FULL NOTES – HISTORIA YA TANZANIA NA MAADILI – KIDATO CHA PILI

To view the Notes for Form Two, click the following links below:

1. UKOLONI KATIKA JAMII ZA KITANZANIA
2. ATHARI ZA UKOLONI KATIKA MAADILI YA KITANZANIA
3. MAPAMBANO YA AWALI DHIDI YA UVAMIZI WA KIKOLONI
4. HARAKATI ZA KUDAI UHURU WA TANGANYIKA NA ZANZIBAR
5. UJENZI WA TAIFA BAADA YA UKOLONI
6. FAHARASA

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The Past Teaches Us About the Present

Because history gives us the tools to analyze and explain problems in the past, it positions us to see patterns that might otherwise be invisible in the present – thus providing a crucial perspective for understanding (and solving!) current and future problems. For example, a course on the history of public health might emphasize how environmental pollution disproportionately affects less affluent communities – a major factor in the Flint water crisis. Understanding immigration patterns may provide crucial background for addressing ongoing racial or cultural tensions. In many ways, history interprets the events and causes that contributed to our current world.

Helping students care about history

As students navigate the challenges of middle and high school, one subject often feels less relevant than others: history. Many students may wonder why they need to study events that occurred long before their time or how it affects their daily lives. At The Juice, we aim to bring history class into the present with current events articles teachers can pair with history lessons to anchor the past in the present.

Understanding history is not just about memorizing dates and events — it’s about understanding the world we live in today. This blog explores why studying history is so important for students and how teachers can make history feel relevant, engaging, and essential for their personal growth. Learn more about anchoring history lessons to current events and help your students become more engaged in history class than ever before!

Another important reason for studying history is to learn from the successes and failures of past societies and civilizations. By studying the factors that led to the rise and fall of civilizations, we can identify patterns and develop strategies for avoiding similar pitfalls in the future. For example, by examining the factors that led to the collapse of the Roman Empire, we can identify warning signs of a civilization in decline, such as political instability, economic stagnation, and social unrest.

Moreover, studying history helps us to recognize patterns and trends in human behavior. By understanding how people have acted in the past, we can better predict how they are likely to act in the future. This can be particularly useful in the realm of politics, economics, and international relations, where historical patterns can help policymakers develop more effective strategies.

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          INTERACTIONS AMONG THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA

Social, Political and Economic Factors for Interactions

Interaction can be defined as the way in which people from a given community came into contact with another community. As humans cannot fully live alone due to the progressing day to day needs; interaction was inevitable among people of Africa because through interaction they were able to access different requirements. However, aspects of socio-economic development further strengthened the need for interaction.

POLITICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS

1. War: Some interactions were brutal and hostile as some strong communities attacked the weaker ones in order to control them. Some societies succeeded in their struggle while others failed. For example, from 1820s Egypt was in constant attacks to control the North-east and East Africa.
2. Migration: As communities grew in number this lead to a scarcity of resources, which forced others to migrate in search of resources and meeting other people with whom they created new social relations for example the Bantu migration and the Ngoni migration.
3. Intermarriage: This occurs when two people of different groups married and can be seen in the broader

context of mixing of different groups in marriage, cohabitation or sexual relations. Therefore, this made African people interact and begin new communities.

1. Religion: Africans had their traditional African religions which acted as a symbol of unity and togetherness. Their religions brought them together.
2. Music and games and dances: African societies had a rich history of music and games, as people from different communities interacted on different occasions sharing their experiences; this was mainly for entertainment and recreation.

People playing mganda, a Traditional dance along the Lake Nyasa in Ludewa district                      

ECONOMIC FACTOR

Trade: Different societies had to move in search of commodities which led to interaction. Search for new land:Areas that were not conducive for human settlement and production activities were left behind and those that with good areas like fertile soil and good climate did attract many people. For example, agricultural community did shift from areas that were infertile to those areas with reliable rainfall and fertile soil. For example, people of Zambia, Mozambique and Rwanda had trade links with people of East Africa and in North Africa people interacted with West Africans through Trans-Saharan trade.

THE IMPACTS OF THE ECONOMIC INTERACTIONS

The economic impacts of the interaction can be grouped into two as positive and negative impacts as elaborated below:

POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS

1. Development of technical skills and new ideas: Interaction led people of Africa from different communities to share their skills and ideas for economic growth.
2. Growth of new towns and cities: Interaction among African people led to the development of new towns as most of the populated areas grew economically due to the population increase and production activities such as trade and agricultural activities.
3. Foundation for future economic development: The foundation was made through improvement of infrastructures and social services which aimed to meet the socio-economic demands of the growing population.
4. Intensification of agricultural production to meet the demand on the market: Following the market demands for agricultural products as they were highly demanded then intensification of agricultural production was inevitable.

NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS

1. Overexploitation of African resources: Interaction among African people resulted in overexploitation of African resources through trade which was unequal in nature.
2. Emergence of classes among the Africans: Classes emerged dividing poor Africans from rich Africans who accumulated wealth from different economic, social and political activities.
3. Exposure of Africa to the outside world: African country and its resources came to be exposed to the outside world due to interaction. Decrease of productive manpower due to slave trade; through interaction the outsiders started to take slaves from Africa to their mother countries as labor power.

SOCIAL IMPACTS OF INTERACTION

1. Population increase: Areas that attracted large numbers of people became highly populated, especially productive areas. The increased population resulted into socio-economic development in the given areas which facilitated immigration.
2. Emergence of new languages: As different people interacted new languages emerged. For example, the Swahili language emerged due to interaction between Arabs, Africans and Europeans.

MFECANE WAR

                                                                                              Asone among of the factors for interaction among the people of pre-colonial Africa was war, Mfecane war in south Africa had great historical contribution in the interaction of pre-colonial south Africa

Mfecane is the nguni word which means the time of trouble, also mfecanereferred to as The crushing, or The war of wandering, it was the period of political disruption and population migration in southern Africa which occurred during the 1820-1850s in Pongola river and spread throughout the Zulu and other neighboring societies. 

Mfecane war was presided with several attacks between three strong states in south Africa which were Ndwandwe, Ngwane, and Mthetwa, under the leadership ofZwide, Sobhuza, and Dingswayo respectively,

REASONS FOR MFECANE;

1. The Boer trek to the interior of south Africa, and the explosion of population precipitated further the struggle for land especially southeast south Africa, with the increased population and competition for land, inter-clan and inter-tribal war increased.
2. Transformation of age grades into military regiments, the powerful leader of the age grade developed some military with their different age groups, in doing so they lead to the occurrence of war.
3. Struggle for the control of trade at Delagoa bay which was more profitable to the south Africa societies,   most of the societies in south Africa waned to sell their local products including minerals, ivory, eggs etc, various states strove to stop out others in order to monopolize the profitable trade with coastal Indians, it was this enmity that stimulated the growth of Mfecane,
4. Shortage of land, this was due to overpopulation where by many people struggled for land for crops production and animal keeping,
5. Cattle confiscation, due to famine and hunger it arose the problem of cattle confiscation among the people in south Africa which the created hostility among them, people confiscated cattle for the aim of getting food in order to avoid famine and hunger.
6. The rise of Shaka Zulu into power in Zulu kingdom, Shaka was a political ambitious and aggressive ruler especially in his foreign policy, he had an idea that without conquest his neighboring states and incorporation of some states his empire could not last long. Because of his idea Shaka undertook various war fare campaign against his neighboring states.

Shaka Zulu

EFFECTS OF MFECANE WAR

1. Formation of states, mfecane resulted to the formation of states like Zulu empire, which Shaka played a very important role in its formation and development, swazi due to the migration of Zwide after being defeated by Shaka.
2. Depopulation of the Tugela river area, this was because many people died and other migrated away from this area during the war as a result this made it very easy for the Dutch farmers to easily take over the place when they looking for new land to establish homes.
3. It provided opportunity for the whites to expand to the interior.
4. It changed settlement pattern because of fear of being attacked, people settled on the mountainous so as to recognize their enemies easily.
5. Collapse of some states for example Rozwi, and Chewa.
6. It led to the Ngoni migration, where by Nguni speaking people into East and Central Africa and formed their states for example Shoshangane moved into Mozambique, Zwangendaba moved to Zambia, and Malawi and Tanganyika in ufipa land, Mputa maseko (mputa of maseko) moved to Songea and formed Zulu mbonane state.

THE COMING OF NGONI

                                                                                                                       Who were the Ngoni?

The Ngoni were Bantu-Nguni speaking people of Northern Zululand in South East Africa. They were originally Ndwandwe people under Zwide’s leadership. But when Shaka defeated Zwide, one part of his group in 1840s moved to East Africa into two groups of the Maseko and Tuta under Zwangendaba. They moved to Tanzania from Natal and Swaziland between 1840s due to “Mfecane” (time of trouble). They are currently settled in south west Tanzania around Songea town.

The Ngoni invasions illustrate the influence of external forces on the lives of the indigenous people. However, the Ngoni brought innovation and changes such as military techniques, skill and weapons. A study of the Ngoni will enable students to appreciate the current settlement patterns and way of the life of the southern Tanzania.

         THE CAUSES OF THE NGONI MIGRATION

1. The Ngoni migrated due to the tyrannical and dictatorial rule of Shaka: The Zulu ruler was cruel in nature as he severely tortured people and those who failed to respond to his order were killed. Due to this some people decided to seek refuge by migrating to other areas.
2. External pressure from the British and Boers: They moved because of external pressure from the British and Boers in the South who were moving Northwards occupying their land.
3. It was due to overpopulation: This was caused by the fertility of soils and the reliability of rainfall between Drakensberg Mountains and the Indian Ocean.
4. Pastorals’ reason: Some Ngoni people owned large herds of cattle and northwards looking for pasture and water for their animals. So they wanted to look for more fertile land for their cattle. They also experienced famine and drought that led to lack of food and water.
5. The influence of their leaders: Men like Zwangendaba, Maputo and Zulugama provided good leadership. This encouraged them to move onwards.
6. Overstocking: It could also have been due to overstocking of their animals as they were having spirit of cattle rustling, i.e. they had great desire to steal other people’s cattle. For example, they went on driving away and confiscating other people’s cattle during their conquest and expansionist wars.
7. Increased knowledge of military tactics by the age regiments:These were powerful military forces and dedicated to professional war, which was their livelihood.

They believed that they could have other territories through migration.

MOVEMENT AND SETTLEMENT OF THE NGONI TO       EAST AFRICA

They began their movement from South-East Africa in Northern Zulu land under the leadership of Zwangendaba in 1820. The Ngoni migration took place in the 19^th century, and was the last major movement of Bantu people into East Africa

There were three groups of the Ngoni in East Africa as:-

1. The Ngoni Tuta
2. The Ngoni Ngwangara
3. The Ngoni Maseko

They then crossed river Zambezi and river Limpompo and moved northwards in search of new land. Later in 1835 they divided into two groups. The one group under the leadership of Zwangendaba passed west of Lake Malawi and settled at Ufipa in 1840. They were attracted to this area here because of the many herds of cattle around.

Zwangendaba led the biggest Ngoni group that entered in East Africa. They crossed the Zambezi River, moved through Malawi and Zambia until they reached the fipa plateau in around 1840’s. Zwangendaba died here in around 1845, and his followers splint up into five sections.

Three sections returned south to Zambia and Malawi while the other two such as Tuta and Gwangara sections remained at ufipa. Another group under the leadership of Induna Maputo (Maseko Ngoni) passed East of Lake Malawi and settled at Songea. When Zwangendaba died around 1845, the Ufipa Ngoni disagreed and split into five groups.

Whereby the two groups remained in East Africa such as Tuta and Gwangara Ngoni, three groups moved out of East Africa that is to say, one group moved to Malawi and the two moved back to Zambia.

The Tuta Ngoni, the smallest group left in Ufipa, moved northwards fighting and crashing with the Holoholo near Lake Tanganyika, they disrupted the trade route between Tabora and Ujiji. In the1850s they invaded the Nyamwezi capturing many and incorporating them in their ranks. They finally settled at Kahama South of Lke Victoria.

The Gwangara Ngoni under the leadership of Zulugama moved eastwards to Songea where they met the Maseko Ngoni. The two groups fought and the Maseko Ngoni were defeated and pushed out of Songea in 1860’s.

Some Maseko moved back to Mozambique while others moved to Kilombero valley where they became known as the Mbunga. Another splinter group moved to Newala, Masasi and Tunduru. From Songea the Ngoni raided widely, finally settling southern Tanzania among the Bena, Hehe and Sangu. The Ngoni migration which started around 1820s had ended by the year 1860s.

WHY WERE THE NGONI SUCCESSFUL IN DEFEATING/CONQUERING THE PEOPLE OF EAST AFRICA?

1. The Ngoni came in big numbers and were strong: On their way they absorbed or fought off the people they encountered, capturing the young for worries and young women for wives. They had good military organization with age-regiments called “impis” (strong army).
2. The Ngoni had a large, well trained and disciplined army; they were grouped in age-regiments which were maintained for long periods. The Ngoni did not cultivate but rather lived by plundering from others this enabled them to have a standing army always ready for battle.
3. They had superior weapons such as the short stabbing spear (Assegai) and big cowhide shields, which only left soldiers face exposed to the enemy, protected the worriers. Instead of the long throwing spears which had to be thrown one by one, the Ngoni adopted short stabbing spears and clubs known as Assegai, copied from Shaka the Zulu.
4. On the other hand, their enemies used the long throwing spear. They used this for close hand to hand combat, and the warriors could be protected by the large cow-hides shields which left only the warrior’s face exposed to the enemies.
5. They had superior military tactics such as cow horn method (semi-circle), which was unfamiliar in East Africa. They fought in organised age regiments and could attack their enemies using the cow horn formation. They also chose clear open spaces for fighting and liked attacking their enemies during nights.
6. They met small and fragmented societies, which were unable to challenge their military organization. Slave trade had undermined most of the communities of southern Tanzania. The Ngoni were successful due to their determination. They were determined to conquer and obtained places for settlement. This was due to the fact that they were already chased away from their homeland, and their only alternative was to get determined and fight any people they came across.
7. The East African people were caught unaware and therefore did not offer much resistance. The Ngoni were successful because the local people whom they were fighting with were so weak ad lived in small groups, which could not resist/challenge the sudden and unexpected Ngoni invasion.
8. Disunity among the East African people who lived in isolated societies, made it easy for Ngoni to defeat them.
9. The Ngoni were fully united under their commanders. They were successful because of their unity and solidarity. They mixed freely with the non-Ngoni speaking people. They had strong military leaders for example, Zwangendaba, Induna and Maputo who were able to unite and command the Ngoni.
10. They used assimilation policy, i.e. they absorbed the people they defeated. They would force the captured men from other tribes to join them and became Ngoni warriors. They also made themselves fearful to their enemies by wearing the skeletons of their victims.

THE NGONI MILITARY ORGANISATION

The Ngoni were small group of people but were able to make their presence and authority fell by the local people because of their leadership, outstanding military efficiency and their capacity to absorb conquered people into their armies.

Militarily the Ngoni were organised in large standing armies and age regiments; people of the same age trained together, which brought unity and efficiency. They used the short stabbing spears called assegai rather than the long throwing spears which meant that the warriors could attack more effectively at a close range

They used large cow hide shields, which could not be easily penetrated by spears. They used the cow horn method of surrounding an enemy and attacking from all sides giving the enemy little chance to escape.

They often fought on their feet and in open areas for easy movement. They moved in a large number which helped them to outnumber their enemies who were often caught unaware, they used to absorb and assimilate all conquered people.

THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE NGONI MIGRATION

Positive Effects

1. The Ngoni invasion led to the rise on outstanding leaders to prominence. These included Mirambo, Nyungu ya Mawe and Mkwawa, who used the Ngoni military tactics to build their states.
2. Many small Ntemi chiefdoms came together (united) and formed large political units under strong leaders to fight the Ngoni for example Sangu and Hehe (re-organisation).
3. There was formation of new societies/tribe like the Mbunga.
4. The Hehe under Mkwawa were able to resist the Germans.
5. There was spread of Ngoni customs and culture for example initiation ceremonies where girls were taught sex educations and circumcision.
6. It led to formation of a large Ngoni society in East Africa as they absorbed many people.
7. It led to the formation of some societies by those who used Ngoni tactics for example Nyamwezi under Mirambo.
8. It led to the introduction of new weapons eg. assegai, cowhides and shields.
9. From the Ngoni invasion people learned how to become organised from smaller disorganized society, to well organised bigger political systems. These were to be under the control and leadership of organised, strong and efficient rulers such as the Sangu chief, Hehe etc.
10. There were intermarriages between Ngoni and Nyamwezi which subsequently led to improved relationships between the invaders and indigenous people and an increased population.

Negative Effects

1. They caused the loss of lives leading to depopulation in some areas where they got warriors this was especially in southern Tanzania. This was due to the killing of people in the expansionist wars e.g. the Mariti remnants of Rugarugas killed so many people.
2. Their movement led to wider spread of devastation, depopulation and displacement of people.
3. They destroyed the economy of the people of southern Tanzania when they grabbed their cattle (the Ngoni were cattle plunderers). The Ngoni invasion led to poverty, i.e. it led to the creation of the class of poor people as their property continued to be destroyed and persistently looted during the wars.
4. The Ngoni led to formation of refugees who lived by plundering and killing i.e. the Mariti and Rugaruga who were later used by ambitious men like Mirambo and Nyungu ya Mawe to form their empires.
5. The Tuta Ngoni on their movement northwards, disrupted the trade particularly between Tabora and Ujiji.
6. There was loss of peoples’ language, culture and customs (detribalisation of people), i.e. the raids caused many people to become homeless and tribe less. This led to people losing their identity. In addition, such groups became terrorists who lived by war, plunder and hunting for ivory. They included the “Rugaruga” who began hiring their services as mercenaries to any chief willing to pay them.
7. Ngoni disturbances disrupted normal cultivation leading to famine. There was widespread famine due to the scotched-earth policy of fighting circumstances, crop could neither be planted nor harvested, and people were forced to abandon farming.
8. They led to insecurity since the new weapons and military tactics increased warfare and aggression in East Africa.
9. The Ngoni intensified slave trade in East Africa, this was because they displaced people from their homes and so making it easy for slave raiders to catch and sell them.
10. It led to increased warfare among the African societies, including those areas that had been peaceful before

Social Organization and Production

TYPES OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PRODUCTION

Social Organization – Refers to the system how an individual within a group relate with each other in order to exist harmoniously

Production – The process by which people create goods to satisfy their needs and to accumulate a surplus for times of need or for sale. Production can involve manufacturing, mining, crop cultivation or animal keeping

A. COMMUNALISM

Communalism – A system whereby people live together and practice common ownership of major means of production. It is believed to have originated during the early stages of human evolution

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNALISM

1. Low level of production: With crude tools like stone and little knowledge, man hardly mastered his surroundings. He managed to get basic needs such as food, clothes and shelter. Due to low level of development in science and technology people produced food for their day to day use; hence there was no surplus of production.
2. Collective ownership: Members of the community jointly owned the major means of production including land, tools and animals. The clan leader headed the members of the clan. However, communal societies were not stratified as a result all commodities produced were shared equally for there was no exploitation.
3. Absence of specialization: People were obliged to do all the jobs including making tools, hunting, looking for foods, preparing shelters and clothes. The division of labor was based on gender and age, men hunted and collected food while women were responsible for cooking, taking care of the young, sick and old people.
4. Full democracy: All decision making was arrived at by all adult members of the group regardless of their gender.
5. Communal ownership of the major means of production
6. Simple technology was used
7. Low level of production

B. SLAVERY

Slavery – An economic system which involves the ownership and use of slaves for economic production. Slaves were considered property during pre-colonial Africa and were bought or sold or given as a gift and forced to work without any rewards

How people became slaves

1. Born into bondage (their parents were slaves),
2. interaction between communities (eg. war, kidnapping),
3. criminals taken as slaves,
4. disadvantaged individuals (landless people)

USES OF SLAVES

1. Were used as domestic workers
2. Female slaves were sometimes used as concubines by their masters
3. Slaves were used for public works eg, building roads. mining, working in communal plantations
4. Slaves were used as military to strengthen the army 
5. Slaves were used by their masters as a sign of power and prestige

FEATURES OF SLAVERY

1. Private ownership of the major means of production
2. Slaves were regarded as personal property
3. The family of a slave were also his master’s property
4. No sufficient needs were provided to the slaves
5. High level of the development of technology compared to that of communalism
6. Slaves could be inherited along with other type of property
7. Slaves never given position of political leadership
8. Emergence of institutions like armies and prisons

C. FEUDALISM

Feudalism – The system of production where wealthy landowners rented land to landless people in exchange for a fee in the form of services, goods or in kind, in feudal mode of production the feudal lords controlled the land which was the principal source of production. The serfs controlled nothing except their labor power, the vassals tilled the land, paid taxes and controlled their own labor. Examples of feudal societies – Nupe, Ankole, Buganda, Karagwe

THREE TYPES OF RENT DURING FEUDALISM

1. labor rent/land rent, it was in two dimensions, firstly the peasant worked on his plot to get the necessary product for his livelihood, the second peasant was obliged to work for three days a week to create surplus for the land lords.
2. Rent in kind, it required the peasant to work on his plot only, producing a substantial part of the product to the landlord for the use of land
3. Money rent, it emerged after money to become a major medium of exchange, the peasant paid to the feudal lords the surplus product in the form of money orcash, this type of rent resulted to the disintegration of feudalism and rise of capitalism.

          CHARACTERISTICS OF FEUDALISM  

1. Land was owned by a few rich people,
2. majority were landless (serfs or peasants),
3.  there were two distinct classes (those with land, those without land)
4. Peasants paid rent or tribute to the landlords
5. Exploitation existed
6. There were regulations that tied landless to their landlords
7. Division of work was based on gender
8. In equality

FEUDALISM AMONG AFRICAN SOCIETIES

It existed in different forms; its nature depended on the place in which it was exercised,

1. The system was called nyarubanja in the interlacustrine region especially in karagwe and buhaya
2. In Buganda it was known as mvunjo & basulo
3. bugabire was developed between the tutsi and hutu Rwanda, Burundi and Buha.

The feudal relationship in these regions revolved around cattle ownership.                 

Umwinyi was another type of feudalism developed along the coast of east Africa. The wamwinyi controlled land, serfs, and tenants and monopolized political and economic poer, they were political and religious leaders. The tenants lived in the land of the land lord in return of their labor, services and tributes.

1. Among the sukuma and nyamwezi feudalism was based in the control of the producers themselves, among the zulu in south Africa feudalism depended on agriculture and pastoralism.in west Africa feudalism was associated with trade and mining activities.

Most centralized states in Africa were based on feudalism

ORGANIZATION OF PRODUCTION UNDER FEUDALISM

1. The rulers owned the factors of production in the territory
2. The workers were free producers although they were resided on state land
3. The workers paid tributes/ rent to the kings
4. People organized their activities on the basis of extended families
5. The husband was therefore the basic unit of production and was responsible for the organization of labor in his family based on social and material requirements.
6. Labor were organized on the basis of age and gender
7. The households produced and even exchanged their produce without any intervention from the state.
8. State leaders benefited from this system as they received tribute from the households

 MERITS OF FEUDALISM

1. There was peace in the states as land owners maintained peace and order
2. The rich supported the poor with food during drought and famine
3. The societies were highly stratified with each class knowing their position and role ie, the feudal societies were more organized,
4. In feudalism everyone had a means of earning a living,

DEMERITS OF FEUDALISM

1. The rich exploited labor force of the poor
2. Only a few people in the society owned land
3. There was inequality in the society between the poor and the rich
4. The military were forced to undertake military duties and endanger their lives for their landlords
5. It encouraged inter-community war fare as landlords foght in order their land and vessals.

The main Characteristics of Pre-colonial Education

1. Main purpose was to transmit knowledge of the society to individuals such as agricultural techniques or production of crafts/tools,
2.  education was an ongoing activity taking into account stages of an individual’s status or age in the society,
3. the society was responsible for education rather than schools,
4.  education was informal
5. It was relevant to the context of Africa
6. Emphasize was on good morals and conduct
7. It considered the age level of the child
8. It was informal education
9. Many African societies had education systems which transferred knowledge from elders to the next generation by the 16th century