Up to the colonization of Tanganyika by Germany in 1884, the people of Tanganyika, except those along the coast, were subsistence farmers.  It was mostly the Germans who changed them when they constructed the railway and began to exploit Tanganyika's natural resources.

The Germans introduced new crops, imposed taxes on the peoples to make them work in order to get money for tax and used forced labour to improve the welfare of the people.

They also encouraged German settlers who opened up plantations to make the railway pay.  Compared with the British in Uganda and Kenya, the Germans in Tanganyika made quicker economic development. This was so because the German colonial policy had been geared to quick economic development to benefit Germany, a country that unified in 1871 and went into the colonial field late.

By the out break of the World war 1 many Africans, who formerly resisted, had been defeated lamentably and had accepted that the Germans had come to stay, others had realised that working on the European shambas  or tilling the soil could earn them dividends which would enable them to be within the means of consuming European goods.  For this reason a number of Africans concentrated on improving the economy of Tanganyika beyond subsistence level.

World War 1 greatly interrupted the well - laid German plan by bringing all the German economic plans to the standstill. 

After the War Germany was stripped off her colonies which were mandated to the victor countries and thus Tanganyika was taken over by Britain.  Britain was to develop Tanganyika on behalf of the League of Nations.

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT DURING THE GERMANY PERIOD

1890 - 1900 along the coast and on Mafia Island the Germans opened new coconut plantations.

From 1902 the Germans founded a Biological and Agricultural Institute which helped in solving problems connected with tropical  farming and animal husbandry.

The growing of cotton was started in the valley of R. Rufigi and three years later (1905) a school for cotton cultivation was set up at Mpangonya.

1905 to 1912   Coffee growing was established. The Chagga grew Arabica coffee on the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Haya grew Robustacoffee. Wild rubber was also harvested.

The Nyamwezi and the Sukuma were encouraged to grow groundnuts.

The above developments were helped by improvement on the railway and were supplemented by settler farming.  The settlers introduced sisal on 1892 at the coast. It proved very profitable and more sisal plantations were opened inland. The settlers succeeded in coffee production around Mt. Kilimanjaro but they were not equally successful at Usambara. 

Between 1906 and 1912 rubber production was encouraged until it was abandoned in 1920s due to sharp fall in prices.  In the same period cotton estates were opened up. These plantations were taken over by the British and after World War 1.

THE INTER - WAR PERIOD.

Like elsewhere in East Africa many Africans had realised the importance of having money and the means of making it. Where climatic conditions permitted people in Tanganyika involved themselves on agricultural activities.  The British limited white settlement between 1919 and 1923 and so the number of settlers dwindled. 

The 1923 Land Ordinance tightened land allocation to the white settlers.  They could only get land on leasehold basis. Much of the land that had belonged to the white settlers was granted to African farmers who formed the basis of Tanganyika's economy.  This encouraged the formation of the Kilimanjaro Native Planters Association by which the coffee growers improved both growing and marketing methods.

 

Mechanized transport helped people in Tanganyika to forge ahead until they were hit hard by the 1929 -33 World Economic Depression during which prices of commodities fell drastically the world over. 

The depression brought problems to the owners.  To offset this economic depression the Tanganyika Government encouraged more immigrants and advised the farmers not to give up but to grow more food.  With enough food Tanganyika managed to get through the depression.

The government advice was taken by the farmers and so they were able to improve Tanganyika's economy after the depression. 

The years 1933 -39 saw a marked development of Tanganyika's economy.  The Government set up a labour Board which regulated to pay and conditions of workers and this went along way to improve and increase the production of sisal, coffee and cotton.  World War II interrupted Tanganyika's economic development which resumed immediately after the war.

AFTER 1945

After 1945 Tanganyika began to develop her industries.  She began with the processing ones since Tanganyika is basically agricultural. She processed tobacco in Dar- es- salaam to get cigarettes, cotton at Mwanza and Dar-es-salaam to get cloth, sugar cane atArusha, and at Muhoroni to produce sugar.

Tanganyika also made soap and maize which were produced in many isolated areas.

After gaining independence Tanganyika planned and set up a central Bank in order to control money transactions and tofacilitate trade and industry. This was fulfilled in 1966.  From that time many industries of the day-to-day consumer goods were set up.

In 1940 diamond mining started at Mwadui.  This led Mwadui to have a population of about 7,500.  These minerals contributed a lot towards the economic development of Tanzania.

Gold was for along time the second most valuable mineral export of Tanzania but now, as the figures show, it is dwindling. 

Tanzania has coal reserves which have not yet been fully exploited. 

The Wazo Hill Cement Factory, North of Dar-es-salaam produces 80% of cement used in Tanzania. 

Oil had been located and so it is going to be produced in the near future.

DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE IN TANGANYIKA BY 1914

The German colonial administrators attempted to develop both settler agriculture and cash crop farming. This was to the advantage of both the people of Tanganyika and the Germans. This avoided further revolts against German administration and also provided ready home market hence the following developments were encouraged.

Coconuts

The coastal people were encouraged to grow coconut palms because of the many products obtained from them.  In the 1890's new coconut plantations were established on Mafia Island and along the coast.  The government gave advice to all owners in all aspects of cultivation and pest control hence this resulted into good yields.

In 1902, the colonial government founded the biological and agricultural institute at Amani in the Usambara Mountains.  Experiment by scientists were made on soils, crops, and fertilisers and tried to find ways of preventing plant diseases. This knowledge was passed on to the Africans farmers by government agents.

Communal farming

Dar-es-salaam area was began in 1902 by the colonial administration.  Villagers were forced to work in rotation on a common field using seeds and tools provided by the government.

The cotton growing project

This was started in the Rufigi valley.  This was one of the first cash crops.  Africans were encouraged to grow by the colonial agents.  In 1905, a school was set up at Mpanganya to teach cotton cultivation.  Regulations were also imposed where by only Egyptians and American upland cotton seed were to be planted. By 1914, cotton had become an important settler crop.

Coffee growing projects

This was first started among the Haya of Bukoba.  They produced an increasing amount of the coarse Robusta coffee.  The Chagga copied the settlers in cultivating high quality Arabica coffee.  Large estates were set up in Usambara in the 1890's but failed because of poor soils.  The pioneer projects were most successful among the people of the Kilimanjaro region.

Ground nuts

It was mainly the Nyamwezi and the Sukuma who benefited from the exploitation of this crop.

Rubber projects

Large rubber estates were started between 1906 and 1912.  At first the colonial government had encouraged the Africans to collect wild plants before starting government projects.  However in 1913, the prices of rubber dropped badly.

Sisal

This was introduced in the coastal areas and it was first grown by settlers.  By 1912, sisal plantations were established further inland and the exports were worth 7,359,000 marks.

SIR DONALD CAMERON.

After World War I, Tanganyika which was in German possession before the war, was given to Britain and was entrusted to only administer the territory in the interest of the Africans.

The Mandate was confirmed by the League of Nations in I922.  

When Sir Horace Byatt became the first Governor of Tanganyika, trade, commerce and farming were in ruins.   Farms and businesses were neglected as thousands of Europeans and Africans had joined the army.

Sir Horace accepted the German system of administration. Some administrative and Judicial powers were given to local chiefs who were controlled by the Akidas.  The Governor gave no share to the settlers in the running of the government.

Against this background, Sir Donald Cameron became the governor of Tanganyika in 1925.  He remained in the post till 1931.  He brought about many changes in the administration; two of which were far - reaching: he introduced indirect rule in the Local government and he gave some responsible positions to the settlers in the government.

Cameron well understood the aims of the league of Nation's Mandate.  An important aim of the Mandate was " to promote the material and moral well - being and the social progress of the inhabitants".

To do this, he took the help of the African systems instead of giving powers to the administrative officers.  He did not want the Africans to copy everything western. The African had his own responsibility and it should be developed fully.

To put his policy onto practice, Cameron divided Tanganyika into 11 provinces.  He sent his officers to find out intelligent and influential African leaders to take part in the administration.

This experience succeeded only partly.  The Masai Laibon was only a religious chief; so he passed on his authority to his elders.  Some tribes had no paramount chiefs.   Among the Chaggas, a council of chiefs was constituted.  The duty of these local leaders was to collect taxes, administer Justice and help in administration.

Cameron passed the Native Authority Ordinance in 1929.  This ordinance strengthened the Native Courts by placing them under provincial authorities.  He was of the opinion that natives were not yet ready to share the administration of the country but some share in the government should be given to the other communities.

So, Tanganyika Legislative Assembly was set up in December 1926.  It had 13 official and 7 unofficial members.  Out of the 7 unofficial members, 5 were Europeans and 2 Asians. All the members were nominated.  Unlike Kenya, the settlers were made up of many European nations and so had no uniform political organisation.

Cameron encouraged native agriculture.  Coffee production on the Kilimanjaro region increased.  Africans were encouraged to grow cotton, groundnuts, simsim and others. Because world prices for these commodities increased, more money came into African hands and thus the government got more revenue from Africans.  The sisal plantations needed more and more cheap labour.  The planters pressed the government to help them to get compulsory labour for the farms but government refused their demands.

All in all, Sir Donald Cameron laid a health foundation for African participation in the government of Tanganyika.