Harry Johnston and the Yao Chiefdoms

  • Brian Morris
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History book series (PSWEH)

Abstract

The Shire Highlands at the end of the nineteenth century has been described as a ‘land of turmoil’—characterized by social deprivation and economic insecurity. The reasons for this state of affairs were the ravages of the slave trade and the internecine conflicts between the various Yao chiefdoms. Focussing less on the ‘cycles of violence’ Morris gives an illuminating account of two inter-related topics. These are the rise and fall of the Yao chiefdoms in the Shire Highlands—which were specifically based on the trade of slaves and ivory—and the foundation of the colonial state under the talented Harry Johnston in the 1890s. Central to Johnston’s administration, Morris affirms, was an alienation of large tracts of land to European planters.

Keywords

Nineteenth Century Botanic Garden European Settler Slave Trade Colonial State 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© The Author(s) 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  • Brian Morris
    • 1
  1. 1.Goldsmiths UniversityUniversity of LondonLondonUK

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