1918-1939 Independence
since 1961







Tanganyika a British Mandate 1939-1961



World War II changed the economic situation, production of tobacco, cattle and rubber saw a remarkable increase. When Japanese troops occupied Malaysia and the Dutch East Indies, the British administration took Tanganyika's ill-kept and unprofitable rubber plantations under their own management. The rubber boom ended immediately after the war.
Tanganyikans served in the war, in the KING'S AFRICAN RIFLE BATTALION and the TANGANYIKAN NAVAL VOLUNTEER FORCE. The territory received c.12,000 refugees, mostly Poles and Italians. In 1940, Canadian John Thoburn Williamson discovered DIAMONDS near Tabora in Tanganyika.
In 1946 Tanganyika was approved as a TRUST TERRITORY by the United Nations, in succession of the League of Nations, entrusted to Great Britain. In 1948, a constitutional reform resulted in African and Asian representation in the Legislative Council (established in 1926).
Tanganyika was a member of the EAST AFRICAN CURRENCY UNION since 1922, the currency being the East African Shilling. In 1948 the EAST AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSION was established.
In 1949, Tanganyika's main export products were Sisal (over 40 % of total export value), followed by coffee.In 1947 an estimated 324,500 natives were under employment (out of a native population of 5,581,277 (1946)). Wages for agricultural labour began at 12s. per month, for semi-skilled to skilled labour at 20s. to 200s. per month. Asian artisans were paid 8 to 10s. per day.
In 1954, JULIUS NYERERE established the TANU (Tanganyika African National Union) which emerged as the dominant political party in the elections of 1958 and 1960. In 1961, independence was proclaimed.
In 1953 the Catholic church reorganized the administration of Tanganyika's community by elevating Daressalaam into the see of an archdiocesis, with suffragan dioceses at Bukoba, Dodoma, Iringa, Karema, Kigoma, Maswa (Shinyanga), Mbarara (Ruwenzori), Mbeya, Mbulu, Morogoro, Moshi, Mwanza, Rutabo and Tabora.






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
Tanzania, from africana.com, mostly on history
Chronology of Catholic Dioceses : Tanzania, from Kirken i Norge
Biography of John Thoburn Williamson, posted by Hamstat Integrated Systems
DOCUMENTS Flags of Tanganyika, British Mandate, from FOTW
List of Governors etc., from World Statesmen : Tanzania by Ben Cahoon
REFERENCE 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]
Chapter 22 : The Wonderful World of Tanganyika, pp.396-420, in : John Gunther, Inside Africa, NY : Harper & Bros. (1953) 1955 [G]
Article : British East Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1944 p.127, 1945 pp.124-125, 1946 pp.146-147, 1947 pp.149-150, 1948 pp.139-140, 1949 pp.118-120, 1950 pp.127-128, 1951 pp.124-125, 1952 pp.122-123, 1953 pp.123-124, 1954 pp.121-124, 1955 pp.181-183, 1956 pp.120-122, 1957 pp.180-182 [G]
Article Tanganyika, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1958 p.668 (on events in 1957) [G]
Article Tanganyika, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1959 p.667 (on events in 1958) [G]
Article Tanganyika, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1960 p.667 (on events in 1959) [G]
Article Tanganyika, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1961 p.667 (on events in 1960) [G]
Article Tanganyika, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1962 pp.661-662 (on events in 1961) [G]
Article : Tanganyika Territory, in : Statesman's Year Book 1943 pp.260-263 [G]
Article : Tanganyika Territory, in : Americana Annual 1943 p.694 (on events of 1942) [G]
Article : Tanganyika Territory, in : Americana Annual 1944 p.670 (on events of 1943) [G]
Article : British East Africa, in : Americana Annual 1945 p.115; Tanganyika p.685 (on events of 1944) [G]
Article : British East Africa, in : Americana Annual 1946 pp.120-123 (on events of 1945) [G]
Article : British East Africa, in : Americana Annual 1947 pp.98-100 (on events of 1946) [G]
Article : British East Africa - Tanganyika, in : Americana Annual 1957 pp.102-104 (on events of 1956) [G]
Article : British East Africa - Tanganyika, in : Americana Annual 1961 pp.93-95 (on events of 1960) [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on August 23rd 2007

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