Abdul Njai
Ally and Enemy of the Portuguese in Guinea-Bissau, 1895–1919
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8977645 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joye Bowman (0000-0001-7800-8027, University of Virginia, corresponding author), Joye L Bowman (0000-0001-7347-3691) |
| Year | 1986 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 463-479 |
| Publication date | 1986-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of African History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-8537 • E-ISSN: 1469-5138 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0021853700023276 |
| OpenAlex | W2044679035 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 12 |
The protracted subjugation by the Portuguese of Guinea-Bissau was made possible by Abdul Njai and his army of auxiliary troops. Njai became an ally of the Portuguese in the mid-1890s and continued his support for the Portuguese conquest until about 1915. He provided logistical support, and served both as a commander in the Portuguese army and as a recruiter of African troops. Oral as well as written sources indicate that Njai was directly responsible for the successful campaigns fought against the strongholds of resistance to Portuguese authority. As a reward for his services, the Portuguese granted Njai political authority over Oio province. Thus Njai became a kind of ‘warrant chief’ in an area where his only legitimacy was based on force rather than traditional affiliation. Portuguese control remained limited even after 1915 and Njai governed his region as he pleased. African communities in Oio and elsewhere in Guinea-Bissau feared and respected this warlord more than the Portuguese. He thus became a threat to Portuguese colonial officials in Guinea-Bissau as well as their French counterparts in neighbouring Senegal. The Portuguese therefore turned on their erstwhile ally and, after unsuccessful attempts to bring him to heel through negotiation, mounted an expedition which resulted in his capture and deportation in 1919
Ancient history · Colonialism · Ethnology · Legitimacy · Political science · Politics · Portuguese · African history and culture studies · African Studies and Ethnography · Caribbean and African Literature and Culture · History · Law
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| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,17 |
| Citation span | 2008 - 2023 (16) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |