Patrick Christopher Hege’s Dividing Dar: Race, Space, and Colonial Construction in German Occupied Dar es Salam 1850–1920 is a historical study of how Dar es Salaam was shaped during German colonial rule.
Rather than focusing only on colonial governors or city plans, the book examines how everyday governance worked in practice, especially through policing, surveillance, and intermediaries who enforced authority on the ground.
The book argues that Dar es Salaam was not simply planned from above. It was shaped through daily negotiations involving African Askari soldiers and police, South Asian traders, Arab residents, and a small European population.
These groups influenced how neighbourhoods were formed, how movement was controlled, and how order was maintained. Dividing Dar is about how power operated in the city, not only through laws, but through routine actions that slowly structured urban life.
The book focuses on the period between 1850 and 1920, with particular attention to the years after the Maji Maji War (1905–1907). This war marked a turning point in colonial governance. After it, the German administration expanded the power of the African Askari police to maintain control in a rapidly growing and anxious colonial capital.
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Because Tanzania is once again facing major urban change, cities like Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Mbeya, Dodoma and Arusha are expanding fast. Questions about public order, safety, informal settlements, street vendors and businesses, and the role of security institutions are increasingly part of public discussion.
Looking back helps put today’s debates in context because history does not provide direct answers, but it offers important lessons.
Colonial policing
Hege shows that colonial policing was especially influential in urban space. Askari police were involved in inspecting and regulating housing, enforcing building lines and street layouts, policing markets and commercial areas, controlling African movement within and into the city and supervising road construction and infrastructure.
These activities were concentrated in what colonial authorities called native quarters, mainly on the western side of Dar es Salaam, but their effects reached across the city. Roads, neighbourhoods, and boundaries were not just technical decisions; of course, they were political tools.
One of the book’s strongest contributions is showing that power was not exercised by Europeans alone. African Askari police played a central role. They were given authority to enforce rules, supervise labour, and maintain order. Over time, they became influential figures in urban life, sometimes respected, sometimes feared.
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South Asian traders and intermediaries were also important. They connected markets, credit systems, and everyday commerce. Arab residents, long established in the city, remained key urban actors. Europeans were a minority, but held symbolic and administrative authority. This mix created a complex city where power was negotiated daily, not simply imposed.
Inherited practices
The lesson of Dividing Dar is not that today’s Tanzania is colonial. It is not. But it reminds us that institutions inherit practices. Colonial policing normalised certain ideas, such as that order comes before social inclusion, that surveillance is a solution to social complexity, and that urban populations must be managed, not engaged.
These ideas did not disappear overnight at independence. Over time, they were adapted and localised. Understanding this history helps society ask better questions today, not about who is to blame, but about how governance can improve.
Some may argue that strong policing is necessary for stability and peace. That argument is understandable. Tanzania values peace deeply. But history suggests that lasting peace is built not only through control, but through trust, accountability, and participation.
Unlike traditional urban histories that focus on master plans and colonial ideology, Dividing Dar looks at urbanism from the middle. It shows how daily actions, such as inspections, patrols, and negotiations, shaped the city more than official blueprints ever did.
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This approach is useful today because it shifts attention from abstract policies to everyday practice. It asks how decisions made on the street, in markets, and in neighbourhoods affect people’s relationship with authority. It also challenges the idea that violence is always dramatic. Often, it is quiet, procedural, and routine.
History matters
Some readers may say, “This is history, and Tanzania faces modern challenges that require modern solutions.” That is true. But learning from history does not weaken governance. It strengthens it.
Knowing where systems come from helps societies decide what to keep, what to change, and what to leave behind. Others may worry that such discussions criticise institutions unfairly.
But the book and this reflection emphasise shared responsibility, which is that citizens, institutions, planners, and leaders all shape how power is used. Dividing Dar invites Tanzanians to reflect; for policymakers, it encourages historically informed urban planning.
For security institutions, it offers a chance to reflect on trust and legitimacy. For journalists and scholars, it provides tools to ask deeper questions. For citizens, it reminds us that engagement is part of governance.
Understanding how colonial policing shaped African cities helps prevent the mistake of confusing inherited practices with modern necessity. And we can learn from history collectively, honestly, and calmly. And this is how societies move forward.
Mariam Gichan is an archaeologist and journalist based in Dar es Salaam. She can be reached at mariamgichan@gmail.com or on +255 754 215 690. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Chanzo. If you are interested in publishing in this space, please contact our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
