Kings of Disaster: Dualism, Centralism, and the Scapegoat King in Southeastern SudanThis study of the rainmakers of the Nilotic Sudan means a breakthrough in anthropological thinking on African political systems. Taking his inspiration from Rene Girard's theory of consensual scapegoating the author shows that the long standing distinction of states and stateless societies as two fundamentally different political types does not hold. Centralized and segmentary systems only differ in the relative emphasis put on the victimary role of the king as compared with that of enemy victims. "Kings of Disaster" so proposes an uninvolved solution to the vexed problem of regicide. Recent cases occurring during the great drought of the mid-1980's are discribed and analyzed. Making simultaneous use of first-hand field data and archival sources, the book offers the first presentation of five Nilotic communities on the East Bank of the Nile. This study offers a new perspective on the role of violence in the structuring of society. |
Contents
The Problem and the Setting | 13 |
Ethnological connections between the Nile and the Kidepo | 41 |
The geographical settingDelimitation of the ethnological field of study The Eastern | 59 |
Sorghum provider of life Workparties and the Big Man Cattle and the fly Hunting | 75 |
The collapse of the hegemony of | 104 |
The traders 18601875 The Nacar 18881897 The Uganda Protectorate | 120 |
Dualism | 141 |
Violence and social distance Hero and victim in warfare The dualist structure | 160 |
the cosmological dimension of kingship | 264 |
Rain queens and rainstones as symbols of the Centre | 281 |
The Lotuho Queen as the ultimate prize of dynastic rivals Lomoros assassination | 298 |
the divisiveness of kingship | 302 |
The Scapegoat King or the People as Aggressor Against | 317 |
The king as victim | 345 |
Catching life in the spell of death | 374 |
The installation of the King The royal funeral Elimination of the Kings evil Collecting | 396 |
The owners of the village Generational succession Generational antagonism | 184 |
The antagonism between King and people Alliances of Kings against their people | 212 |
Tipping the balance of power to the king | 232 |
The Kings men The creation of armies The conclusion of alliances The King and | 246 |
Conclusions | 421 |
Linguistic Chart | 459 |
Other editions - View all
Kings of Disaster: Dualism, Centralism and the Scapegoat King in ... Simon Simonse Limited preview - 2017 |
Kings of Disaster: Dualism, Centralism and the Scapegoat King in ... Simon Simonse Limited preview - 2018 |
Kings of Disaster: Dualism, Centralism and the Scapegoat King in ... Simon Simonse Limited preview - 2023 |
Common terms and phrases
Acalili accused Acholi age-class age-sets Ansar antagonism Anuak attack Baker Bari Bariland Beaton Bekat Bilinyan bridewealth brother Brun-Rollet cattle central Chapter collected conflict dancing ground death Didinga Dinka disaster diviner drought Eastern Nilotic elders enemy Entebbe Equatoria exhumation father fight Girard goat Gondokoro government chief Haddon Hujang Ilyangari Imatari Juba Khartoum killed King King's kingdom kingship Kursak Lado Lafon Latuka Liria Lohide Lokiliri Lokoya Lomoro Lopit Loronyo Lotuho Lualla Lugör Lulubo Lulubo and Lokoya Master Mayya moiety mojomiji Mongalla monyomiji mountain nefira Ngangala Ngulere Nile Nilotic Nimule Nyiggilo Ohuyyoro Oyalala Pari Pazzaglia person political pylon Queen raids rain clan rain ritual Rainmaker rainstones regicide Rejaf Report rival rivalry role royal sacrifice scapegoat scenario Shilluk Shindiru social Southern Records Southern Records Office spear stomach stones Subek Sudan Tirangore Toposa Torit District trade Uganda National Archives victim victimary village Vinco violence Wani Werne women
References to this book
Vanguard Or Vandals: Youth, Politics, and Conflict in Africa J. Abbink,Ineke van Kessel No preview available - 2005 |