ABSTRACT
The eighteenth century was the century of ivory, the nineteenth century marked the beginning of Mozambique’s transformation into an international labor reserve—a phenomenon that continued throughout the colonial period. As the northern half of Mozambique became progressively impoverished, disparities in wealth and social inequality intensified and class distinctions became more pronounced. Already controlling key sectors of the Portuguese metropolitan economy, British investors hoped to annex strategic areas of Mozambique itself. Throughout Mozambique the primary resistance movements had common raisons d’etre—to drive out the imperialist forces, to protect the indigenous homelands and historic way of life, and to avoid harsh taxes and the expropriation of land and labor. Whatever their motivation, African leaders recognized the need to neutralize the technological advantage enjoyed by Portuguese forces, and they attempted to do so in several ways. The existence of sexual divisions among and within African societies also helps to explain Lisbon’s ability to recruit large numbers of collaborators.
