Why did the Maasai collaborate with the British?

      

Explain five reasons why the Maasai collaborated with the British.

  

Answers


John
1. The needed protection against hostile communities e.g. Gikuyu they collaborated to secure military support against their enemies

2. Lenana, their leader, wanted to strengthen his position as the Laibon using British military might against his brother and rival Sendeyo

3. The military weakness of the Maasai community made them too weak to resist i.e the Maasai power had declined partly due to rise of the Nandi who challenged the Maasai morans


4. The Maasai were also weakened by loss of large number of livestock due to destruction of the grass by locust invasion and prolonged drought which led to famine

5. Animal disease e.g. rinderpest, pleouro-pneumonia killed more livestock and induced hunger, thus weakening the people

6. Human disease e.g. cholera and small pox further weakened them

7. Internal strife: The Maasai had engaged in civil wars for the half a century. These had led to death and destruction of property and exhausted the warriors in particular and the community was generally weakened and war-weary

8. The Kedong massacre: the Maasai were scared of the British military might following the shooting of about 100 Maasai by Andrew Dick, a Scott trader. They realised it would be devastating to resist the British and so they decided it was safer to welcome them

9. Besides, there was no need to attack the early British Caravans as the Maasai were primarily interested in cattle

johnmulu answered the question on January 27, 2017 at 11:50


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