Skip to main content
  • Book
  • © 2016

An Environmental History of Southern Malawi

Land and People of the Shire Highlands

Palgrave Macmillan

Authors:

  • First comprehensive study of the environmental history of Southern Malawi
  • Draws on a wide range of data: literary, ethnographic and archival
  • Offers a detailed history of the region from the nineteenth century until the end of the colonial period

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History (PSWEH)

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxi
  2. The People of the Shire Highlands

    • Brian Morris
    Pages 47-89
  3. Harry Johnston and the Yao Chiefdoms

    • Brian Morris
    Pages 91-116
  4. The Plantation Economy

    • Brian Morris
    Pages 117-148
  5. The Chilembwe Rebellion

    • Brian Morris
    Pages 149-182
  6. A History of the Tea Estates

    • Brian Morris
    Pages 183-220
  7. Conservation Mania in Colonial Malawi

    • Brian Morris
    Pages 221-259
  8. The Post-War Years

    • Brian Morris
    Pages 261-311
  9. Conclusion

    • Brian Morris
    Pages 313-316
  10. Back Matter

    Pages 317-343

About this book

This book is a pioneering and comprehensive study of the environmental history of Southern Malawi. With over fifty years of experience, anthropologist and social ecologist Brian Morris draws on a wide range of data – literary, ethnographic and archival – in this interdisciplinary volume. 


Specifically focussing on the complex and dialectical relationship between the people of Southern Malawi, both Africans and Europeans, and the Shire Highlands landscape, this study spans the nineteenth century until the end of the colonial period. It includes detailed accounts of the early history of the peoples of Northern Zambezia; the development of the plantation economy and history of the tea estates in the Thyolo and Mulanje districts; the Chilembwe rebellion of 1915; and the complex tensions between colonial interests in conserving natural resources and the concerns of the Africans of the Shire Highlands in maintaining their livelihoods.

A landmark work, Morris’s study constitutes a major contribution to the environmental history of Southern Africa. It will appeal not only to scholars, but to students in anthropology, economics, history and the environmental sciences, as well as to anyone interested in learning more about the history of Malawi, and ecological issues relating to southern Africa.






Authors and Affiliations

  • Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK

    Brian Morris

About the author

Brian Morris is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK. He is the author of numerous articles and books on a wide range of subjects, including ethnobiology, religion and symbolism, hunter-gatherer societies, anarchism, political ecology and concepts of the individual.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: An Environmental History of Southern Malawi

  • Book Subtitle: Land and People of the Shire Highlands

  • Authors: Brian Morris

  • Series Title: Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45258-6

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: History, History (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-45257-9Published: 15 December 2016

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-83252-4Published: 22 June 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-45258-6Published: 29 November 2016

  • Series ISSN: 2730-9746

  • Series E-ISSN: 2730-9754

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXI, 343

  • Number of Illustrations: 10 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: African History, Imperialism and Colonialism, Social History

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access