Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
2020-09-01T00:00:00Z
This thesis is an attempt to place the decline of the Marinid Empire in a wider perspective, in order to gain a better understanding of the causes of the decline. Although long considered to be a...Show moreThis thesis is an attempt to place the decline of the Marinid Empire in a wider perspective, in order to gain a better understanding of the causes of the decline. Although long considered to be a weak and ineffective polity in modern historiography, the Marinid Empire was perhaps one of the wealthiest polities of the medieval world. By controlling and facilitating the Trans-Saharan trade networks, the Marinids had access to the largest source of gold in their time, which enabled them to become an important regional polity. Their relative short reign and quick collapse however, cast a shadow over their legacy. But what caused their collapse? This thesis focused on the influence of the Black Death and its possible causative role in the decline of the Trans-Saharan gold trade. By doing so, a series of interesting correlations emerge that suggest that there is a causative relation between the arrival of the Black Death in West Africa, the decline of the Trans Saharan gold trade in the late 14th century and the Marinid decline itself.Show less
The Neolithic is a period in the history of mankind that is characterized by the emergence of pottery, domesticated animals and domesticated plants. Researchers believe that the Neolithic has its...Show moreThe Neolithic is a period in the history of mankind that is characterized by the emergence of pottery, domesticated animals and domesticated plants. Researchers believe that the Neolithic has its origins in the Fertile Crescent, which is based on the oldest recorded dates of domesticated plants and animals found there. From this point, the ‘Neolithic package’ has spread across the globe. As of 2019, there are a large number of academic debates revolving around the route of dispersal of the ‘Neolithic package’ from its earliest starting point. One of these debates revolves around the way in which agriculture has reached Northwest Africa, or more specifically, Morocco. Since agriculture is one of the primary components of the ‘Neolithic package’, the author will put a large emphasis on this topic in this research. The spread and emergence of agriculture will be researched through archaeobotanical research, with an emphasis on macrobotany. Macrobotany is a subfield within botany and revolves around investigating plant macrofossils to learn more about topics such as: past environments, past traderoutes, past diets and so on. Plant macrofossils are generally not transported very far from time of sediment deposition, thus enabling accurate descriptions of past environments and vegetation types. This thesis will use archaeobotanical data generated from a Neolithic site in Oued-Beth, which is a site in the vicinity of Rabat and Meknes. The main objective of this thesis is to use this archaeobotanical data within the existing framework created by past archaeobotanical research in Morocco, in order to better understand the process of Neolithisation in Morocco.Show less
This thesis researches the colonial water governance strategies of the French administration in Morocco between 1912 and 1925. It shows that water governance was, and remains, a strong tool for...Show moreThis thesis researches the colonial water governance strategies of the French administration in Morocco between 1912 and 1925. It shows that water governance was, and remains, a strong tool for transforming traditional power structures using three case studies. The first is public order and the relatonship between the old elites and the Moroccan farmers; the second is the restructuring of legal practises; the third is the decentralisation of power through settler politics. The thesis shows that the aim of the French was not to improve the lives of the Moroccans or their country, but to break old power structures and centralise power and resources under the French authority. The thesis explores the concepts of hydraulic property rights creation and legal pluralism.Show less
In this paper, the political world of the Akan around 1500 A.D. is explored. By examining and comparing Portuguese & Arabic sources, this paper attempts to gain new insights on this shady...Show moreIn this paper, the political world of the Akan around 1500 A.D. is explored. By examining and comparing Portuguese & Arabic sources, this paper attempts to gain new insights on this shady period of Akan history. In particular, this paper explores the connections between the Akan and the wider West African world, with a specific focus on the possible influence of Mande traders & warriors in Ghana.Show less
This thesis, through its use of previoulsy unused primary sources, adds to already existing knowledge with regard to the position of President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and the role of events in...Show moreThis thesis, through its use of previoulsy unused primary sources, adds to already existing knowledge with regard to the position of President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and the role of events in postcolonial Congo in his poltical vision.Show less
This paper discusses the ways in which Frederick Lugard used the Niger river and her subsidiaries as a tool to secure funding from Great Britain between 1900-1905. The annual reports written by...Show moreThis paper discusses the ways in which Frederick Lugard used the Niger river and her subsidiaries as a tool to secure funding from Great Britain between 1900-1905. The annual reports written by Lugard were propaganda to convince Parliament of the value of the Nigerian project by showing progress towards the installation of “legitimate commerce”. This paper proves that the British were, especially in these early years of colonisation, to a great degree confined to the Niger river. Three cases are analysed to show to what extent Lugard is bound to the river for his propaganda: the abolition of illegitimate trade, the promotion of Nigeria to replace the USA and India as the new centre for cotton farming, and the redirection of commerce from the trans-Saharan route to the English sphere. This paper concludes that the river held an abstract value for the British coloniser: apart from being the major highway for trade and transport, it was also an important tool for Lugard’s propaganda.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
Namibian beer is available in eighteen countries all over the world, continuously wins international awards and makes Namibians proud. Since the independence of Namibia in 1990, this alcoholic...Show moreNamibian beer is available in eighteen countries all over the world, continuously wins international awards and makes Namibians proud. Since the independence of Namibia in 1990, this alcoholic beverage has become one of the key characteristics of the newly constructed nation. But for decades the same brew was not available to the black population as a consequence of Apartheid politics and emerged as a national icon for white settlers. This paradox shows that the history of brewing in Namibia is far more than a simple story of beer: the beer market is an important political, economic and cultural factor that is intertwined with the general history of the country. The research question of this thesis is how European style beer was transformed from a settler’s drink under Apartheid politics into a symbol of the independent Namibian nation.Show less
The thesis approaches the complex of ethnicity in Rwanda under German colonial rule (1885-1916) and focuses on how Rwandan social structures were perceived by German colonialists and influenced by...Show moreThe thesis approaches the complex of ethnicity in Rwanda under German colonial rule (1885-1916) and focuses on how Rwandan social structures were perceived by German colonialists and influenced by their policy. The research question – what was the German approach to ethnicity in the former protectorate of Rwanda, what informed it, and how did it impinge on the society? – already suggests that this period is severely under-researched. Challenging the contemporary discourse that it was the Belgian rule under which Hutu and Tutsi were divided into two premordial entities, the thesis argues that it was earlier, during the German period, that social differences were introduced as racial differences. This argument gets developed on the basis of archive material and with a focus on four key personalities who were implementing German racial ideology in Rwanda by translating it into colonial policy. Without attributing direct responsibility for the 1994 genocide to the German rule, the case shows that the search for root causes of ethnic conflict in Rwanda must consider this timespan as a crucial incision for the further developments that tore society apart along racial lines.Show less
Dit verslag onderzoekt de omgang tussen de Hollanders en Ashanti, vanuit Hollands perspectief, in de 18de en 19de eeuw. Deze relatie was onlosmakelijk verbonden met economische belangen, maar de...Show moreDit verslag onderzoekt de omgang tussen de Hollanders en Ashanti, vanuit Hollands perspectief, in de 18de en 19de eeuw. Deze relatie was onlosmakelijk verbonden met economische belangen, maar de belangen veranderden sterk door in- en externe oorzaken. Aan het einde van de 18de eeuw, tot aan de overdracht van de Nederlandse bezittingen aan de Engelsen in 1872, is er een grote omslag geweest. In dit onderzoek wordt er gekeken naar zowel de interne als externe gebeurtenissen die van invloed waren en bijdroegen aan het verval van de relatie.Show less
This research focuses on how the Italian colonial officers described and envisioned the askari troops recruited in Eritrea during Italian colonial expansion. Through descriptions of battles, war...Show moreThis research focuses on how the Italian colonial officers described and envisioned the askari troops recruited in Eritrea during Italian colonial expansion. Through descriptions of battles, war performances, uses, religions and appearance, the Italians attempted to create a cohesive and univocal model for the askari, at the same time exploring the realities they encountered. Describing the askari was not only a normative endeavour, but also a way to grasp and understand the colony according to the Italian view.Show less
