EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES ON THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF MALAWI UPTO 1914.

Approach
• Brief background about missionary activity in Malawi
•Identify the activities and show their positive or negative effect on the people of Malawi
• Logically conclude
Background to the Question
• In the whole of central Africa, missionary enterprise was more active in Malawi.
• The major missionary groups that operated include the Livingstonia mission, London missionary society, Church of Scotland plus evangelical mission among others.
• These missionary groups especially the Livingstonia mission impacted on the people of Nyasa land both positively and negatively through their various activities.
Points to consider
1. They built schools; these provided formal education to the people of Malawi which improved on their literacy level.
2. They educated Africans who championed nationalism and struggle for independence of Malawi. However these educated people undermined African culture.
3. They opened up medical centres and other health facilities e.g. the Livingstonia hospital. This helped to improve on the hygiene and health standards of the people of Malawi.
4. They also established industries. These provided manufactured goods to people thus improving on their standards of living. Provided employment opportunities to unskilled workers. Provided markets for agricultural products among others.
5. However the industries undermined the development of local artists like black smiths since their products were regarded as inferior, besides they promoted exploitation of African labour.
6. Preached Christianity thus many people were converted e.g. the Amachinga Yao, Tanga thus Africans dropped immoral acts like human
sacrifice, idol worshiping etc, many people became pastors thus the emergency of independent churches like the Zionist church of Elliot Kamwana. However this led to the rejection of even the valuable African cultural values, there arose divisionism between converts and non converts even in families and to crown it all it laid foundation for colonization of Malawi (Nyasa land).
7. Missionaries introduced cash crop growing like cotton; it led to provision 0f income and employment to people although the returns were bad. However this undermined food crop growing leading to famine, it also lead to land alienation and forced labour plus migrant labourers which affected families
8. They also denounced and worked against slave trade, this saved the victim of slavery like the Tonga people from the Ngoni harassment. However the beneficiaries of the trade like the Ngoni were left jobless.
9. Missionaries constructed roads like Stevenson road connecting Lake Malawi and Tanganyika, steamer services on Lake Malawi etc. this improved on people's welfare in terms of movement, it improved on trading activities thus creating employment opportunities. However, Africans were made t offer forced labour in the construction, besides the routes were used to extend European colonialism and exploitation of Nyasaland.
10. They also promoted legitimate trade, e.g. chief Mbelwa sold food crops: in exchange for cheap cotton cloths. The trade provided employment option to some Africans and helped them to get European goods plus aiding the total ending of slave trade. However Africans were exploited in terms of exchanging valuable goods for cheap ones.
11. The missionaries also engaged in reconciling rivaling parties for instance _ areas of Malawi e.g. the quarrels between chief Mbelwa and Tongwa ended, Tonga and Ngoni among others. This helped to create peace and safer- However it created a peaceful environment for the colonization of Malawi. It also led to influx of whites in Nyasa lan