This book explores the role of caravan transport and human porterage in
the colony of German East Africa (present-day mainland Tanzania, Rwanda,
and Burundi). With caravan mobility being of pivotal importance to
colonial rule during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,
the exploration of vernacular transport and its governance during this
period sheds new light on the trajectories of colonial statehood. The
author addresses key questions such as the African resilience to
colonial interventions, the issue of labor recruitment, and the
volatility of colonial infrastructure. This book unveils a fundamental
contradiction in the way that German administrators dealt with
precolonial modes of transport in East Africa. While colonizers
championed for the abolishment of caravan transport, they strongly
depended on porters in the absence of pack animals or railways. To bring
this contradiction to the fore, the author studies the shifting role of
caravans in East Africa during the era of 'high imperialism.' Uncovering
the extent to which porters and caravan entrepreneurs challenged and
shaped colonial policymaking, this book provides an insightful read for
historians studying German Empire and African history, as well as those
interested in the history of transport and infrastructure.