Abstract

This study set out to examine the European explorer who set foot in Bangwa land. To know the reasons for Conrau’s visit to Lebang, and why he committed suicide and the impact of his death on the Bangwa of Lebang.

A historical research method, as well as interviews, was carried out in order to get data and to bring the truth of the historical fact that concerns the history of Gustav Conrau’s exploits in Lebang.

In the process of carrying out this research work, many findings were gotten which contributed in making this work a success. The data gotten shows that Conrau came to the Bangwa land and took some men from chief Asonganyi whom he sold as slaves and because of this, he committed suicide so as to prevent defeat from a black man. His death brought a great impact on Lebang which disrupted Asonganyi’s administration.

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the background to study, the statement of the problem, objectives of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, literature review, methodology and sources of study, organization of the study, and the problems encountered during research.

Background To Study         

From the 19th century, Africa witnessed a historical turning point that left it almost on the verge of total chaos. It all started in the 16th century and the 17th centuries When Portuguese, Spanish, and late Dutch, English, and French began having an interest in the continent of black people for diverse reasons.

The motives which occasioned these European expansions were mainly economic and partly religious as Christian Europe became determined to limit the spread of Islam. The first of a series of European footholds started from the coast which were to bring Africa and sub-Sahara Africa into closer relationships with the rest of the world than ever before in its history.

The sets of European intruders that ventured into the interior of Africa were collectively divided into three groups which were the so-called explorers, traders, and missionaries who came from different European countries like Germany, Britain, Belgium, Italy, France in the 1880s. When these intruders arrived in Africa, they settled in African in places like Kenya, Algeria, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Angola, southwest Africa, (now Namibia), South Africa.

The most important group of people who penetrated into the interior of Africa were the Explorers. In most places, they became the first Europeans to have contact with the African people. Some of them included James Bruce (1730 – 1794), Mungo Park (1771 – 18016), Hugh Clapperton (1786 – 1827), Lander Richard Lemon (1804 – 1834), David Living Stone (1813 – 1873), Samuel Baker (1821 – 1893), Kingsley Mary (1862 – 1900), Henry Morton Stanley.

These explorers had an objective to explore Africa’s Inland Regions which were untouched. Some were motivated by their desire for scientific knowledge and to promote trade. The most glaring example is John Henning Speke who is the first to have discovered and identify Lake Victoria as a source of the Nile, from 1788 to 1890s.

Though much is already known and studied about European penetration in Africa, the role of explorers in Cameroon is not well known. There is therefore a need for this present research work to be more focused on the study of Gustav Conrau and his exploits in the African continent. He was the first German trader and explorer who ventured into the interior parts of Cameroon precisely into the Bangwa land, ‘Lebang’. Gustav Conrau was an employee of the Jantzen and Thomahlen firm in charge for the recruitment of labour  for plantations at the coast. For this reason, he travels into the interior of Cameroon in search of laborers. Conrau arrived in Lebang in 1898 a portion at that time under the leadership of the most renowned Chief, Fontem Asonganyi . Conrau’s reasons, legacies, and consequences of his stay in Fontem would be examined in the subsequent chapters.

Statement Of The Problem

The most important problem this research work is out to solve is the issue of controversy. There is a lot of controversy amongst the Bangwas as to the events that marked the presence of the German explorer Gustav Conrau in Lebang. This is because the story changes as it is being transmitted from one generation to another orally. This present research, therefore, aims at bringing solutions to their misconceptions by letting them know of the true history of Lebang during the colonial period.

Objectives Of The Study

Main Objective

The aim and objectives of this study is to bring out a historical account of Gustav Conrau’s activities in Lebang and his impact on the socio-political and economic development of the area.

 Specifically, this study seeks

1. To examine the reasons for Gustav Conrau’s encounter with the Bangwa people in the interior part of Cameroon.
2. And also to bring out the changes that he brought to the area and also how the administration of Chief Fontem Asonganyi was affected as a result of the death of Conrau until when chief Asonganyi later died in 1951.