Marxist Analyses and Social Anthropology by Bloch Maurice

Marxist Analyses and Social Anthropology by Bloch Maurice

Author:Bloch, Maurice.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781136548727
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)


Notes

1

Today I would be far less categorical on this matter, as is evident from the pages that follow.

2

Their names appear in the literature in a considerable variety of forms; those used here follow D. Westermann and M. A. Bryan's Languages of West Africa (London: Dawsons, 1970) (Ed.).

3

Freeman to Chief Medical Officer, 22 June 1889 (PRO, CO Africa West 354). This estimate coincides with what we know of the area encompassed by the kingdom and of its borders at the end of the nineteenth century. At the same period Ewart spoke of 1600 square miles (Ewart to Colonial Office, 24 October 1889 (PRO Africa West 354)), which is certainly too low an estimate. Binger, on the other hand, mentions the figure of 50,000 square kilometres, or double the actual figure, perhaps in the hope of magnifying the importance of the protectorate treaty which Treich-Laplene made with Gyaman (Binger 1892, Vol. II: 173).

4

The French terms cour and ménage have been rendered as Compound' and ‘household’ respectively (Ed.).

5

For the Kulango, see Folquet in Clozel and Villamur (1902: 359), Tauxier (1921: 135, 140, 150, 157–8, 168); for the Abron, see Benquey in Clozel and Villamur (1902: 208), Tauxier (1921: 304–10, 320n.).

6

According to Folquet (in Clozel and Villamur 1902: 353–4), brideprice among the Kulango consisted of twelve chickens, twelve kola nuts, and six thousand cowries valued at ‘around sixteen francs' at that time. Tauxier gives the following list: four chickens, a loin-cloth, a pair of pants worn by women (bila), a little salt and maize flour. He concludes: ‘Together it couldn't be worth more than fifteen francs’ (Tauxier 1921: 161). According to Benquey, brideprice among the Abron consisted of two loin-cloths, a piece of material for making a bila, ‘a sack of salt (about 37.50 francs) … 28.75 francs in cash' (Benquey in Clozel and Villamur 1902: 196). The various items listed by Tauxier, who was relying on information given him by a representative of Gyamanhene Tan Date, i.e. a loin-cloth, a piece of material for a bila, half a sack of salt, several sums of money, were valued by him at slightly more than forty francs at that time. At the same period, brideprice among the Dida consisted of an ox, a rifle, two large loin-cloths, and a certain number of anklets varying according to the region: forty packets or one hundred and sixty francs in the south; from ten to fifteen packets or sixty francs in the north (Terray 1969: 205–6).

7

Folquet (in Clozel and Villamur 1902: 358–9), Benquey (in Clozel and Villamur 1902: 208), Benquey (in Gouvernement Général de l'AOF 1906: 174), Tauxier (1921: 308), Alland (1972: 104).

8

I shall confine myself here to a brief résumé of the data I presented in ‘La captivité dans le royaume abron du Gyaman’, my contribution to the collection on West African slavery which is being prepared by Claude Meillassoux.



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