Material Cultures of Imperialism in Eastern Africa, c.1870–1920: A Study of Ethnographic Collecting and Display Alison Bennett UCL PhD History 1 This thesis is submitted for the degree of PhD. I, Alison Bennett, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. 2 Abstract This dissertation examines the entangled relationship between ethnographic collecting and early British imperial expansion in present-day Uganda and neighbouring parts of Kenya. Between 1870 and 1920, thousands of objects from this region were accessioned by British museums and their colonial counterparts in eastern Africa. However, historians and curators alike know remarkably little about the contexts of their acquisition. Histories of the colonial period in Uganda and Kenya have rarely engaged with these crucial material sources, relying instead upon methodologies that privilege the textual and oral archive. Meanwhile in museum histories and displays, objects from eastern Africa are eclipsed by material culture from western Africa and Egypt. By combining close object analysis with archival and visual material, and by drawing on theoretical approaches to material culture from anthropology, this thesis reassembles the rich and complex histories of this important material archive for the first time. In doing so, it reveals the significant material underpinnings of both imperial and counter-imperial activity in the region. Focusing on a variety of different collectors ranging from colonial officials to missionaries, local leaders and museums, it shows that collecting was a pivotal tool for mediating different encounters, relationships, identities, and power structures within colonial society. In the process, this thesis makes three important interventions. It offers original new perspectives on early British imperial history in eastern Africa, it contributes to our wider understanding of imperial collecting, and it develops our knowledge of the colonial histories of museums and their collections. 3 Impact Statement When research for this dissertation first began in September 2014, a YouGov UK poll had recently affirmed the continued disparity among the British public about the legacies of empire. Fifty-nine percent of respondents felt that the British Empire was something to be proud of, nineteen percent believed that it was something to be ashamed of, and twenty-three percent didn’t know what to think of it. This contested and deeply sensitive history continues to mediate relations between Britain and African countries, and its legacy still permeates public institutions and debates. An extremely valuable, yet largely ignored (quasi) public record of this past exists in museums across Britain, Uganda, and Kenya. By documenting, contextualizing, and making this record more visible, the research generated by this thesis was intended to have a broad impact, contributing new knowledge about the British Empire in eastern Africa to academic historians, museum professionals, and the wider public alike. The thesis has addressed these aims in a number of specific ways. In addition to offering a new object-centred research methodology for historians of imperialism in Uganda and Kenya, the research findings of this thesis have served as the basis for a range of scholarly conference papers and journal articles on empire and Africa more broadly. Its sources and case-studies have been incorporated into undergraduate course content, and have provided material for object-based teaching, widening participation initiatives, and school outreach activities. The thesis has contributed to the scholarly output of museums by revealing the provenance of many objects acquired by British, Ugandan, and Kenyan museums during the colonial era. It has also connected collections across multiple geographical and institutional sites. Finally, the thesis has made a social impact by providing important new content for 4 public engagement initiatives including museum tours and blog posts which have made these rich sources and histories more widely accessible. 5 Contents Acknowledgments 6 Abbreviations 8 Glossary 9 List of Figures 11 Note on Terminology 13 Introduction 18 1. From Exploration to Treaty-Making and Administration: Collecting and the Makings of Colonial Officialdom 56 2. Collecting, Conversion, and Colonization: Problematizing Missionaries in Uganda 111 3. Eastern African Collectors and Donors: A Reassessment of Subjects and Objects 143 4. Unpacking the Collections at The British Museum and Uganda Museum 186 Conclusion 226 Appendixes 237 Bibliography 249 6 Acknowledgments I would like to begin by expressing my sincerest thanks to my supervisors, Professor Margot Finn, Dr. John Giblin, and Dr. Sarah Longair. The project was a truly collaborative endeavour and would not have been conceived without them. I am grateful for their generous and patient support, and for their perceptive and sharp-witted comments. I am also thankful to Professor Michael Collins and Professor Jonathon Earle for generously sharing their knowledge of Ugandan history and for offering vital opportunities to discuss my research. I would like to thank staff at the British Museum, National Museums Scotland, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (University of Cambridge), Pitt-Rivers Museum (University of Oxford), Uganda Museum, and National Museums of Kenya. In particular I am grateful to Julie Hudson, Jim Hamill, Sarah Worden, Rachel Hand, Nicholas Crowe, Abiti Nelson, Kiprop Lagat and Joseph Mutangah for not only allowing me access to the collections and archives at these institutions, but also for the pivotal insights that they afforded through co-discussion and object handling. I would also like to thank Wartson Atukwatse for his help, enthusiasm and accommodation at the Uganda Society Library in Kampala, as well as staff at the Uganda National Archives, Kenya National Archives, and British Institute of Eastern Africa. The A.H.R.C Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) made my PhD possible and also provided many opportunities for training and travel in order to discuss my research with different audiences. For this I would especially like to thank JD Hill at the British Museum. A particularly helpful and memorable occasion was the 2017 Göttingen University Spirit Summer School and I am grateful to Dominik Hünniger and his colleagues for the opportunity to attend. I would also like to thank the Royal 7 Historical Society for vital extra funding to conduct research and present my work in Uganda, Kenya, and the USA. Through the CDP programme I have also had the opportunity to meet many like-minded people and would especially like to thank my fellow CDP friends, Mary McMahon and Nikki Grout who have listened to, read, and discussed my research. More importantly, they have also allowed me to share the joys and challenges of navigating a PhD and have been a calming presence over the last two years. I have also learnt a great deal through their inspiring research in Australia and West Africa. I would like to thank my parents Christine and Roger for their love and support, and for encouraging my interest in history from a young age. Thank you to Debbie, Heather, and Joel for their continued encouragement and interest. I would also like to thank Bryan and Harshika for their support, and particularly for helping me to explore new parts of Kenya. My biggest thanks go to my partner Dave for sustaining me throughout my PhD in countless ways. He has generally discussed topics far beyond his own interests and taken on a grossly unfair share of household chores, I can never thank him enough for his support, kindness, encouragement, and enduring patience. I would also like to thank Amber for her calming feline company during many long days and late nights. 8 Abbreviations BM British Museum CAS Colonial Administration Service CMS Church Missionary Society IBEAC Imperial British East Africa Company JRAI Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute LMS London Missionary Society MAA Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology NMS National Museums Scotland RAI Royal Anthropological Institute TNA The National Archives 9 Glossary Acholi Generic term used to describe the people of Acholiland Acholiland Region in present-day Northern Uganda (A)Kamba Generic term used to describe the people of Ukambani Ankole Former kingdom in south-western Uganda also known as Nkore Athiani Kamba hunting leaders Banyankole People of Ankole (Ba)Ganda Generic term used to describe the people of Buganda Buganda Region and Kingdom in the south-central area of present-day Uganda Bunyoro Kingdom in present-day western Uganda Enkejje Fish found in the lakes surrounding Buganda Kabaka King of Buganda Katikkiro Prime Minister of Buganda Kibuuka God of War (Buganda) Kiganda Customs of the Baganda Kikamba Customs of the Akamba Lubaale (plur. –balubaale) Deity (Buganda) Luganda The language of the Baganda Lukikko Parliament (Buganda) Luo Generic term used to describe the people of 10 Luoland in western Kenya and eastern Uganda Luwaalo Tax (Buganda) Maasai Pastoralist tribe of Kenya and northern Tanzania Mayembe (Sing: Jembe) Fetishes (Buganda) Mizimu Ghosts (Buganda) Mkamba Citizen/subject of Ukamba Muganda Citizen/subject of Buganda Mukasa The head Lubaale Nandi Generic term used to describe the people of Nandi County Nnamasole Queen mother (Buganda) Nsiriba Amulets (Buganda) (O)Mugabe King of Ankole (O)Mukama King of Bunyoro Rwot (plur.–Rwodi)