Malawi Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1907-1967

Malawi Under Colonial Rule, in Government Reports, 1907-1967 contains papers from the colonial government in Malawi. They reveal the approach the British took to colonial rule in this country. The reports are divided into nine distinct volumes for convenience. These are Administration, Finance, Judicial and Police, Natural Resources (1), Natural Resources (2), Social Services, Transport and Public Works, Communication and Post Office Savings, and Miscellaneous.

The government reports contained in this collection cover several important developments and events in the twentieth century, including the dissolution of the Central African Protectorate in 1907, the First and Second World Wars, and Malawi’s declaration of independence. The reports, therefore, provide students and academics with a unique insight into the history of Malawi, the development and eventual dissolution of British colonialism in Africa, and the colonial administration’s evolving attitude towards native power structures.

Note: Further information on the Annual Departmental Reports relating to Nyasaland can be found in the guide to the microfilm edition, written by Dr Robin Palmer.

This political link with the settler-dominated Rhodesias was bitterly unpopular in Nyasaland and did much to arouse nationalist sentiments which ultimately destroyed the Federation and brought about independence.

Robin Palmer, University of Malawi

Insights

Track the evolution of Malawi's services throughout joining and leaving a forced federation with Zambia and Zimbabwe.

These reports are arranged by department. Comparison of reports over time yields insights into how each area of government developed throughout the period of British colonial rule.

These papers cover the dissolution of the Central African Protectorate in 1907, the First and Second World Wars, and Malawi’s declaration of independence.

The contents page at the front of each report lists the departments which existed at that time. Comparison of these contents pages reveals how the structure of the colonial government changed over time.

Audits, Estimates, and other financial reports provide a wealth of quantifiable information and statistics on the allocation of resources by and within the Colonial Government.

Given the period this collection covers, students and academics are able to use these resources to trace the gradual transfer of power from the British Empire to Malawi, culminating in Malawi’s declaration of independence in 1964.