The evolution of political systems in South-Central Zambia, 1894-1953

Between 1894 and 1953 Lenje, Leya and Tonga political systems underwent some significant change. Inspite of the same colonial policy, however, the change did not always follow a uniform pattern. In the thesis i investigate the reasons for this. My contention is that the peoples reactions, which were as responsible for the change as the colonial factor, were responsible for the differences. The peoples reactions were themselves the result of pre-colonial political developments and systems. I take the Lenje, Leya and Tonga to illustrate how three people with some cultural affinities and who were faced with the same problems (for example land alienation)may have reacted differently to the twentieth century political developments because of their varying pre-colonial political systems.