Mapanda and Omari Kinjalla.The coast town of Samanga river near Kilwa was sacked
and burnt.In 1907 the people of Tanganyika were defeated by the Germans.

Results

The German administration introduced a number of reforms.According to M Tidy the new

governor Rechenberg encouraged African cash crop farming,allowed Africans to choose to
work for German settlers and punished settlers who mistreated Africans.He also replaced a
number of traditional chiefs by western educated young men from mission schools though less
to improve African conditions than to break the traditional leadership.German rule improved as
German administrators and settlers were now dominated by fear of another Maji-maji.The most
positive result of the rising however was that people learnt two lessons from its failure:the
importance of unity if freedom were to be attained, and the futility of resorting to armed
resistance against a colonial power possessing vast military capacity.After the maji maji
uprising educated Africans in Tanganyika turned to self-improvement and constitutional
protest,which led to TANU and eventually independence.(M.Tidy)