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Preface
- University of Wisconsin Press
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ix preface This book is an introduction to the history of Rwanda before 1900 and in particular of the kingdom that forms its core. It has not been written for specialists only, but for all those who are interested, Rwandans and others, whether their goal be to better understand the present through a better knowledge of the past, a past that stretches back over several centuries , or whether they are attracted to the history of the kingdom itself. Indeed I am convinced that the substance of this history is not merely interesting in and for itself, but also as a topic for fruitful thought for those who focus on contemporary issues and problems. Hence I include an occasional note here and there with a brief reminder to a parallel situation in the present. In consideration of the audience for which I am writing, I chose to write a rather straightforward and nonpolemical exposition from which issues that are mainly of interest to specialists—such as historiographical debates, arguments about the value of particular sources, and detailed chronological issues—have been excluded. Yet since every reader must also be kept informed of the sources that support each of the statements made in this book, that information is given in the notes. Moreover , many notes include references to other authors whose opinions often diverge strongly from my own; these references provide a further reading list for the reader who would like to further explore the various questions that the notes raise. Since we are dealing here with a book aimed at a rather wide range of readers I have presented the unfolding of the political history in a straightforward fashion and in chronological order, almost as if a tale was being told. But the social history that undergirds the political dynamic requires a less narrative-oriented approach and more of an analytical one. In consequence, I decided to alternate between analytical chapters dealing with social history and more detailed narrative chapters covering political developments for the same period. The subject is thus presented in paired chapters, one century after the other, the only exception being the last chapter, which deals with the end of the nineteenth century. One can therefore read only the narrative chapters and skip the others or the reverse—but that would be a bad idea. For while social history is the essential backdrop for an understanding of the narrative detail that focuses on the political dynamics in the narrow sense, the more generalized character of this social history must of necessity be embedded in the framework of the more concrete details of the narrative chapters. Hence like all authors, I strongly encourage my readers to read the whole book! Since the publication of Le Rwanda ancien: le royaume nyiginya, it has been pointed out to me that an influential group of interested readers does not read French and would wish to see this book translated into English. Here it is then, nearly identical to the original, although I used a bit of new evidence in Appendix 1 to fine-tune the chronology between 1876 and 1885. Madison, August 2003 x Preface ...