Kaguru people

The Kaguru, or Kagulu, are an ethnic and linguistic group based in central Tanzania. In 1987 the Kaguru population was estimated to number 217,000 [1].

Ukagura (Kaguraland about 3,600 square miles) lies roughly 200 miles directlly due west of Bagamoyo and Sadani on the 'Street of Caravans' (reached by the German caravan of Stokes on August 12, 1890, about two and three weeks after starting from Sadani). The mountains formed part of a belt stretshing diagonally from southwest to northeast across the East Rift system of German East Africa. To the west and north lies the central plateau comprising two-thirds of Tanzania.

There are three very different areas, the core, the plateau, and the lowlands. The core is mass of mountain peaks (6,000 - 7,000 ft.) considered part of of the east rift system, and represents one third of the area. In the German Sergeant Bauer's time only a a few of its mountains were, and remain today, thickly wooded, for most were already deforested because of the iron smelting industry with its intense need for charcoal and the severe agricultural clearing. After the coming of the Germans much land was preserved as woodland reserved and can be considered beatiful semitropical forestland of great density and abundant rain. The steep terrain had a network of valleys ideal for refugees escaping raids, particularly from the Hehe of the south and the Massai of the north and is considered the 'heartland'. The word 'Kaguru' refers to the highlands with heavy rain (100 inches on the peaks) that was cool and capable of the regular production of vegetables, and some rice, millet, and plantains. It contained no maize.

Next the plateau is a land of less rain and more warmth, of large expanses of scrubland and forest, scattered peaks and rocky outcrops, a land of dry and wet seasons. It is a land of periodic famine due to drought, but healthier than the damp and chilly 'heartland'. It was after more peaceful time had arrived that people began returning to the 'Street of Caravans' and the caravan's resting places. Generally the very largest livestock holdings were kept here.

The remaining 20 percent had the most extreme contrast between wet and dry seasons. Lying below 2,000 feet altitude it had the least dependable agricultural conditions, being a flat grassy plain, it was most vulnerable to raiding, difficult to defend against these raids, was most prone to cattle diseases, and contained the largest number of non-Kagura who had settled either as refugees or part of the very impressive caravan trade.

During Sergeant Bauer's time, the Kaguru still tended to stay in large, palisaded settlements on the plaeau where enough men lived to defend against the raids for livestock, grain, metal goods, or slaves. The plateau reprsented 50% of Ukagura and had become the area where most Kaguru lived.

The earliest European accounts of the Kaguru gave them various names and seem to be only vaguely aware of them (the Germans with Sergeant Bauer and Charles Stokes make no mention of them). Them were lumped together with their neighbors the Gogo or the Sandawe to the west or the mountain and plateau Kaguru were given seperate names. They were ethnically placed with other highland peoples who were also matrilineal and had similar lifestyles.

There were no traditional firmly established chiefdoms or political systems. A few leaders would rise up and establish a network of contacts on the main caravan trading stations. It was here that these leaders became responsible for overstating their infuence and power and tried to claim special rank and privileges, and it was also here that caravans were offered the services of law and order in return for recognition, munitions, trade goods, and cash. These leaders also offered the Kagura protection agains dangerous, armed outsiders who were to kill in order to get supplies and labor. While the Arabs, Germans, and British were only too happy to imagine coherent 'tribal' areas under the control of cooperative chiefs, some of the leaders were actually to follow through on their offerings. In reality, however, the Kagura were quite close to being stateless. Ukagura was the last site for caravans taking on supplies and water before entering the dry western plains, (Mr. Stokes' caravan is only one example), and it was the first good supply and resting place for caravans after crossing the wild plains to and from the coast with their slow moving shpment of trade goods.

Christian missionaries not only established their headquarters among the Kagura in order to aid their fellow missioonaries passing through, but also condemned a wide range of Kaguru customs such as polygyny, ancestral propituation, and the use of ranstones and other magical medicines.

Also included in the condemnation were alcohol consumtion, dancing, native jewelry, dress, hairstyles, ear-piercing, red ochre for cosmetics, Kaguru music and songs, including many forms of etiquette. They violently opposed female circumcision, but since this was not performed in public it was difficult to prevent. The missionaries also tried hard to segregate the Christan initiates from the pagans. By and large the missionaries were unsuccessfulwith their oppositin. Had they been successful most of Kaguru culture and identity would have been lost. They slao interfered with the illegal slave trade by reporting it to the European authorities on the coast through their connections there.

The Kagura were and remain a matrilineal people (tracing the descent and inheritance through the female) and speaking Chikaguru. They needed to establish broad and diverse relationships since their society was organized around relatives and household groups containing people people who could be called upon for support and were a major resource for security and prosperity. Since Ukagura was vulnerable to raids, and at times lacked sufficient mannpower to work the land, defend it, and guard agains outsiders looking for ooods and captives, people not land, were the scarcest and most sought-after resource.