1886-1918 1939-1961







Tanganyika a British Mandate 1918-1939



The period of British rule began with the occupation of the island of MAFIA by the Royal Navy in 1914. In 1916, the colony was occupied; German troops, commanded by able PAUL VON LETTOW-VORBECK continued to resist until the end of the war. In 1920, the League of Nations, granted the mandate to administrate the former German colony of German East Africa, except Ruanda and Burundi, to Britain. The colony was renamed TANGANYIKA TERRITORY (1920). In 1921 the Belgians transferred the Kigoma district, which they had administrated since the occupation, to British administration., Great Britain and Belgium signed an agreement regarding the border between Tanganyika and Ruanda-Urundi in 1924.
Until 1925, Tanganyika was administrated in an improvising manner, following the German style. Then a sustem based on indirect rule, as it was practiced in (British) Nigeria, was introduced. In 1926, a LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL was established, which was to advise the governor. In 1928 the railway line Tabora-Mwanga was opened to traffic, the line from Moshi to Arusha in 1929.
In 1919 the population was estimated at 3,500,000. In 1931 a census established the population of Tanganyika at 5,022,640 natives, in addition 32,398 Asiatics and 8,228 Europeans.
Under British rule, efforts were undertaken to fight the Tsetse fly (Charles Swynnerton, since 1919), to fight Malaria and Bilharziasis; more hospitals were built.
In 1922, Tanganyika joined the EAST AFRICAN CURRENCY UNION. In 1927 Tanganyika joined the East African Customs Union (with Kenya and Uganda).
In 1926, the Colonial administration provided subsidies to schools run by missionaries, and at the same moment established her authority to exercise supervision and to establish guidelines. Yet in 1935, the education budget for entire Tanganyika amounted to merely (US) $ 240,000.
The Great Depression in the 1930es caused a reduction in the production of plantation crops grown for export. The British administration then used coercion to have native farners grow certain export crops, most notably sisal.



Stamps issued for the Mandated Territory of Tanganyika by the British Postal Administration






EXTERNAL
FILES 		The History of Tanzania : the British Period, from nyenzi.com
History of Tanzania : Colonial Period, from United Republic of Tanzania
Articles from Infoplease : Tanzania
History of Tanzania, from geographia.com and from Living Encyclopedia for Tanzania
History of Daressalaam, from daressalaam.com
Military History of Tanzania, from regiments.org
History of Colonial Tanganyika, from newafrica.com
History of the East African Community, from EAC
DOCUMENTS List of Governors etc., from World Statesmen : Tanzania
Paper Money of the East African Currency Board, from African Banknotes
by Ben Cahoon
REFERENCE Peter Iliffe, A Modern History of Tanganyika, Cambridge : Univ. Press 1979, 616 pp. [G]
South and East African Year Book and Guide, 49th edition 1949, pp.761-763, 824-851 [G]
Edna Mason Kaula, The Land and People of Tanganyika, Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott 1963, 160 pp. (Portraits of Nations Series) [G]
Roland Oliver e.a. (ed.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Africa, Cambridge : UP 1981
Article : East Africa, in : Statesman's Year Book 1919 pp.916-917 [G]
Article : Tanganyika Territory, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1924 pp.258-261, 1925 pp.264-266, 1926 pp.265-268, 1928 pp.265-268, 1929 pp.268-271, 1932 pp.270-273, 1937 pp.293-296 [G]
Article : Tanganyika Territory, in : Americana Annual 1927 pp.820-821, 1928 p.748, 1930 p.739, 1931 pp.733-734, 1932 pp.682-683, 1933 p.735, 1934 p.566, 1935 pp.686-687, 1936 p.696, 1937 p.670, 1938 p.727, 1939 p.664, 1940 pp.744-745 [G]
Article : British East Africa, in : Americana Annual 1930 pp.129-131, 1931 pp.125-126 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on August 27th 2007

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