A history of the Ovambo of Namibia, c 1880-1935
By the 1880s, when this thesis begins, Ovambo societies on the Cuvelai floodplain were organised into different kingships and polities, highly differentiated in social character. This thesis examines processes of socioeconomic change over a period when two separate external forces impinged on the isolated floodplain: firstly merchant capital, followed by colonial rule which favoured mining capital. In 1884, Ovamboland was nominally divided between Portuguese and German colonial territory, but not occupied until 1915. Merchant capital penetrated the region decades prior to colonisation. From the north, the Angolan slave trade had a diffuse impact long before direct connection in the 1850s. In the south, merchant capital centred on the Cape and Walvis Bay penetrated Ovamboland in the 1860s and drew the larger polities into a competing regional mercantile economy. Christianisation commenced slowly from this time. Prior to colonial occupation migrant labour to southern mines began, but supply never equalled demand. The rinderpest epidemic of 1897 and famine in 1915 accentuated processes of internal socio-economic change already underway since the involvement of political elites in long-distance trade. In 1915
Hayes, Patricia Margaret
History
A history of the Ovambo of Namibia, c 1880-1935. By the 1880s, when this thesis begins, Ovambo societies on the Cuvelai floodplain were organised into different kingships and polities, highly differentiated in social character. This thesis examines processes of socioeconomic change over a period when two separate external forces impinged on the isolated floodplain: firstly merchant capital, followed by colonial rule which favoured mining capital. In 1884, Ovamboland was nominally divided between Portuguese and German colonial territory, but not occupied until 1915. Merchant capital penetrated the region decades prior to colonisation. From the north, the Angolan slave trade had a diffuse impact long before direct connection in the 1850s. In the south, merchant capital centred on the Cape and Walvis Bay penetrated Ovamboland in the 1860s and drew the larger polities into a competing regional mercantile economy. Christianisation commenced slowly from this time. Prior to colonial occupation migrant labour to southern mines began, but supply never equalled demand. The rinderpest epidemic of 1897 and famine in 1915 accentuated processes of internal socio-economic change already underway since the involvement of political elites in long-distance trade. In 1915
history namibia begin societies floodplain organise different kingship polity highly differentiate social character examines process socioeconomic change period two_separate external force impinge isolated floodplain firstly merchant capital follow colonial_rule favour mining capital nominally divide portuguese german colonial territory occupied merchant capital penetrate region decade prior colonisation north slave_trade diffuse impact long direct connection south merchant capital centre cape penetrate draw large polity compete regional mercantile economy christianisation commence slowly time prior colonial occupation migrant labour southern mine begin supply never equal demand epidemic famine process internal socio_economic change already underway since involvement political_elite long_distance_trade