Account for the rise of Economic History as discipline and analyse the trends of historical writing on that discipline in Tanzania
The
term Economic History has been defined by different scholars as follows;
Economic
history can be defined as the study of wealth-gathering and wealth-using
activities of man[1].
Williamson (1944:25), from this definition the main attempt of economic history
is centered on the evolution or development of economic institution such as
commercial system and banking structure. The main duties of historian is to
describe the development that have been occurred in the institution under the
examination to analyse and explain the forces that has been affected its
evolution and its influence in turn economic life.
Economic
history is the study of economies or economic phenomena of the past. Analysis
in economic history is undertaken using a combination of historical methods,
statistical methods and the application of economic theory to historical
situations and Institutions[2].
Generally
Economic History is the study of a past economic perspective of a given society
Economic history focuses on various resources found in a given society such as
land, labour, it explain the economic development which occurred in a
particular society.
Economic
History can be traced back from 1930’s to 1940’s, and it emerged first in
Western Europe and North America specifically in Britain, Germany and United
States (US). Since when Economic History has undergone different changes in its
thematic and theoretical concern, analytical methodologies and language, the
spartial and temporal scales in which it is framed.
Before
1930’s, Economic History in Europe was not an independent discipline but it was
taught as a part of the economic. Later on from 1940’s it emerged a debate in
Europe about Economic History, where some of economists decided that Economic
History to be separated from Economics and to became an independent discipline.
For example John U. Nef (1994) argued that, “Economic History is too vast and
too narrow”, in the context that too vast means subject can combine several
issues at the same time and too narrow in the sense that, subject has nothing
to do but it summarize what economists already done[3].
Economic
History emerged as a discipline firstly in Western Europe and North America
especially in Britain and developed as an independent discipline following by
the emergency of industrialization in Europe particularly in Britain in Late of
18th Century to early in 19th Century. Up to 1940’s
Economic History had become an established discipline not only in Western
Europe and North America but also to other parts of the world like Japan. This
was evidenced by the work of Germany Scholar Van InamaSternegy published
between 1877 and 1879.
Based
on African context particularly in Tanzania, Economic History as a discipline
is still infancy since it emerged as a discipline only when African countries
began to gain their independence from the late of 1960’s to 1970’s. Economic
History in Tanzania associated by the African historians who tried to
reconstruct the African Economic history by rejects the European views about
Africa, since Europeans wrote African history in a negative way. Forexample John
U. Nef, argue that Economic rationality in Africa was introduced by European
and that before them African had no rationality of their Economic history
before the contact with European[4].
The
rise of Economic History as an independent discipline was influenced by various
factors as follow:-
The
rise of awareness among new African Historians, this was associated to
decolonization of African countries especially from 1960’s, the rise of
awareness among African historians acted as a limelight towards the rise of
Economic in Tanzania. Since many historian after independence were free to
write different writings including the history of the past without any
interference contrary from historian during colonial period where were not able
to write their own Economic History. From 1960’s where many African countries
started to gain their independence particularly Tanzania where elites
especially historians started to reconstruct the economic history of the Africa
in a positive way. For example some these historians where reconstructed the
Economic History as a discipline in Tanzania were Sutton (1965) wrote about
early trade in East Africa, Edward Alpers (1975). Wrote about ivory and slave
in Central Africa, Gerald W. Hartwig (1974), wrote about the Victoria Nyanza,
contrary from European writers during colonial period that they wrote African
history in negative way based on their perception.
Growth
of the social science historical Association and the establishment of course in
quantitative methods written the history department, this indicate that within
historical department the cliometric revolution still have some life. This is
particularly so within the area of demographic history. Some of this staffing
economic as a social science history positions and were continues trained in
Economic. This methodology is like to revolutionalize history department in the
current states of contraction much more than it did during the boom period of
the 1960’s and will never overwhelm entire history department the way it did
the teaching of Economic History as a discipline[5].
By 1970’s the Economic History as discipline was adapted in the department of
history at University of Dar es Salaam and some of the historian started to
write about Economic History of the country. Some of these historians were A.M.
Juma (1882) who wrote about cattle riots, peasant rise in Zanzibar,KimamboI,
wrote about the modern History of African, Andrew Coussoan (1982) wrote about
Tanzania Political Economy.
Development
of science and technology, through advancement of technology more task
performed easily by various devices especially electronic devices which simply
contributed more in economic activities. Some of these devices are computer,
cellular phone and Telephone. Device like computer used in storing historical
information more easily and at recent time. Also science and technology has
brought about ground breaking solution to numerous deadly diseases which can
hinder people to engage in Economic activities for their economy. Computer
device became more important in private and public sectors especially based on
Economic history.
From
1960’s many African countries gained their independence particularly Tanzania
in 1961, after independence Tanzanian historian started to advance Research
Project based on Economic History of Tanzania. This resulted into development
various research works concerning with Economic History. Most historians from
African countries after gained their independence used advance science and
technology to write about African Economic History. Some of these were A.G.
Hopkins (1963) A Modern Economic History of Africa.
Apart
from the factors contributed the rise of Economic history as a discipline, in
Tanzania the discipline had its general trends since 1960’s by considered the
approaches which dominated the writing of Economic History.
African
Economic History has been dominated by three main approaches namely
neo-classical approach, dependency approach and Marxist approach. Each of these
approaches offers partial and sometimes misleading analysis of the process and
content of Economic changes and development in Africa, Tanzania included. In
the pre-colonial era in fact the first two paradigms have little to say about
pre-colonial economic history a part from offering myths and stereotypes,
because their concepts are derived from and are intended to analyse the
operation of capitalism or relationship between advanced capitalists and
dependent capitalist’s formation.
Neo-Classical
Paradigm, with its deductive abstract models is inherently a historical;
Neo-classical economists avoided examining the question of growth development
which used to pre-occupy the classical economist and concentrated on maginalist
analysis of market process and the problem of resources allocation. They
concentrated universal economic laws which were independent of time and place[6].
This gave neo-classical concept on Accra of scientific objectivity and
ideological neutrality. In reality, these concepts were obstructions from and
nationalizations, if not legislations of capitalists system. Faced with
non-capitalist economies, neo-classical concept had explanation power except to
create the false dichotomies mentioned above.
Dependency
approach, this was born out of dissatisfaction with prevailing neo-classical
descriptions analysed and prescription for third world development and was
inspired by moral indignation against the west and deep permission about the
development prospects of countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. But its
concepts of incorporation, unequal exchange, development of underdeveloped and center
periphery emphasizes external economic linkages a tended to ignore internal
forces. In fact, like its nemesis the neo-classical approach and the dependency
approach had for more to say about exchange relation than production processes[7].
Also studies written from the dependency perspective offered little economic
history by Africans or any society, incorporation to world capitalism system a
part from idealized images of auto-centric and self-sustain development from
the moment incorporation dated to 16th century with onset of the
Atlantic slave trade. Tanzania Economic History like the history of other so
called third world regions is often frozen into an unrelenting saga of
deepening underdevelopment.
Marxist
approach, Marxist scholars attacked both neo-classical and dependency writers
for their theoretical in adequacies, empirical shortcoming and ideological
biases. Specifically they criticized the two approaches for giving primary to
exchange rather than production relations, the reductionism and for ignoring
class struggle. The Marxist thoughts to employ their concepts of dialectical
and historical materialism which seeks to examine how specific system
originate, develop, function and change in a given historical epochs, tounravel
Africans Economic historical realities but the results have been less than
inspiring. It proved difficult to fit African into the Marxian models whether
Primitive Communalism, Slavery and Feudalism[8].
Generally,
the Economic History of Africa, Tanzania in particular is still infancy (young)
and facing different challenges in its development since the discipline has few
specialized and commitment economic historian who could specialize on writing
about Economic History as a discipline in Tanzania. The discipline started to
decline in 1980’s following the shortage of funds (sponsors) which results into
diminishing of interests of African Economic History, also, the rise of post
modernism as a paradigm of writing among scholars since new paradigm come with
new style of writing, new themes and new focus, Economic History as a
discipline is very important especially on Third World Countries since it try
to trace back the significance of economic history in a particular country for
both economic and political development for the betterment of African
societies.
REFERENCES
John U. Nef, “What is Economic History?”The Journal of Economic History, Vol.4
(1994), Cambridge University Press.
Kimambo, I.N (1993). “Three Decades of
the Production of Historical Knowledge at Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam
University Press.
Kindleberger C.P (1990), Historical Economics: Art or Science? Yale
University Press.
Williamson, H.F “What is Economic
History: Comment”, The Journal of
Economic History, Vol.4 (1944), Cambridge University Press.
Zeleza T. (1993) – A Modern Economic History of Africa, Introduction-Rethinking
African Economi
[1]Harold
F. Williamson. “What is Economic History:
Comment”. The Journal of Economic History, Vol.4 (1944) (PP.25-28)
[4]Ibid.
pp. 23-24
[6]Paul
TiyambeZeleza. A Modern Economic History
of Africa Vol.1 The 19th Century. Introduction: Rethinking
African Economic History (1993) pp. 3-4.
[7]Ibid.
p.4
[8]Ibid
p.6
