Der Bericht des Mzee bin Ramadhani über den Maji-Maji-Krieg im Bezirk Songea: Swahili-Text und zeitgenössische deutsche Übersetzung mit einem einführenden Kommentar

There is a wide range of contemporary publications dealing with Maji Mai War in German East Africa (1905-1907) during which mor than 100000 people lost their lives as a consequence of brutal fighting, deliberate destruction and famine. Only three of these publications were written by Africans. The Swahili text reprinted here attests the view of Mzee bin Ramadhani, the headman (liwali) of Songea town, after colonial military had gained the upper hand in June 1906. It contains polemic statements against leaders and supporters of the Maji Maji movement and depicts aspects of mutual support of colonial officers and Swahili residents from a local perspective. His article as a whole presents the colonial regime as a non-interfering and supportive factor in regard to the Swahili Diaspora. Thus it is reasonable to assume that in his eyes succesful Swahili men were at least equal in many respects (e.g. linguistic competence, social experience, religious conviction) rather than inferior according to colonial understanding