Trade and Socioeconomic Change in Ovamboland, 1850-1906 Societas Historica Fennica Suomen Historiallinen Seura Finska Historiska Samfundet
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Harri Siiskonen Trade and Socioeconomic Change in Ovamboland, 1850-1906 Societas Historica Fennica Suomen Historiallinen Seura Finska Historiska Samfundet Studia Historica 35 HARRI SIISKONEN Trade and Socioeconomic Change in Ovamboland, 1850-1906 SHS / Helsinki / 1990 Cover: Rauno Endén Photograph: Pottery trading in Ovamboland, photograph by R. Loes. ISSN 0081-6493 ISBN 951-8915-30-X Vammalan Kirjapaino Oy Vammala 1990 Contents ABBREVIATIONS 9 PREFACE 11 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. The Tradition of Research on Namibian History 13 1.2. The Aim of this Study 20 1.3. Source Materials 1.3.1. Archive Sources 25 1.3.2. Published Primary Sources 31 2. THE RELATION BETWEEN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND SETTLEMENT IN THE ETOSHA FLOOD PLAIN REGION IN THE MID- NINETEENTH CENTURY 2.1. The Physical Environment 35 2.2. Population and Sociopolitical Organization in the Etosha Pan Flood Plain 2.2.1. Population: Estimates and Distribution 41 2.2.2. The Social and Political Structure of the Ovambo Communities 44 3. THE STA TUS OF EXCHANGE IN THE ECONOMY OF THE OVAMBO COMMUNITIES IN THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY 3.1. The Structure of Production 3.1.1. Agriculture and Cattle Raising 50 3.1.2. Gathering and Fishing 56 5 3.I.3. Hunting 58 3.1.4. Handicraft Production 60 3.2. Ovambo Trade Relations 3.2.1. Criteria for the Classification of Trade 66 3.2.2. Local Trade 68 3.2.3. Regional trade 70 3.2.4. The Long-Distance Trade Relations of the Ovambo 3.2.4.1. Trade Connections to the South 74 3.2.4.2. Trade Connections to the North 79 3.2.4.3. Trade Connections to the East and West 84 3.2.5. The Aims of Ovambo Exchange 85 4. THE OVAMBO COMMUNITIES AND EUROPEAN-LED LONG-DISTANCE TRADE 1850-1906 4.1. Early Contacts with European Traders 4.1.1. Connections in the North 89 4.1.2. The Interest of Walvis Bay Traders in Ovamboland 92 4.2. The Ovambo Communities under the Pressure of expanding Markets 4.2.1. External Pressure for the Expansion of Trade Con- nections 98 4.2.2. The Increasing Demand for Trade with Ovamboland in the 1860s 4.2.2.1. The Activation of Portuguese-Led Trade 102 4.2.2.2. Walvis Bay Traders enter the Ovambo Market 104 4.2.3. Ovambo Capacity for controlling European-Led Long-Distance Trade 112 4.3. The Vigorous Growth in Trade in Ovamboland in the 1870s 4.3.I. The Activation of the Walvis Bay Traders' Operations 4.3.1.1. The Decline of the Hereroland Market 1I6 4.3.1.2. Ovamboland as the Main Site of Commercial Hunting 121 4.3.2. The Relation between Missionary Work and Trade 4.3.2.1. The Conflict between Missionary Goals and Others' Expectations 125 4.3.2.2. Missionaries' Commercial Activities I28 4.3.3. The Status of the Mossamedes Traders on the Ovambo Market 131 6 4.4. The Influence of Resource Depletion and Politics on European Commerce 1880-1896 4.4.1. The Walvis Bay Traders' Difficulties on the Ovambo Market 4.4.1.I. The Effect of the Nama-Herero War on European Commerce in Hereroland 136 4.4.l.2. The Collapse of Trade with Ovamboland 140 4.4.1.3. The Position of Ovamboland in the Com- mercial Policy of the German Colonial Government 143 4.4.2. The Status of Portuguese Angolan Harbors in Ovamboland's Export Trade 4.4.2.1. Mossamedes as the Walvis Bay Traders' Export Harbor 146 4.4.2.2. The Strengthening of the Position of Portuguese Traders on the Ovamboland Market 152 4.4.3. An Alternative to Traditional Market Channels: The Opening of the Trade Route to the Transvaal and Kimberley 158 4.5. Colonial Officials as Directors of Trade 1897-1904 4.5.1. The Rinderpest and its Effect on Trade 162 4.5.2. The Status of Ovamboland in the Economy of German South West Africa 4.5.2.1. The Economic Condition of Hereroland after the Rinderpest 166 4.5.2.2. Ovamboland's Status as a Market Area 169 4.5.3. Northern-based Trade with Ovamboland 178 4.5.4. Trade as a Hindrance to Colonial Policy 4.5.4.1. Trade and the Establishment of the Ovamboland Reservation 183 4.5.4.2. Trade and Portuguese Power Politics 188 5. THE SOCIOECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF EUROPEAN-LED LONG-DISTANCE TRADE IN O VAMBOLAND 5.1. The Status of European Traders in the Ovambo Com- munities 5.1.1. The Role of Kings in Long-Distance Trade 191 5.1.2. Trade on European Terms 194 7 5.2. Long-Distance Trade Spawns new Economic Sectors 5.2.1. The Economic and Social Role of Commercial Hunting 200 5.2.2. The Development of the Raiding Economy 5.2.2.1. The Institution of the Raid in the Ovambo Communities 203 5.2.2.2. The Commercialization of Raiding and the Political Consequences thereof 206 5.2.2.3. Households and the Growth of Trade: the Spread of Property and Person Seizure 213 5.3. The Effect of Trade on Social Relations 5.3.I. Trade and the Increase of Refugees 217 5.3.2. The Development of Relations between the Kings and the Power Elite 219 5.4. Long-Distance Trade and Household Living Conditions 5.4.1. Influences on the Structure of Production and Trade Relations 224 5.4.2. Trade and the Development of Migrant Labor 229 6. CONCLUSION 237 BIBLIOGRAPHY 244 APPENDIXES Appendix 1 Ovamboland Territorial Extent 263 Appendix 2 Southwestern Africa — Ethnic Groups 264 Appendix 3 Settlement and Administration 265 Appendix 4 Long-Distance Trade Routes in Southwestern Africa 266 INDEX 267 8 ABBREVIATIONS AA Auswärtiges Amt AAKA Auswärtiges Amt Kolonialabteilung APD Antti Piirainen's Diary APeD August Pettinen's Diary ASD Albin Savola's Diary AWD August Wahlberg's Diary BRMG Berichte der Rheinischen Missionsgesellschaft BzDKB Beilagen zum Deutschen Kolonialblatt CJAD Charles John Andersson's Diary DKB Deutsches Kolonialblatt ELC Emil Liljeblad's Collection FMS Finish Missionary Society FMSA Finish Missionary Society Archives GDVD Gustaf De Vylder's Diary JAH Journal of African History MBC Minutes of Brother Conferences MMC Minutes of Missionary Conferences MRD Martti Rautanen's Diary NAF National Archives of Finland NAW National Archives, Windhoek PC Private Collection RKA Reichskolonialamt RMS Rhenish Missionary Society SLSa Suomen Lähetyssanomia SUL Stockholm University Library UEMA United Evangelical Mission Archives WLD William Latham's Diary ZBU Zentralbureau des Kaiserlichen Gouvernements ZStA Zentrales Staatsarchiv 9 ~~~.~. ~ ~ ~~s- ,k,-.1..... PREFACE This study is part of a research project, initiated in 1984, on Cultural and Social Change in Ovamboland, 1870-1915. The project has provided a good foundation for the work of a young researcher. Just the collec- tion of the required dispersed source materials from various archives would have been an impossible task, both technically and economically, for a single researcher. Current events in Namibia have made this study particularly interest- ing. During the whole research process Namibia's past, present and fu- ture have been tangibly close to the author. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Humanities Com- mittee of the Academy of Finland for the support which made long-term work possible. In addition to economic support, the multifarious help provided by various institutions and private individuals has been of decisive impor- tance for the progress of my study. Seppo Rytkönen deserves special thanks. As the director of the mentioned research project and the super- visor of my work, he has continually contributed to the advancement of my study with his advice. I would like to thank the members of our research group, Martti Eirola and Märta Salokoski, for their valuable cooperation. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Jukka Siikala, who exam- ined my work at the licentiate stage, and Horst Drechsler, who acted as the examiner of the present work in draft form, for their constructive criticism. I thank Heikki Kirkinen, 01Ii Kaikkonen and Antero Heikki- nen for the valuable advice and support I received from them during the various stages of my studies. Without forgetting all those whose names it is not possible to mention here, I would like to especially thank the following people for helping 11 me to survive the greatest pitfalls: Barbara Faulenbach, Aino Hahl, Seppo Kalliokoski, Peter Katjavivi, Juhani Koponen, Brigitte Lau, Richard Moorsom, Matti Peltola, Seppo Sivonen and Frieda-Nela Williams. I thank the Finnish Missionary Society and the Rhenish Missionary Society for allowing me access to their invaluable archives. In addition to the Academy of Finland I owe a debt of gratitude to the following sources of financial support for my study: the Scandinavi- an Institute of African Studies, the Finnish Academy of Science, the Os- kar Öflund Foundation, the E.J. Sariola Foundation, the Scholarship Center of the Ministry of Education and the University of Joensuu. I thank the Finnish Historical Society for accepting my study for pub- lication in its series and for providing funds for its translation. I am grate- ful to Rauno Endén for his frictionless cooperation during the printing stage of the work. Steven Huxley deserves special thanks for his protracted labor as the translator of my study. He is not responsible for the notes or for any final changes in the text. Most of all I would like to thank my parents. They have supported and encouraged me at all stages of my studies. I dedicate this study to my father's memory; unfortunately he could not witness its completion.