The Role of the Colonial State in the Spread and Strengthening of Christianity in Colonial Tanganyika, Circa 1890–1961

Abstract

This paper makes an essential contribution by arguing that shifts in German colonial educational policy, which continued under British control, consistently favoured the spread of Christianity over Islam in Tanganyika. The paper also looks at how the two colonial powers used Article 6 of the Berlin Act 1884–1885, Article 438 of the Versailles Treaty, and Article 22 of the League of Nations Covenant, as well as Command Paper No. 2374 of I925 that emphasised the protection of Christian missionaries and the provision of education by missionaries across British colonies in Africa. The aforementioned articles established colonial state-missionary partnerships and provided security to missionaries. The colonial authority’s protection of missionaries was essential to investing in the education sector, which became a centre for the spread of Christianity in the country. As a result, the spread of Christianity throughout the territory accelerated. The paper relies heavily on secondary and primary sources for this analysis.