ABSTRACT
Comparative genocide studies is a relatively new discipline. It was not until the 1970s that scholars began developing theoretical claims about the common characteristics shared by different episodes of different genocides in history. As a British colonial protectorate, the administration of Bechuanaland had been conducted from afar, ostensibly allowing the eight largest Tswana chieftaincies to maintain their traditional structures of rule, allowing each entity a degree of territorial and political independence. As a British colonial protectorate, the administration of Bechuanaland had been conducted from afar, ostensibly allowing the eight largest Tswana chieftaincies to maintain their traditional structures of rule. Developing a strong rule of law also provides protection even in circumstances where governments implement discriminatory policies. The adoption of English rather than KiSwahili as the new country's official language mitigated against the possibility that a small indigenous elite educated by colonial agents might have profited in the post-colonial era.
