Seetsele Modiri Molema: Historian of the Barolong, 1891–1965
African intellectuals started to write history before academic historians began to take an interest in Africa. Often, they spent decades elaborating research methods and research practices, perfectioning their knowledge, and presenting and debating their findings. Their efforts were rarely noticed b...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Institut des Mondes Africains
2024-04-01
|
| Series: | Afriques |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/4788 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841552423133380608 |
|---|---|
| author | Ettore Morelli |
| author_facet | Ettore Morelli |
| author_sort | Ettore Morelli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | African intellectuals started to write history before academic historians began to take an interest in Africa. Often, they spent decades elaborating research methods and research practices, perfectioning their knowledge, and presenting and debating their findings. Their efforts were rarely noticed by academic scholars, who turned their attention to colonial archives and oral sources which they then processed with the techniques of the newly founded African history discipline. This article discusses the life and historical work of Seetsele Modiri Molema, doctor and historian of the Barolong of Mafikeng, in modern South Africa. It follows the development of his methods between the 1930s and 1965, demonstrating that his less-known books are valuable for historians today. Finally, it proposes a first reconstruction of the three drafts of an unpublished manuscript, the History of the Barolong, which may constitute the most important work about the deep past of central southern Africa. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6685220cf9d44edda87ba644da2dde4d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2108-6796 |
| language | deu |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Institut des Mondes Africains |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Afriques |
| spelling | doaj-art-6685220cf9d44edda87ba644da2dde4d2025-01-09T13:02:42ZdeuInstitut des Mondes AfricainsAfriques2108-67962024-04-0110.4000/afriques.4788Seetsele Modiri Molema: Historian of the Barolong, 1891–1965Ettore MorelliAfrican intellectuals started to write history before academic historians began to take an interest in Africa. Often, they spent decades elaborating research methods and research practices, perfectioning their knowledge, and presenting and debating their findings. Their efforts were rarely noticed by academic scholars, who turned their attention to colonial archives and oral sources which they then processed with the techniques of the newly founded African history discipline. This article discusses the life and historical work of Seetsele Modiri Molema, doctor and historian of the Barolong of Mafikeng, in modern South Africa. It follows the development of his methods between the 1930s and 1965, demonstrating that his less-known books are valuable for historians today. Finally, it proposes a first reconstruction of the three drafts of an unpublished manuscript, the History of the Barolong, which may constitute the most important work about the deep past of central southern Africa.https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/4788Precolonial AfricaAfrican historiansSouth AfricaBotswanaOral TraditionsBarolong Kingdom |
| spellingShingle | Ettore Morelli Seetsele Modiri Molema: Historian of the Barolong, 1891–1965 Afriques Precolonial Africa African historians South Africa Botswana Oral Traditions Barolong Kingdom |
| title | Seetsele Modiri Molema: Historian of the Barolong, 1891–1965 |
| title_full | Seetsele Modiri Molema: Historian of the Barolong, 1891–1965 |
| title_fullStr | Seetsele Modiri Molema: Historian of the Barolong, 1891–1965 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seetsele Modiri Molema: Historian of the Barolong, 1891–1965 |
| title_short | Seetsele Modiri Molema: Historian of the Barolong, 1891–1965 |
| title_sort | seetsele modiri molema historian of the barolong 1891 1965 |
| topic | Precolonial Africa African historians South Africa Botswana Oral Traditions Barolong Kingdom |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/4788 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ettoremorelli seetselemodirimolemahistorianofthebarolong18911965 |