Sir Alfred Sharpe (1853—1935) was a professional hunter who became a British colonial administrator and Commissioner (a de facto Governor) of the British Central Africa Protectorate from 1896 until 1910 (it changed its name to Nyasaland in 1907). He had a hand in some dramatic events which shaped south-Central Africa at the onset of colonialism. 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Commissioner is a designation that may be used for a variety of official positions, especially referring to a high-ranking public (administrative or police) official, or an analogous official in the private sector (e. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... Flag of British Central Africa The British Central Africa Protectorate existed in the area of present-day Malawi between 1891 and 1907. ... This article is about states protected and/or dominated by a foreign power. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... It has been suggested that Benign colonialism be merged into this article or section. ...

The scramble for Katanga

Background

Sharpe started his administrative career in Fiji but went to Nyasaland as a hunter. In 1890 he was employed jointly by imperialist Cecil Rhodes and British Consul in Nyasaland Sir Harry Johnston on a mission to Msiri, King of Garanganza (mineral- and game-rich Katanga) which was, to Europeans, very remote. Rhodes wanted a mineral rights concession for his British South Africa Company (BSAC) and Johnston wanted a treaty accepting British protectorate status over his kingdom. The BSAC was already in North-Western Rhodesia and this would extend their territory further north. Katanga was known to have copper and was thought to have gold.^[1] Imperialism is the policy of extending the control or authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct territorial or through indirect methods of exerting control on the politics and/or economy of other countries. ... Cecil Rhodes. ... Consul (abbrev. ... Sir Henry (Harry) Hamilton Johnston, G.C.M.G., K.C.B. (12 June 1858 - 31 August 1927), was a British explorer and administrator, one of the key players in the Scramble for Africa that occurred at the end of the 19th century. ... MSiri (c. ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated (such as venison). ... Capital Lubumbashi Created June 1960 Dissolved January 1963 Demonym Katangan Currency Katanga franc Katanga is the southern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, regional capital Lubumbashi (formerly Elizabethville). ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise borders. ... Mineral rights, mining rights, oil rights or drilling rights, are the rights to remove minerals, oil, or sometimes water, that may be contained in and under some land. ... A contractual right is a claim, on other persons, that is acknowledged and perhaps reciprocated among the principals associated with that claim. ... The flag of the British South Africa Company The British South Africa Company (BSAC) was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company, Ltd. ... Single European Act A treaty is a binding agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely states and international organizations. ... Zambia is a republic in south central Africa. ...

Only a handful of Europeans had been to Katanga and the Luapula/Lake Mweru region. The first to live there, Frederick Arnot, took up residence at Msiri's capital only three years previously. There had been no change to the methods and equipment for mounting an expedition since the explorer David Livingstone's travels twenty years before. This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... The Luapula River is a river in central Africa. ... Lake Mweru is a lake located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 150 km west of the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. ... David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 4 May 1873) was a Scottish Presbyterian pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and explorer in central Africa. ...

Sharpe reaches Kazembe's

Rhodes and Johnston also wanted the same agreements with Mwata Kazembe and Chief Nsama, the other strong chiefs in the area, to the east of Msiri. Sharpe was in competition with Belgian King Leopold II’s Congo Free State (CFS) which had already tried sending expeditions to Msiri. Sharpe was successful with Nsama and Mwata Kazembe but the latter was opposed to him going on to do a deal with his enemy, Msiri, and he delayed Sharpe by trickery and encouraged his porters to abscond.^[1] Mwata Kazembe's kingdom bordered what had been Msiri's on the other side of the Luapula River; originally that had been Mwata Kazembe's territory as well, but Msiri had usurped it.^[2] Mwata Kazembe XVII Paul Kanyembo Lutaba in 1961 For more than 250 years Kazembe has been an influential kingdom or chieftainship of the Chibemba-speaking Lunda people of south-central Africa[1] (also known as the ‘Luunda’, ‘Eastern Lunda’, and ‘Lunda-Kazembe’). Its position on trade routes in a well... Leopold II, King of the Belgians (Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor (French) or Leopold Lodewijk Filips Marie Victor (Dutch)) (April 9, 1835 – December 17, 1909) succeeded his father, Leopold I of Belgium, to the Belgian throne in 1865 and remained king until his death. ... Flag Capital Boma Government Monarchy Ruler and owner Leopold II of Belgium Historical era New Imperialism  - Established 1885  - Annexation by Belgium 15 November, 1908 The Congo Free State was a corporate state privately owned by King Leopold II of Belgium (not in his role as monarch) that included the entire... The Luapula River is a river in central Africa. ...

On to Msiri's

Without his retinue, and low on cash and supplies such as cloth and gunpowder traditionally used to open negotiations, Sharpe, with a just couple of servants, eventually arrived at Msiri's court at Bunkeya with the draft treaty,^[1] and would not have cut an imposing figure. The explorer Joseph Thomson, also working for BSAC, was supposed to come up from the south and meet him at Msiri's with supplies and goods, but he did not arrive because of a smallpox epidemic in the country in between; Sharpe had to do his best on his own. Msiri and his court could not read English and Sharpe described the treaty favourably; when its real content was revealed to Msiri at the urging of Charles Swan, a British missionary at the court, Msiri, enraged, sent Sharpe away empty-handed. He was not aware he was in a race with the CFS, and left in disgust, blaming Swan.^[1] This article is about the type of fabric. ... Smokeless powder Gunpowder, whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance that burns very rapidly, releasing gases that act as a propellant in firearms. ... ... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... A missionary is traditionally defined as a propagator of religion who works to convert those outside that community; someone who proselytizes. ...

Returns to Lake Tanganyika

On the other hand he felt satisfied with the Kazembe and Nsama agreements in his pocket. He wrote to Johnston from Bunkeya on 15 November 1890 saying there was no fear of Msiri giving concessions or treaties to anyone else, and in any case if they sent a well-armed column of perhaps 150 men to Katanga they could take over Msiri's copper and mineral trade without hindrance. On 26 December 1890 he wrote to Johnston again from Lake Tanganyika saying that Msiri would not last long and they could then acquire 'all his country'. Furthermore he noted that as Kazembe was the rightful owner of Msiri's country, the Kazembe treaty effectively gave them all the 'Lunda country'^[1] (by which he included Msiri's territory comprising the south-east of present-day Katanga). Lake Tanganyika is a large lake in central Africa (3° 20 to 8° 48 South and from 29° 5 to 31° 15 East). ...

As it turned out, although Sharpe was right on the first point — a small force could take over Msiri's mineral wealth — he was wrong on the next two points. On 18 April 1891 a Belgian expedition arrived led by Paul Le Marinel. He obtained a letter signed by Msiri and witnessed by Swan, that Msiri would accept CFS personnel in his territory.

Later that year a large, well-equipped and well-armed Congo Free State 'pacification' force arrived led by a Canadian mercenary, Captain W. E. Stairs, with orders to take Katanga under its control. On 20 December 1891 the CFS expedition shot Msiri, massacred his people and took possession of the country, which became part of the Congo.^[2][3] The word pacification is most often used as a euphemism for counter-insurgency operations by a dominant military force. ... A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict and is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that...

Becomes British Commissioner in Nyasaland

In 1896 Sharpe succeeded Johnston as the British Commissioner in Nyasaland. This was the senior British official post in Central Africa, and had responsibility for enforcing security in the neighbouring BSAC charter territory, North-Eastern Rhodesia, which he had helped establish with the Kazembe and Nsama treaties, among others. Ignoring the terms of the agreement he had signed with Sharpe, in 1897 Mwata Kazembe X refused to cooperate with the newly-arrived BSAC tax collector Blair Watson, refused to let him fly the British flag, and when Watson marched on Mwata Kazembe's capital, defeated his troops.^[2] Zambia is a republic in south central Africa. ... A tax is a financial charge or other levy imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a state or a functional equivalent of a state (for example, tribes, secessionist movements or revolutionary movements). ...

Punitive expedition against Mwata Kazembe

Mwata Kazembe was 1000 km from Sharpe's base at Blantyre over some difficult terrain and it was not until 1899 that Sharpe could mount a military expedition with Sikh and Nyasaland troops operating in conjunction with Robert Codrington, acting BSAC Administrator of North-Eastern Rhodesia. Mwata Kazembe escaped across the Luapula and after missionaries intereced on his behalf, he was allowed to return to a chieftainship recognised by the BSAC which became reasonably successful.^[2] See article on Kazembe for more details. Blantyre is the largest city in Malawi and the capital of the countrys Southern Region as well as the Blantyre District. ... A Sikh (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent to Sikhism. ... Mwata Kazembe XVII Paul Kanyembo Lutaba in 1961 For more than 250 years Kazembe has been an influential kingdom or chieftainship of the Chibemba-speaking Lunda people of south-central Africa[1] (also known as the ‘Luunda’, ‘Eastern Lunda’, and ‘Lunda-Kazembe’). Its position on trade routes in a well...

Later years

Sharpe served another 11 years in Nyasaland and retired to Britain where in retirement he wrote and lectured on Central Africa.

See also

• British Central Africa
• Msiri
• Mwata Kazembe
• Congo Pedicle
• Lake Mweru

Flag of British Central Africa The British Central Africa Protectorate existed in the area of present-day Malawi between 1891 and 1907. ... MSiri (c. ... Zambias butterfly shape formed by the Congo Pedicle The Congo Pedicle (at one time referred to as the Zaire Pedicle; in French botte du Katanga, meaning Katanga boot) refers to the south-east salient of Katanga Province of Democratic Republic of Congo which sticks into neighbouring Zambia almost dividing... Lake Mweru is a lake located on the border between Zambia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 150 km west of the southern end of Lake Tanganyika. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} NRZAM website: Alfred Sharpe's Travels in the Northern Province and Katanga. The Northern Rhodesia Journal. Vol III, No.3 (1957) pp210-219. This article reproduces Sharpe's letter to Johnston reporting on the Msiri, Kazembe and Nsama expedition.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} David Gordon: “Decentralized Despots or Contingent Chiefs: Comparing Colonial Chiefs in Northern Rhodesia and the Belgian Congo.” KwaZulu-Natal History and African Studies Seminar, University of Natal, Durban, 2000.
3. ^ http://www.dacb.org/stories/demrepcongo/crawford_daniel.html Dr. J. Keir Howard: "Crawford, Daniel", in Dictionary of African Christian Biography, website accessed 7 February 2007