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Mémoires Année : 1999

Agricultural history of the Abakuria of Kenya from the end of the nineteenth century to the mid 1970's

Résumé

Agricultural history is a significant aspect of the study of the African past. The theme, inter alia, compels the historian to pay attention to African physical geography. This in turn, should be welcome in view of the profound influence that geographical factors have had on African history. Growing populations are severely taxing food resources and, to provide enough food for each citizen, most nations must increase agricultural output year after year. And with agriculture at the heart of more than two-thirds of the world's national economies, promoting agricultural growth has become a subject of the highest priority. Even though the essential conditions of any one historical experience can never be exactly replicated, the past can still provide much valuable guidance in the determination of development schemes, programmes and policies for the future. A knowledge of the past successes and failures can be useful in that past experiences can raise a whole range of issues -physical, economic and social- that must be carefully considered in any appraisal of development possibilities. It should also be useful in indicating directions or types of development activity, which ought to receive emphasis in the future. There is a small body of general historical literature on the Abakuria of Kenya. However, no comprehensive attempt has yet been made to study their agricultural history. The present study is therefore intended to fill this void in Kuria historiography. The study seeks to assess the evolution and development of Kuria agricultural from the late nineteenth century to the mid-1970s. It is assumed in the study that Kuria agriculture was dynamic, productive and largely self-sustaining before colonial rule. Further, the view is taken that colonial capitalism weakened this indigenous agricultural system, resulting in stagnation and land degradation. A major factor affecting this agricultural transformation was the migrant labour system and cash crop production. This study is informed by two theoretical perspectives: dependency and underdevelopment theory, and the articulation of modes of production theory. The ecological aspects of the development of Kuria agriculture from precolonial times to the late years of Kenya's independence are also closely considered. The methodology of the study involved data collection on a systematic basis beginning with secondary source in libraries, and then proceeding to the collection of primary source materials in archives and through field research.
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Dates et versions

dumas-01277386 , version 1 (22-02-2016)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : dumas-01277386 , version 1

Citer

Babere Kerata Chacha. Agricultural history of the Abakuria of Kenya from the end of the nineteenth century to the mid 1970's . History. 1999. ⟨dumas-01277386⟩

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