Everything about Tanganyika totally explained
Tanganyika is the name of an
East African territory (and, from December 9, 1961 to April 26, 1964, an independent nation) lying between the largest of the African great lakes:
Lake Victoria,
Lake Malawi and
Lake Tanganyika, after which it was named. Once part of the colony of
German East Africa, it comprises the mainland part of today's
Tanzania, which includes the islands of
Zanzibar. After
World War I it came under
British military rule and its transfer to Britain under the 1919
Treaty of Versailles was confirmed by a
League of Nations Mandate in 1922, later a
United Nations Trust Territory. Britain changed the name to the
Tanganyika Territory.
On
December 9,
1961 as
Tanganyika it became independent as a
constitutional monarchy, and on
December 9,
1962 it became the
Republic of Tanganyika within the
Commonwealth of Nations. In 1964, it joined with the islands of
Zanzibar to form the
United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, changed later in the year to the
United Republic of Tanzania.
Although Tanganyika still exists within Tanzania, the name is no longer used formally for the territory and its use can be politically sensitive, not only as throwback to colonial times, but also if it implies opposition to the union with Zanzibar. These days the name
Tanganyika is used almost exclusively to mean the lake.
History
The name 'Tanganyika' is derived from the Swahili words
tanga meaning 'sail' and
nyika meaning an 'uninhabited plain' or 'wilderness'. At its simplest it might therefore be understood as a description of the lake — 'sail in the wilderness'.
As European explorers and colonialists penetrated the African interior from Zanzibar in the second half of the 19th century, to Europeans Tanganyika came to mean, informally, the country around the lake, chiefly on the eastern side. In 1885 Germany declared it intended to establish a protectorate, named
German East Africa in the area, under the leadership of
Carl Peters. When the
Sultan of
Zanzibar objected, German warships threatened to bombard his palace. Britain and Germany then agreed to divide the mainland into spheres of influence, and the Sultan was forced to acquiesce. After charges of brutality in the repression of the
Maji Maji Rebellion of 1905, and reform under the leadership of Bernhard Dernburg in 1907, the colony became a model of colonial efficiency and commanded extraordinary loyalty among the natives during the
First World War. The German educational program for native Africans, including elementary, secondary and vocational schools, was particularly notable, with standards unmatched elsewhere in tropical Africa.
After the defeat of Germany in 1918 in
World War I, under the
Treaty of Versailles German East Africa was divided among the victorious powers, with the largest segment being transferred to British control (except
Rwanda and
Burundi which went to Belgium, and the small
Kionga Triangle which went to
Portugese Mozambique). A new name was needed, and Tanganyika was adopted by the British for all of its part of the territory of German East Africa.
In 1927, Tanganyika entered the
Customs Union of
Kenya and
Uganda, as well as the East African Postal Union, later the East African Posts and Telecommunications Administration. Cooperation expanded with those countries in a number of ways, leading to the establishment of the East African High Commission (1948–1961) and the East African Common Services Organisation (1961–1967), forerunners of the
East African Community.
Tanganyika ceased to exist as a nation in 1964, when it was loosely united with
Zanzibar, to form the nation of
Tanzania.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Tanganyika'.
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