Making Martial Races: Gender, Society, and Warfare in Africa

European colonizers in Africa utilized local soldiers and military auxiliaries to maintain their power, often based on the notion of "martial race." This concept was contested by African peoples and shaped by their interactions with Europeans. This book explores how cultural practices and notions of warfare and martial traditions shifted and were transformed across different periods, including the precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial eras. It also examines the role of gender, slavery, and claims to special status by veterans of anticolonial revolutionary wars in shaping martial identities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 348 pages
Publication date: 19 December 2023
Publisher: Ohio University Press

European colonizers in Africa relied heavily on the services of local soldiers and military auxiliaries to maintain their power. These African men were initially recruited by European surveyors and explorers during the late 19th century, and then swiftly enlisted in the infamous campaigns of pacification. The two world wars further increased the number of African soldiers in European employ, and many of them continued their work even into the era of decolonization in the 1960s and 1970s.

Colonial administrators and military planners often selected their recruits based on the concept of "martial race," which implied that certain peoples were inherently more suited for warfare and fighting. However, this notion often concealed more than it revealed, as there was no consensus among Europeans about which "races" or ethnic groups were considered "martial." Moreover, the identities of these groups were constantly evolving. Nevertheless, the belief in the superiority of the "martial race" remained a fundamental guiding principle of European presence in colonial Africa.

The concept of "martial race" remains an awkward and ill-fitting Eurocentric category until African contributions, perspectives, and agencies are considered. "Martial race" was never a label neatly applied by European administrators; rather, African peoples both contested its terms and shaped its contours. This book therefore takes as its starting point the idea of martial race and recasts it as a zone in which African men and women negotiated with their European counterparts, as well as with one another.

The contributors to this volume adopt a broad approach to the topic, one that minimizes divisions between the precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial eras, and explores how cultural practices and notions of warfare and violence have shaped the experiences of African men and women. They examine the various roles that African soldiers and military auxiliaries played in colonial conflicts, including their participation in combat, their provision of logistical support, and their role in enforcing colonial rule.

The contributors also explore the impact of colonialism on African societies and cultures. They examine how the introduction of European military technologies and tactics disrupted traditional African practices and beliefs, and how they contributed to the marginalization and oppression of African communities. They also consider how African soldiers and military auxiliaries negotiated with their European counterparts and how they adapted to the changing political and social landscape of colonial Africa.

In conclusion, this book provides a valuable insight into the complex and multifaceted relationship between European colonizers and African soldiers and military auxiliaries. It challenges the notion of "martial race" and recasts it as a zone in which African men and women negotiated with their European counterparts, as well as with one another. By examining the various roles that African soldiers and military auxiliaries played in colonial conflicts, as well as the impact of colonialism on African societies and cultures, this book sheds light on the complex and often fraught history of European presence in colonial Africa.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780821426173