J. Willis
Hukm: the creolization of authority in Condominium Sudan
Willis, J.
Authors
Abstract
Recent scholarship on 'neo-traditionalism' and colonial governance in Africa has challenged assumptions about the 'invention of tradition' and the ability of the colonial state to create wholly innovative kinds of local authority. This article explores one episode in the development of the authority of Ali el Tom, probably the most famous 'traditional' ruler in Condominium Sudan. It suggests that Ali el Tom's authority was a creole product, which drew on local moral codes and colonial forms of authority, but was not fully part of either. The willingness of his people to accept this sometimes abusive authority relied on a partly illusory sense that it was familiar; but this willingness was not unlimited, and on occasion actions from below set limits to the invention of authority and tradition.
Citation
Willis, J. (2005). Hukm: the creolization of authority in Condominium Sudan. Journal of African History, 46(1), 29-50. https://doi.org/10.1017/s002185370400996x
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Date | 2005-03 |
Deposit Date | May 23, 2008 |
Publicly Available Date | May 23, 2008 |
Journal | Journal of African History |
Print ISSN | 0021-8537 |
Electronic ISSN | 1469-5138 |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 46 |
Issue | 1 |
Pages | 29-50 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1017/s002185370400996x |
Keywords | Sudan, Colonial administration, Chieftaincy, Courts, Governance. |
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© Cambridge University Press 2005