7 research outputs found
[Review of] Ngugi wa Thiong\u27O. Detained: A Writer\u27s Prison Diary
In December, 1977, one of Africa\u27s most celebrated novelists, Ngugi wa Thiong \u270, was arrested by the government of Kenya and imprisoned for a year without being charged, tried or convicted of any crime. Detained is his prison diary
Warfare and society in the Kingdom of Dahomey: 1818-1894
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityPLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at [email protected]. Thank you.The Kingdom of Dahomey was engaged in a war nearly every year between 1818 and 1894. This study analyzes the motivations and functions of such warfare. The wars began after Gheazo became king. He came to power as a result of a coup d'etat. In order to protect his rule he established a centralized administration by creating a dual political structure of parallel male and female officials. As part of this process, the regular army was expanded and several thousand women became soldiers who fought along side the men. These are Dahomey's unique features: female administrative officers, and female soldiers. The primary functions of the army and the motivations behind the annual wars were political and institutional. Secondary, but almost of equal significance 'were economic motivations, i.e., to acquire slaves to sell to the Europeans on the coast, or for use on Dahomian plantations.2031-01-0