Catholic mission, colonial government and indigenous response in Kom (Cameroon)

This thesis illuminates the way in which a complex configuration of factors interacted in the first half of the 20th century to fundamentally transform the Kingdom of Kom in the Bamenda Grassfields of Cameroon. It examines the impact of colonial and missionary penetration, as well as the responses of various groups of Kom people to colonial and missionary policies. The focus is on the interwar period, during which Kom was confronted with the change from German to British colonial rule. The first part of the study provides background information on the colonization of Cameroon, British indirect rule, and the indigenous political structures of the Kom Kingdom. The second part presents the case study, describing developments in Kom since c. 1913, with a focus on the arrival of the Roman Catholic mission, obstacles encountered by the mission, and responses by traditional authorities and the colonial administration. Part three summarizes the findings and places the case study in perspective. Field research was carried out in the village of Njinikom in the summer of 1994.