Law in Colonial Africa

Abstract

Law in colonial Africa was a cultural project that lay at the heart of efforts by Europeans and Africans to channel social change. Studying law yields fresh insights into the meaning of colonialism to those Africans who were empowered by it and those who struggled against it. The contributors in this volume use different approaches and employ different sources to investigate the interaction between law and social history. This book simultaneously casts new light on the colonial experience of Africans and Europeans, assesses the research potential of untried sources and methods, and charts the intellectual agenda for further historical and anthropological studies of law.