The Art of Survival in East Africa: The Kerebe and Long-Distance Trade, 1800-1895

The Kerebe are a relatively small people (numbering about 70,000) living off the Lake Victoria coast in Northwest Tanzania. In dealing with their development during the nineteenth century, Gerald Hartwig has attempted to transcend the usual "trade and politics" paradigm of precolonial African history. Although his immediate subject is the impact of long-distance commerce upon a centralized African polity, he seeks to uncover patterns of social change, including not only structures of authority and economic organization but also patterns of epidemiology, demography, and belief in witchcraft. By imaginative and judicious comparisons of his materials and sources with studies from other areas, the author is able to produce a very plausible and interesting account of the Kerebe experience. The issues he addresses are important ones and he has made a significant contribution to their elucidation