War in Pre-Colonial Eastern Africa

by Reid, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780821417959
• ISBN10: 0821417959
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-12-28
• Publisher: Ohio Univ Pr

Summary

War in Pre-Colonial Eastern Africaexamines the nature and objectives of violence in the region in the nineteenth century. It is particularly concerned with highland Ethiopia and the Great Lakes. It will be of use to those interested in military history and to anyone involved in modern development and conflict resolution seeking to understand the deeper historical roots of African warfare. Contents: I THEORY & CONTEXT African War in Historical & Theoretical Perspective Antiquity & Inheritance Restorative Violence & the Weight of History II ARMIES Tools & Tactics Organisation & Function III PROCESS, IMPACT & CULTURE Cost & Profit War & Economic Change Violence & Society The Resolution & Avoidance of Conflict The Culture of Conflict Conclusions: War & the Making of State & Society

Author Biography

Richard Reid is a lecturer in history at the University of Durham.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. ix
Glossary and Abbreviations	p. xi
Geography and Demography	p. xiii
Corridors of Conflict Discussed in Text	p. xiv
The Ethiopian-Eritrean Highlands	p. xv
Lacustrine East Africa	p. xvi
Theory & Context
Introduction: African War in Historical & Theoretical Perspective	p. 2
Themes and limitations
War in Africanist scholarship
The sources
Antiquity & Inheritance: Restorative Violence & the Weight of History	p. 22
Chronicles of power and suffering in northeast Africa
Founding fathers, civilisations and hegemonic narratives in the great lakes
Remembered greatness: Mirambo and restoration
Armies
Tools & Tactics	p. 40
Tools of war (1): Indigenous weaponry
Tools of war (2): The spread of the firearm
Tactics, strategy and orders of attack and defence
Organisation & Function	p. 79
Armies: Their structures and commanders
The military in the African polity
Process, Impact & Culture
Cost & Profit: War & Economic Change	p. 108
The force of the world beyond: commerce and competition
Social and wood, metal and flesh	p. 108
Violence & Society	p. 142
Criminality and illegitimacy
Class, age and gender: Shifting socio-economic relationships
Town and refuge: shifting patterns of settlement
The Resolution & Avoidance of Conflict	p. 178
Interpretations and processes of conflict resolution
Diplomacy and embassy
Hyperbole and hubris: Interpreting the language of threat and placation
The Culture of Conflict	p. 201
War and material culture: The symbols of conflict
Great men and pregnant women: notions of masculinity, courage and cowardice mutilation and celebration
Rumour and half-truth: the anticipation of violence and the culture of fear
Reading intestines (and holy books): spirituality and military mysticism
Revising 'primitive war': violence as ritual sport
Conclusions: War & the Making of State & Society	p. 231
Sources and Bibliography	p. 236
Index	p. 245
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