Did You Know Kinjekitile Ngwale Died Before the Maji Maji War Fully Started?

Yes, it’s true. Kinjekitile Ngwale, the man who organized the Maji Maji Rebellion, was killed by the Germans in August 1905, few weeks after the fighting began. You might think that once the leader died, the fight would stop. But it didn’t. The war went on for two more years. It spread across southern Tanzania and involved over 20 different tribes. This leaves us with a big question: What did Kinjekitile plant? He planted an idea. An idea very powerful, that it gave people courage to fight a fearsome enemy. An idea that made many different tribes come together as one nation. An idea that scared the German colonial rulers. What Was the Maji Maji Rebellion ? The Maji Maji Rebellion was a war fought by Africans in German East Africa (now Tanzania) between 1905 and 1907. People were angry because the Germans: Forced them to grow cotton instead of food crops. Took their land by force. Were harsh and brutal; they used violence and punishment. Even the elders were flogged in public. Disrespec...