21 What was the role of Dr Carl peters in the colonization of Tanganyika?

21 What was the role of Dr Carl peters in the colonization of Tanganyika?

He was a German colonial agent and at the same time an aggressive trader in Tanzania.

In 1884 march he formed the German society for colonization of east Africa after becoming disappointed by the government failure to acquire colonies

In 1884 he arrived in Zanzibar under the pretext of searching for commercial prospects and by November the same year he was already on the mainland of east Africa to begin his colonial activities

He signed treaties with the cheif of usambura,usagara ukami ungulu etc on his return to German he managed to convince the government of Bismarck to recognize these treaties

These treaties were later presentes to the Berlin conference in October 1884 through these treaties Germany acquired these areas as her sphere of influence

Other treaties signed were friendship ie signed treaties with kabaka mwanga of Buganda in 1890 in an attempt to colonize Uganda.

It was not until the anglo-german agreement was signed the same year that Germany accepted to leave Uganda to the British

He also financed and protected missionary activities in Tanganyika especially the Berlin lll missionary group.who were also colonial agents

In 1885 he transformed his German colonization association into the German east Africa company and this company also received a royal charter from the German government to protect her interests in east Africa

Carl peter with support from the rich middle class in Germany ,managed to convince bismark and his government to accept the idea of acquiring colonies in east Africa

He opened up administrative stations in east Africa totaling to eight.two were in ulunguru valley two in usagara two in uvinza one in bagamoyo and one in pangani valley these later provided the base for German colonial administration

Carl peters and his company provided the initial manpower and finance to administer Tanganyika on behalf of the German government

He managed to scare off would be interested parties in Tanganyika hence preserving it for Germany for example he put off the rival IBEACO from acquiring the area for the British

He managed to secure permission from sultan of Zanzibar in 1886 to levy taxes on the coastal towns.this enabled the company to raise revenue to meet the costs  of administration

However in 1890 his company failed to suppress the abushiri uprising at the coast and this led to its eventual withdrawal. And the government tool direct control

In 1896 Carl peters was dismissed from the colonial service on accusations of being cruel to the Africans