Chapter 6, The Invention of Tradition in Colonial Africa Summary and Analysis

Much of European invented tradition arose in the last thirty years of the nineteenth century. Europe also colonized Africa during this time and the two processes were connected. The idea of Empire helped to invent tradition but African empires came late so they were affected by already invented traditions. This gave the newly created traditions an odd character. Many parts of Africa were colonized by whites who felt that they had to define themselves as masters of Africans. Invented traditions justified their roles. Unlike India, Africa did not offer a framework of a state to rule and so they had to use monarchical ideology. The British began to codify and promulgate African tradition as well.

Many whites arrived in Africa in the late 19th century and unevenly...