ANSWER:
The
missionaries’ success was noted in the economic, political and social fields
and these are discussed as follows:
·
The evils of
slave trade made East Africans welcome missionaries as liberators. Their
campaign against slave trade won them much support from different tribes in
East Africa.
·
The support they
got from some of the local chiefs and kings led to their success. For instance
Muteesa I of Buganda and Mirambo of Nyamwezi all gave them protection as well
as rights to do their work in their territories.
·
The earlier
explores helped to map out potential areas of East Africa for smooth missionary
work. For instance, H.M Stanley had identified Buganda as a hospitable
community for the missionaries and they were later welcomed by the Kabaka of
Buganda in 1877.
·
The support
missionaries got from their home governments led them to success. This
was inform of finance and physical manpower for instance colonial
governments gave protection to the missionaries whenever they were
challenged by local chiefs or other threats. For instance Captain Lugard
supported the Protestants in the religious wars in Buganda.
·
Some missionary
groups sought for alliances with African chiefs. Such treaties of friendship
made their work easy since the chiefs would call on their subjects to take on
the missionary teachings.
·
The missionaries’
efforts to translate the bible into several local languages helped them succeed
for example Kraft translated the New Testament of the Bible into Swahili and
wrote a Swahili dictionary and a Grammar book.
·
The developments
that missionaries found in societies like Buganda favored their work. For
example, infrastructure around Buganda areas like Namirembe, Lubaga and Kampala
in general made missionary work of putting up schools, hospitals and churches
easy.
·
The industrial
revolution had provided such technology like the printing press which made
printing of bibles and other academic work easy.
·
Their efforts in
life saving services like medical care (Quinine) won them great admiration
among the people of East Africa that few were ready to oppose them.
·
The missionaries’
practical skills enabled them to survive even when their supplies from home
delayed. They for instance adopted agriculture as soon as they settled
anywhere. This ensured steady supply of food.
o They employed locals as porters, interpreters, cooks
or security guards hence winning the loyalty of many.
o The death of Dr. David Livingstone in 1873 and other
earlier missionaries increased the determination by many groups to see
missionary work succeed in Africa, and East Africa in particular. E.g. the
London news paper wrote after his death, “the work for Africa must hence
forth begin in earnest where Livingstone left it off.”
o Establishment of resettlement centers for freed slaves
e.g. at Bagamoyo and Frere town near Mombasa where skills like carpentry, and
agriculture were taught. Such communities thus looked at missionary work as “a
life- saving mission”
No comments:
Post a Comment