Authors :
SEIF MZEE MRISHO
Volume/Issue :
Volume 8 - 2023, Issue 8 - August
Google Scholar :
https://bit.ly/3TmGbDi
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/3275h7b9
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8288369
Abstract :
This paper focused to investigate the challenge
faced peasant clove producers of Pemba, Zanzibar from
1920s to 1950s. Peasants had been the main producer of
various crops prior the advent of colonial domination in
Zanzibar islands. Cloves arrived in Unguja and Pemba
from Indian Ocean French dominated island of Ile de
France (Mauritius) in the second and the third decades of
the 19th century. Peasants of Pemba took part gradually in
the cultivation of this crucial western demanded raw
material; however their position as crucial producers was
lagged behind by the slaves who provided prominent source
of labours in the production. The abolition of slavery and
slave trade in the second half of 19th century sparked up the
domination of peasants in the cloves production. The data
divulged that the development of peasant clove production
was the deliberate measures taken by the British colonial
government in Zanzibar especially from 1920s where
peasants became the merely producers of cloves especially
in Pemba where vast of cloves supporting land was
available. Peasants were preferred so as to enable British
colonialists to achieve their colonial interests crucial for
expansion of capitalistic interests in Europe as a result of
severe impacts caused by the World War One in Europe.
Moreover, the findings disclosed that production of clove by
peasants in Pemba was associated with several challenges
that threatened expansion and development of peasant
production in Pemba. There were serious clove tree diseases
(Die back and Sudden death) that killed considerable
numbers of clove trees in the island, changes in climatic
condition and price fluctuation jeopardized the expansion
of clove cultivation, few clove selling centre and variation in
clove grade system minimized peasants benefit from the
production. This paper benefited from the historical
research design where the Theory of Mode of Production
was used to inform the study. To construct pure historical
knowledge both primary and secondary data were used
where qualitatively data were collected, analysed and
presented. The primary data were collected from Zanzibar
National Archives (ZNA) and Pemba Institute of Archiveand Record (PIAR), Oral attestations were extracted from
various clove stakeholders in Pemba where the study was
conducted.
Keywords :
Clove, Colonial Government, Pemba, Peasant Clove Producer, Slave Trade, Wapemba, Zanzibar.
This paper focused to investigate the challenge
faced peasant clove producers of Pemba, Zanzibar from
1920s to 1950s. Peasants had been the main producer of
various crops prior the advent of colonial domination in
Zanzibar islands. Cloves arrived in Unguja and Pemba
from Indian Ocean French dominated island of Ile de
France (Mauritius) in the second and the third decades of
the 19th century. Peasants of Pemba took part gradually in
the cultivation of this crucial western demanded raw
material; however their position as crucial producers was
lagged behind by the slaves who provided prominent source
of labours in the production. The abolition of slavery and
slave trade in the second half of 19th century sparked up the
domination of peasants in the cloves production. The data
divulged that the development of peasant clove production
was the deliberate measures taken by the British colonial
government in Zanzibar especially from 1920s where
peasants became the merely producers of cloves especially
in Pemba where vast of cloves supporting land was
available. Peasants were preferred so as to enable British
colonialists to achieve their colonial interests crucial for
expansion of capitalistic interests in Europe as a result of
severe impacts caused by the World War One in Europe.
Moreover, the findings disclosed that production of clove by
peasants in Pemba was associated with several challenges
that threatened expansion and development of peasant
production in Pemba. There were serious clove tree diseases
(Die back and Sudden death) that killed considerable
numbers of clove trees in the island, changes in climatic
condition and price fluctuation jeopardized the expansion
of clove cultivation, few clove selling centre and variation in
clove grade system minimized peasants benefit from the
production. This paper benefited from the historical
research design where the Theory of Mode of Production
was used to inform the study. To construct pure historical
knowledge both primary and secondary data were used
where qualitatively data were collected, analysed and
presented. The primary data were collected from Zanzibar
National Archives (ZNA) and Pemba Institute of Archiveand Record (PIAR), Oral attestations were extracted from
various clove stakeholders in Pemba where the study was
conducted.
Keywords :
Clove, Colonial Government, Pemba, Peasant Clove Producer, Slave Trade, Wapemba, Zanzibar.
