a brief note on Ethnicity and the State in Africa
the evolution of the Tutsi/Hutu dichotomy in the precolonial Great Lakes.
=========================== #### Discover more from African History Extra All about African history; narrating the continent's neglected past Over 6,000 subscribers a brief note on Ethnicity and the State in Africa
================================================= ### the evolution of the Tutsi/Hutu dichotomy in the precolonial Great Lakes. ( May 12, 2024 25 Africa is often considered the most culturally diverse continent, a fact that is thought to significantly influence state development. However, the identification and study of cultures and social complexity in pre-colonial African societies has hardly been known for its conceptual clarity and scientific rigour. In the early 20th century, colonial authorities confronted with the diversity of their subject population set about the task of classifying them inorder to determine the 'true rulers' of the past so they could add the legitimacy of tradition to the colony's 'Native Authority.'( Urged on by the colonial authorities, early anthropologists and linguists described cultures, languages, and ethnicities as discrete, bounded groups, whose distribution could be captured on an 'ethnic map' such as George Murdock's now infamous 1959 map of African "tribes". Similarly, early historians of Africa were preoccupied with finding the 'true origins' of these groups, their migration to their present territories, and the innovations they supposedly carried with them.( The disciplines of anthropology, linguistics, and history in Africa have since come a long way from their problematic foundations. Cultures and ethnicities( are now understood to be more fluid and variable social constructs that shape and are shaped by historical processes of social change and evolution. This new approach to Africa's social history has also revealed that languages are not the sole indicators of culture, since linguistic differences alone can’t determine social interactions.( Most African states and societies were recognizably heterogeneous —from small ( to (
— and interactions between different social groups could occur across multiple cultural zones. The existence of 'diasporic communities' across a vast region such as the ( and the ( in West Africa, and the ( in East Africa, also indicates that cultural convergence between different African societies wasn't infrequent, and could be facilitated by trade, religion and the state. ‘ethnic’ groups in the Mali empire (approx. 1 million sqkm) and the Kuba kingdom (approx. 27,000 sqkm).( As one historian succinctly puts it; _**"Political and ethnic boundaries rarely coincided in pre-colonial Africa. Human ambitions were too pressing to allow people to remain static over long periods. States expanded when they were sufficiently powerful to do so. Communities competed with one another to attract settlers and thereby gain supporters."**_( Ethnicities and cultures are therefore historical and not primordial phenomena. One of the most profound examples of the historical evolution of social identities in Africa comes from the Great Lakes region of East Africa, where the social divisions of Tutsi/Hima and Hutu/Iru have been particularly significant in shaping the history of states and societies from the colonial period to the present day, especially in the kingdoms of Rwanda and Nkore. **The history of the Tutsi/Hima and Hutu/Iru dichotomy is the subject of my latest Patreon article.** **please subscribe to read about it here:** ( * * * _**street scene in Gao, Mali**_, ca. 1935, ANOM. The city’s population was linguistically diverse, including speakers of the languages of Songhay, Fula, and Tamashek. a group of Comorians settled in the trading city of Majunga, Madagascar, ca. 1904, Quai Branly Museum. * * * Thanks for reading African History Extra! for free to receive new posts and support my work. ( Ethnic Groups and the State edited by Paul R. Brass pg 65-83 ( Genetics and the Unsettled Past: The Collision of DNA, Race, and History edited by Keith Wailoo, Alondra Nelson, Catherine Lee pg 68-78, What Do You Mean There Were No Tribes in Africa?: Thoughts on Boundaries and Related Matters In Precolonial Africa by DR Wright pg 419-426, The Archaeology of Africa: Food, Metals and Towns edited by Bassey Andah, Alex Okpoko, Thurstan Shaw, Paul Sinclair pg 1-10. ( at its most basic definition; **ethnicity** is a social group, **culture** is a way of life, and **states**/kingdoms/empires are a form of organized society. These concepts can overlap or diverge depending on the context. ( Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800 By John Kelly Thornton pg 184-189 ( Maps by Nehemiah Levtzion and Jan Vansina ( Precolonial Legacies in Postcolonial Politics By Martha Wilfahrt pg 50.
### A Brief Note on Ethnicity and the State in Africa: The Evolution of the Tutsi/Hutu Dichotomy in the Precolonial Great Lakes

#### Introduction 
1. Africa is recognized as the most culturally diverse continent, which has significant implications for state development.
2. The study of cultures and social complexity in pre-colonial African societies lacks conceptual clarity and scientific rigor.

#### Colonial Classification of Ethnicities
3. In the early 20th century, colonial authorities sought to classify diverse populations in Africa to identify the "true rulers" of the past. 
   - This classification aimed to lend legitimacy to colonial governance through the concept of "Native Authority."
4. Early anthropologists and linguists categorized cultures, languages, and ethnicities as discrete, bounded groups, often represented on ethnic maps, such as George Murdock's 1959 map of African tribes.
5. Historians were focused on uncovering the "true origins" and migrations of these groups, neglecting the fluid nature of social identities.

#### Evolving Understanding of Ethnicities and Cultures
6. Modern scholarship recognizes cultures and ethnicities as fluid and variable constructs influenced by historical processes.
7. Linguistic differences alone do not dictate social interactions, highlighting the complexity of cultural exchanges in Africa.
8. Many African states were heterogeneous, characterized by various interactions among different social groups across cultural zones.

#### Cultural Convergence and Historical Context
9. Historical examples show that cultural convergence occurred between African societies, facilitated by trade, religion, and state interactions.
10. Significant ethnicities existed within large empires, such as the Mali Empire (approx. 1 million sq. km) and the Kuba Kingdom (approx. 27,000 sq. km).
11. Political and ethnic boundaries in pre-colonial Africa rarely coincided due to the dynamic nature of human ambitions and societal changes.

#### Case Study: Tutsi/Hutu Dichotomy
12. The Tutsi/Hima and Hutu/Iru distinctions in the Great Lakes region of East Africa serve as profound examples of historical evolution in social identities.
13. These divisions significantly influenced the history of states and societies in Rwanda and Nkore, particularly during the colonial period and beyond. 

#### Conclusion
14. The understanding of ethnicity, culture, and state in Africa continues to evolve, revealing the complexities of historical narratives and social identities. 
15. The historical evolution of the Tutsi/Hutu dichotomy is the subject of ongoing scholarly exploration, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of pre-colonial African societies. 

#### References for Further Reading
- "Ethnic Groups and the State" edited by Paul R. Brass
- "Genetics and the Unsettled Past: The Collision of DNA, Race, and History" edited by Keith Wailoo, Alondra Nelson, Catherine Lee
- "What Do You Mean There Were No Tribes in Africa?" by DR Wright 
- "The Archaeology of Africa: Food, Metals and Towns" edited by Bassey Andah, Alex Okpoko, Thurstan Shaw, Paul Sinclair
- "Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800" by John Kelly Thornton
- "Precolonial Legacies in Postcolonial Politics" by Martha Wilfahrt 

This structured approach highlights the factual basis and logical progression of ideas regarding ethnicity and state formation in Africa, particularly in the context of the Tutsi/Hutu dichotomy.