Catholics, Peasants, and Chewa Resistance in NyasalandEdition 1

Catholics, Peasants, and Chewa Resistance in Nyasaland examines the complex interplay between Catholic missionaries, indigenous Chewa communities, and colonial powers in Malawi during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ian Linden, with contributions from Jane Linden, traces the history of the Chewa people, who originally migrated from the Congo, and their interactions with Portuguese missionaries and later British colonial forces. The book explores how Catholic missionaries, arriving in 1889, navigated a challenging socio-political landscape shaped by Protestant competition, Yao and Ngoni invasions, and the growing influence of colonial administrators. Despite their marginal position in the colonial society, the Catholic missionaries found success among the more peripheral African groups, such as the Alomwe and Sena immigrants, as well as marginalized figures within Chewa society, including lepers and orphans. The book delves into the resistance efforts of the Chewa people, particularly in response to colonial pressures, while highlighting the role of Catholic missionaries as both spiritual leaders and advocates for social justice. They championed the rights of women, protested abuses, and engaged with some of the most vulnerable members of society. However, the missionaries' efforts were often complicated by their position as representatives of a once-powerful but now discredited Church in a Protestant-dominated colony. Through a blend of historical analysis and ethnographic detail, Linden paints a vivid picture of a missionary body torn between triumphalism and marginality, caught in the delicate balance of resisting colonial forces while simultaneously seeking acceptance within them.

This title was originally published in 1974.

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