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A European and African Joint-Venture: Writing a Seamless History of Borno (1902–1960)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 July 2013

Vincent Hiribarren
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Abstract

This article engages with existing scholarship that explores how colonial knowledge was constructed. Focusing on the region of Borno it will highlight the ways in which European officials collaborated with African elites when writing official histories of the region (1902–1960). These exchanges were indicative of both the ruling Kanemi dynasty’s efforts to assert their authority in Borno, as well as the efforts made by foreign colonial officials to advance their careers.

Résumé

Cet article contribue au débat sur la construction du savoir en contexte colonial. En se concentrant sur la région du Borno, il détaille les modalités de la collaboration entre élites africaines et administrateurs coloniaux européens pour l’écriture de l’histoire officielle de la région (1902–1960). Ces échanges révélaient d’une part les efforts de l’ancienne dynastie du royaume du Borno, les Kanemi, qui voulait assoir son autorité dans le Nigeria colonial ainsi que, d’autre part, la volonté des officiers coloniaux d’écrire l’histoire du Borno pour avancer leur carrière.

Type
Critical Historiography
Information
History in Africa , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , October 2013 , pp. 77 - 98
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2013 

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