The Power of the Oath: Mau Mau Nationalism in Kenya, 1952-1960

The Power of the Oath: Mau Mau Nationalism in Kenya, 1952-1960 (Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora, 72)

Through a critical examination of the Mau Mau oath used to initiate and unite fighters, The Power of the Oath opens a fresh conversation on the study of Mau Mau and Kenyan history. It argues for a historiographical shift inthe framing of the Mau Mau rebellion as a Kikuyu war. Instead, Mickie Mwanzia Koster suggests that Mau Mau was a nationalist movement, embraced by non-Kikuyu communities like the Kamba ethnic group. Incorporating a creative blendof primary sources, including testimonies from ex-Mau Mau participants, survey analysis, archival data, Mau Mau court cases, ceremonial reenactments, and folklore, The Power of the Oath demonstrates how and why the movement was spread, embraced, and internalized. Koster traces the evolution and structure of the Mau Mau oath, examining the British criminalization of the oath, its gendered use, and the purification associated with it, in order to reveal how Mau Mau unfolded in Kenya.
Country USA
Brand University of Rochester Press
Manufacturer University of Rochester Press
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber Illustrated
ReleaseDate 2016-06-30
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781580465465

Country	USA
Brand	University of Rochester Press
Manufacturer	University of Rochester Press
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	Illustrated
ReleaseDate	2016-06-30
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781580465465

The Power of the Oath: Mau Mau Nationalism in Kenya, 1952-1960 (Rochester Studies in African History and the Diaspora, 72)