On January 7, 2025, from 10:00 am to 12:00, Center for Sub-Saharan African Studies of the Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS) at Tsinghua University hosted the fourth lecture of the 2024-2025 autumn semester "European Travelers and Travel Records in 19th Century Africa". The lecture was held both online and offline and was delivered by Dr. Liu Weicai, Assistant Professor of the Department of History at the Esast China Normal University (ECNU). The event was moderated by Dr. Xiong Xinghan, Assistant Professor at the Institute for International and Area Studies, Tsinghua University. About 70 people attended the lecture, including IIAS faculty members and doctoral students, scholars and students from both home and abroad, and others interested in the topic.
Professor Liu Weicai began by introducing the context of European exploration and travel in the African interior during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. With the decline of the Atlantic slave trade, the "legitimate trade" emerged, focusing on the acquisition of African wildlife and agricultural products while selling manufactured goods from Europe and America. Expanding this legitimate trade necessitated a comprehensive understanding of Africa's land, people, economy, politics, society, and culture, setting the stage for Africa exploration. As the 19th century progressed, explorers and missionaries continued to push into Africa's interior, leading to a growing trend of travel to the continent. European travel in Africa during this period was driven by economic interests, social movements such as abolitionism and the spread of Christianity to "save the Africans from darkness" and, sometimes, personal aspirations and the curiosity to explore the unknown. The various motivations resulted in travelers of diverse backgrounds—explorers, missionaries, merchants, hunters, scholars, colonial officials, and colonial soldiers—each contributing to a rich tapestry of travel narratives.
The lecture then focused on the role of missionaries in Africa. Professor Liu noted that missionaries were involved in spreading Christianity, developing education, healthcare, and social relief initiatives, as well as engaging in the internal and diplomatic affairs of African regions. They traversed and settled in vast areas of Africa, paving the way for colonization and establishing outposts, thereby acting both as explorers and colonizers, while also serving as linguists, anthropologists, and even naturalists.
In addition to explorers and missionaries, the travels of certain merchants, hunters, scholars, colonial officials, and soldiers in Africa deserve attention. Merchants and hunters often had a more pragmatic understanding of Africa and its peoples, providing clearer insights into the continent's natural, economic, and social environments. Scholars focused on Africa's history, languages, and cultures, contributing to detailed records and analyses of the region's historical and cultural landscape. Conversely, colonial officials and soldiers tended to address issues related to Africa and its people with a more critical lens, often reflecting elements of racism and colonialism, albeit with varying degrees of objectivity.
In conclusion, Professor Liu summarized the significance of European travelers and their records in Africa. He emphasized that 19th-century European travelers held multiple and complex identities, leading to varied understandings of Africa and its peoples. The resulting records form a complex body of knowledge production. While it is essential to critique and reject elements of colonialism and racism in these accounts, one must also recognize the intrinsic value and objectivity of the travel records themselves. The key challenge lies in conducting comprehensive and comparative analyses to distill historical materials effectively.
During the Q&A session following the lecture, Professor Liu engaged in a lively discussion with teachers and students of IIAS, as well as online and offline participants, addressing challenges faced by missionaries in their efforts and the influence of religious ideologies on political developments.
Liu Weicai, Associate Professor in the Department of History and the African Studies Institute at East China Normal University. His primary research focuses on African history, particularly the countries and regions of Southern Africa. He is the author of The Words of the Wayfarer: The Historical Value and Utilization of 19th Century British Records of Travel and Residence in Africa and A Scholarly History of Great Zimbabwe. He has also translated works such as The Life of Cecil Rhodes and Trade in Central and Eastern Africa before the 20th Century.
