uprising uprising rebellion british colonial rule modern day january led american educated black christian minister uprising based church village south east country centred black middle class encouraged grievances colonial system including forced labour discrimination new demands indigenous population caused outbreak world war revolt broke evening january rebels attacked bruce plantation headquarters killed white colonists largely unsuccessful attack weapons store followed night morning january colonial authorities white militia regular military forces south failed attack troops king african rifles january group rebels attacked christian mission burned militia took encountering resistance january rebels including fled hoping reach safety neighbouring portuguese modern rebels executed revolt aftermath imprisoned shot dead police patrol near border february rebellion achieve lasting success commonly cited watershed moment history rebellion lasting effects british system administration reform enacted aftermath world war growing nationalist movement interest revolt independence celebrated key moment nation history memory remains prominent collective national consciousness invoked symbolism rhetoric politicians today uprising celebrated annually considered national hero background british colonial rule region modern day revolt occurred began british sought increase formal control territory german portuguese colonial region british british central africa named unlike parts africa british rule dependent support local factions british control rested military superiority 1890s colonial authorities numerous rebellions local peoples british rule radically altered local indigenous power structures early colonial period saw immigration settlement white colonists bought large territory local chiefs token payments guns land acquired particularly converted plantations tea coffee cotton tobacco grown enforcement colonial institutions compelled indigenous people find paid work demand labour created plantations led major employer employed plantations black workers found frequently beaten subject racial discrimination increasingly plantations forced rely system forced labour known locally born locally received early education scottish mission later met radical baptist missionary ran booth preached form progressive attitude race attracted attention booth patronage travelled united_states study theological college virginia mixed african american circles influenced stories abolitionist returned founded independent church village considered model non violent african advancement colonial authorities mission early years established chain independent black african schools pupils total founded natives industrial union form cooperative union described embryo chamber commerce activities led friction managers local plantations feared influence workers november employees local burnt church soon rebuilt preached form christianity common southern africa time predicted liberation end colonial rule preached aggressive concentrating aspects escape slavery egypt activities initially supported white missionaries information church rebellion ideology proved popular developed strong local following apocalyptic movement popular central africa time followers influenced predicted occur october god come earth end ideology grew aggressive decade return demanding followers encouraging adopt european style intellectual improvement mission schools began teaching racial equality based christian teaching anti adopted western dress customs ideas encouraged followers likewise followers came local middle class similarly adopted european customs acceptance european culture created unorthodox anti colonial ideology based form nationalism desire restore pre colonial social order world war broke july september war spread africa british began long military campaign german colonial army german major effect war massive recruitment serve support allied armies lived extremely poor conditions died time recruitment created shortage labour increased economic pressure opposed recruitment black people fight considered war totally unconnected promoted form christian argued lack civil rights colonial system exempt duties military service time believed world war form armageddon believed destroy colonial powers way emergence independent african states november following reports large loss life fighting wrote letter explicitly appealing colonial authorities recruit black troops hear sic war broken nations request recruit brothers know cause fight better recruit white traders missionaries white settlers country value know cause war preparations preparations uprising begun end acquired military manual began organise followers wider support particular formed close ties miles north west received assurance followers join rebellion broke colonial authorities received warnings revolt imminent follower reported preacher worrying intentions minor colonial later served governor kenya august catholic mission informed took action rebellion outbreak night saturday january rebels met mission church gave speech stressing expect survive follow revolt uprising draw greater attention conditions colonial system believed way change occur contingent rebels sent miles south white lived insurgents hoped capture store weapons group headed headquarters sent messenger alert rebellion starting sought support uprising german forces german far northern border hoping german offensive north combined native insurrection south force british permanently january sent letter german governor portuguese intercepted letter received stages german invasion portuguese german colonial army actually helped suppress anti portuguese rebellions peoples worrying african uprisings colonial order attack major action uprising involved attack bruce plantation plantation spanned acres grew cotton tobacco locals worked obligations plantation reputation locally poor treatment workers brutality managers closed local schools beat workers paid promised burning church november created personal animosity rebel leadership insurgents launched roughly concurrent attacks group targeted plantation headquarters home main manager white staff second assaulted plantation owned village white households rebels moved early evening wife entertaining dinner guests estate official house nearby building occupied children contained small weapons ammunition belonging local rifle club insurgents quietly broke house injured hand hand fighting prompting refuge bedroom wife attempted treat wounds rebels forced way bedroom capturing wife alerted killed rebel spear attackers took women children village prisoner shortly released having reportedly treated suggested hoped use women children hostages remains unclear attack particular killing great symbolic significance men rifles captured plantation formed basis rebel rest uprising little military value proposed rebels hoped find weapons ammunition led insurgents stormed houses killed plantation stock manager spear lay bed reading newspaper colonists wife charlotte escaped cotton fields walked miles neighbouring plantation raise alarm african servants remained loyal killed attackers later actions rebels cut telephone lines delaying spread news weapons store raided force rebels january general alarm raised news attacks defenders african shot dead rebels insurgents repulsed captured rifles ammunition taken number rebels taken prisoner retreat initial attacks bruce plantation rebels returned home head taken displayed second day uprising preached sermon rebellion remained praying leadership rebels taken soldier king african rifles command rebels ambushed small party government soldiers near january described reverse suffered government uprising morning january government levied militia north colony rebels mount attack isolated plantations region occupy fort miles time rumours rebel attacks spread despite earlier offers support parallel uprisings promised reinforcements regions likewise refused join uprising siege attempted escape troops launched tentative attack january engagement proved inconclusive forces held strong defensive position river pushed african government soldiers killed wounded losses estimated january group rebels attacked catholic mission belonging father mission defended african armed guards killed wounded fighting church burnt military militia forces assaulted day encountered resistance rebels including fled village disguised civilians fall government troops subsequent demolition church dynamite ended rebellion captured brought publicly executed defeat rebellion remaining insurgents attempted escape eastwards portuguese hoped head north german territory seen patrol police shot dead february near rebels captured imprisoned following rebellion executed evaded capture settled portuguese territory near border aftermath worrying rebellion rapidly spread colonial authorities instigated arbitrary population including mass weapons confiscated fines shillings person levied districts affected revolt regardless people question involved colonial government begun attacking rights missionaries banned independent churches including placed restrictions african run churches public gatherings especially associated african initiated religious groups banned fear similar uprisings colonies notably led similar repression independent churches foreign missions rebellion failed threat colonial rule posed revolt compelled local authorities introduce reform colonial government proposed undermine power independent churches like promoting secular education lack funding impossible government began promote tribal colony system indirect rule expanded revolt particular muslim people attempted distance given power autonomy delayed war primarily composed african levied local white officials professional force white colonists forced labour retained remain resentment decades aftermath revolt colonial administration formed examine causes handling rebellion commission presented conclusions early found revolt chiefly caused bruce plantation commission blamed treatment natives harsh poor management estate commission found systematic discrimination lack freedoms respect key causes resentment local population emphasised effect booth ideology commission reforms far reaching criticised system minor changes aimed ending casual brutality government passed laws banning plantation owners services tenants payment rent effectively uniformly ignored commission concluded effectively abolished remained constant source friction 1950s later culture despite failure rebellion gained important place modern cultural memory gaining iconic status uprising local notoriety years immediately rebels kept police observation decades anti colonial activists began semi mythical figure 1940s 1950s symbolic partly president family connection believed ally announced intended mark february annually day colonial officials wrote memory fanatic blood confession violent intention historian characterised uprising early expression nationalism book study rebellion banned colonial era widely read educated classes viewed hero country people ultimately led country independence conscious effort identify leader speeches radio broadcasts succeeded similarly invoked memory win popular support new annual national holiday day january portrait soon added national currency reproduced stamps argued politicians symbol myth instrument propaganda historical analysis revolt subject research interpreted ways historians time uprising generally considered mark turning point colonial rule governor declared revolt marked new phase existence according military historian uprising british prestige contributed appointment future prime minister secretary state colonies renewed pressure anglo belgian offensive german aims come scrutiny according speech january appeared stress importance principal motivation speech depicted uprising manifestation desperation desire strike blow die idea replace revolt succeeded concludes planned seize power contemporaries believed planned king attacks idea revolt considered nationalist arguing ideology instead fundamentally created opposition abuses colonial system particularly according uprising failed reliant small gain mass support examination revolt perspective concludes personal situation financial debt factors decision plot rebellion
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