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Duala oral traditions suggest their ancestry originates from a figure named Mbedi, believed to have lived in present-day Gabon or the Republic of Congo.
Answer: True
According to Duala oral traditions, their ancestral origins are traced to a figure named Mbedi, whose historical location is believed to be within the territories of present-day Gabon or the Republic of Congo.
The Duala are related to ethnic groups such as the Bakweri, Oroko, and Ewodi, collectively known as the SAWA PEOPLE.
Answer: True
The Duala people share kinship and cultural ties with several other ethnic groups in the Cameroon coastal region, including the Bakweri, Oroko, and Ewodi, who are broadly categorized under the collective term SAWA PEOPLE.
The Duala are classified ethnically as part of the Nilotic peoples of East Africa.
Answer: False
The Duala people are ethnically classified as Bantu peoples, belonging to the Sawa or coastal groups of Cameroon, not as Nilotic peoples originating from East Africa.
What is the estimated total population of the Duala people, including their subgroups?
Answer: Around 400,000
The total population of the Duala, encompassing all recognized subgroups, is estimated to be approximately 400,000 individuals.
Which of the following ethnic groups is NOT mentioned as being related to the Duala?
Answer: Bamileke
The Duala are noted as being related to the Bakweri, Oroko, and Ewodi, among others, as part of the Sawa peoples. The Bamileke are a distinct ethnic group in Cameroon and are not listed as closely related in this context.
According to oral traditions, who was the original ancestor of the Duala people?
Answer: Mbedi
Duala oral traditions identify Mbedi as the progenitor from whom their lineage originates.
Which group is sometimes included within the broader Duala classification, though not as a sub-lineage?
Answer: Bodiman
While not considered a direct sub-lineage, the Bodiman people are sometimes incorporated into the broader classification encompassing the Duala and related groups.
The Duala people, also known as Sawa, are primarily located in the Northern and Eastern regions of Cameroon.
Answer: False
This assertion is factually inaccurate. The Duala people, also referred to as Sawa, are predominantly situated in the Littoral and Southwest regions of Cameroon, particularly along the Wouri estuary.
The Duala language belongs to the Niger-Congo language family and is classified as a Bantu language.
Answer: True
Linguistic analysis confirms that the Duala language is a member of the Bantu subgroup within the broader Niger-Congo language family.
The Duala language became a trade language partly due to its promotion by early missionaries.
Answer: True
The widespread adoption of the Duala language as a lingua franca for trade was significantly facilitated by the efforts of early missionaries who utilized and promoted it, particularly among neighboring communities.
Which regions in Cameroon are the primary homeland of the Duala people?
Answer: The Littoral and Southwest regions
The Duala people are primarily concentrated in the Littoral and Southwest regions of Cameroon, particularly along the coast and the Wouri estuary.
The Duala language belongs to which major language family?
Answer: Niger-Congo
The Duala language is classified as part of the Niger-Congo language family, specifically within the Bantu branch.
Which river estuary is considered the center of Duala country?
Answer: Wouri estuary
The Wouri estuary, where several rivers converge, is recognized as the geographical heartland of the Duala people.
What is the primary linguistic classification of the Duala language?
Answer: Bantu
The Duala language is linguistically classified as a Bantu language, a major subgroup within the Niger-Congo family.
The Duala traditionally practiced matrilineal inheritance, dividing property among male and female heirs.
Answer: False
Traditional Duala inheritance practices followed a patrilineal system, wherein property was primarily divided among male heirs upon the father's death.
The principal lineages among the Duala proper include the Bonanjo, Bonaku, Bonabela, and Bonaberi.
Answer: True
The core lineages comprising the Duala proper are identified as the Bonanjo, Bonaku, Bonabela, and Bonaberi, each associated with distinct family structures and historical roles.
What is the traditional inheritance system among the Duala people?
Answer: Patrilineal, with property divided among male heirs
Traditionally, the Duala practice patrilineal inheritance, whereby a father's property is distributed among his male descendants.
Which of the following describes the traditional Duala practice of marriage?
Answer: Polygamy was common but is now rare due to Christianity.
Historically, polygamy was a common practice among the Duala. However, with the influence of Christianity, this custom has become significantly less prevalent.
Which of the following is a grouping of Duala individuals based on age range or tribal clan, serving for networking and socialization?
Answer: Miemba
The term 'Miemba' refers to specific groupings within Duala society, organized by age or clan affiliation, which serve important functions for social networking and community cohesion.
Which of the following describes the traditional social stratification of Duala society?
Answer: Wonja (native Duala), Wajili (non-Duala/descendants of slaves), and Wakomi (slaves)
Traditional Duala social stratification was structured into three main strata: the *Wonja* (native Duala with full rights), the *Wajili* (non-Duala or descendants of slaves), and the *Wakomi* (slaves) at the lowest tier.
What role did councils of elders and secret societies play in Duala communities?
Answer: They provided mechanisms for decision-making and problem-solving.
Councils of elders and various secret societies served as vital institutional frameworks within Duala communities, facilitating collective decision-making and addressing communal challenges.
Which of the following Duala lineages is associated with the Bell family?
Answer: Bonanjo
The Bonanjo lineage is historically associated with the prominent Bell family among the Duala proper.
What happened to the Duala's traditional practice of polygamy?
Answer: It has become less common due to the influence of Christianity.
The traditional practice of polygamy among the Duala has significantly declined in prevalence, largely attributed to the increasing influence and adoption of Christianity.
What is the primary method of inheritance among the Duala?
Answer: Patrilineal
The traditional system of inheritance practiced by the Duala is patrilineal, meaning property is passed down through the male line.
The Duala people are predominantly followers of Islam, with traditional ancestor worship playing a minor role.
Answer: False
The predominant religious affiliation among the Duala people is Christianity, particularly Evangelical denominations. While traditional beliefs and ancestor worship persist, Islam is not the primary religion.
Pirogue racing was historically the most important traditional sport among the Duala, with races held on specific colonial holidays.
Answer: True
Historically, pirogue racing held significant cultural importance as the premier traditional sport among the Duala people. Races were indeed organized, often coinciding with colonial holidays under both German and French administrations.
The Ngondo is described as a secret society focused on spiritual rituals.
Answer: False
The Ngondo is not primarily a secret society focused on spiritual rituals; rather, it functions as an assembly of chiefs and is recognized as a principal institution for Duala unity and collective decision-making.
What are the predominant religious affiliations among the Duala people?
Answer: Predominantly Christian (especially Evangelical), with traditional beliefs persisting
The majority of Duala people adhere to Christianity, particularly Evangelical denominations. Elements of traditional African religions and ancestor worship continue to coexist within their religious landscape.
How do pre-Christian beliefs continue to manifest in Duala religious practices?
Answer: Through beliefs in ancestors living in the sea and mediation by water spirits (Miengu)
Remnants of pre-Christian Duala beliefs persist, notably the concept of ancestors residing in the sea and the role of water spirits, known as Miengu, who are believed to act as intermediaries between the divine and human realms.
What is the significance of the Ngondo assembly?
Answer: It is the primary institution for Duala unity and decision-making.
The Ngondo serves as a crucial assembly of Duala chiefs, functioning as a central institution for fostering unity and facilitating collective decision-making processes within the community.
What traditional sport was historically considered the most important among the Duala?
Answer: Pirogue racing
Pirogue racing held the position of the most significant traditional sport within Duala culture historically.
What unique communication method did Duala men historically use for long-distance messaging?
Answer: A form of 'drum language'
Historically, Duala men employed a sophisticated system of coded messages transmitted via 'drum language' to communicate over extended distances.
Which of the following is NOT listed as a secret society among the Duala?
Answer: Ngondo
While Ekongolo, Jengu, and Munji are identified as secret societies within Duala culture, the Ngondo is recognized primarily as an assembly of chiefs and a decision-making institution, not a secret society.
The Duala emerged as the leading traders on the Cameroonian coast by the 19th century.
Answer: False
Historical records indicate that the Duala had already established themselves as leading traders on the Cameroonian coast by the 16th century, predating the 19th century.
Traditionally, Duala slave owners were permitted to trade their slaves to European merchants.
Answer: False
Traditionally, Duala customs restricted the trade of slaves to within the Duala community. Owners were responsible for their slaves' debts and marriages, and direct trade with European merchants was not the established practice, though this evolved with increased European demand.
The town of Douala historically served as a crucial hub for trade between inland communities and Europeans.
Answer: True
The settlement that grew into the town of Douala historically functioned as a vital nexus for commerce, facilitating trade exchanges between diverse inland groups and European merchants.
European traders primarily exchanged agricultural produce and textiles with the Duala.
Answer: False
European traders primarily exchanged manufactured goods such as alcohol, gunpowder, guns, mirrors, shoes, and tools with the Duala, in return for local commodities and slaves purchased from inland communities.
By which century had the Duala established themselves as leading traders on the Cameroonian coast?
Answer: 16th century
The Duala emerged as prominent traders along the Cameroonian coast by the 16th century, predating their later prominence in the 19th century.
How did Duala customs regarding slaves change significantly due to European trade?
Answer: Owners could trade slaves to Europeans, increasing their value.
While traditional customs restricted slave trade internally, the increased demand from European merchants led to significant changes, including the potential for owners to trade slaves to Europeans, thereby altering the economic value and dynamics associated with slavery.
What was the primary function of the township of Douala in historical Duala society?
Answer: A hub for trade between interior groups and Europeans
The town of Douala historically served as a pivotal center for commerce, connecting inland communities with European traders and facilitating the exchange of goods and slaves.
Which of the following was NOT among the goods exchanged by Europeans with the Duala?
Answer: Spices and textiles
European traders exchanged items such as alcohol, gunpowder, guns, tools, and mirrors with the Duala. Spices and textiles were not primary goods in this exchange according to the provided information.
How did European trade impact the internal dynamics of Duala society?
Answer: It introduced new status symbols, increased wealth for some, and escalated competition.
The advent of European trade introduced novel status symbols and generated increased wealth for certain segments of Duala society, consequently intensifying competition and altering internal social dynamics.
According to Duala tradition, they displaced the Bakoko and Bassa ethnic groups upon their arrival at the Wouri estuary.
Answer: True
Duala oral traditions recount that upon their arrival at the Wouri estuary, they encountered and subsequently displaced the Bakoko and Bassa ethnic groups, driving them further inland.
The British pressured Duala kings to abolish the practice of sacrificing a chief's wives upon his death.
Answer: True
During the period of intensified trade relations, British entities exerted pressure on Duala leadership to discontinue certain traditional practices deemed unacceptable, including the ritual sacrifice of a chief's wives upon his demise.
Missionaries like Alfred Saker played a role in developing a written form of the Duala language and translating the Bible.
Answer: True
Missionaries, notably Alfred Saker who arrived in 1845, made significant contributions to the Duala community by developing a written script for the language and undertaking translations of the Bible.
German explorer Gustav Nachtigal secured land-cessation treaties with Duala kings in 1884, leading to German control.
Answer: True
In July 1884, German explorer Gustav Nachtigal negotiated and obtained land-cession treaties with several Duala kings, which formally established German colonial authority over the region.
The 'Duala War' was a conflict initiated by German colonial forces against Duala chiefs.
Answer: False
The 'Duala War' was primarily an internal conflict among Duala chiefs. German colonial forces intervened only after one of their nationals was killed during the unrest.
After the Duala War, the German administration appointed a single, powerful king to rule over all Duala chiefs.
Answer: False
Following the Duala War, the German administration recognized the difficulty of imposing a single ruler. Instead, they adopted a strategy of managing Duala leadership by playing competing chiefs against one another.
The German colonial capital in Cameroon was initially established in Douala (Kamerunstadt) before moving to Buea.
Answer: True
The German colonial administration initially based its operations in Douala, which they designated as Kamerunstadt. The capital was subsequently relocated to Buea in 1901.
The Duala elite primarily used armed rebellion to oppose unpopular German colonial policies.
Answer: False
The Duala elite, being literate and familiar with European legal systems, predominantly employed methods such as petitions, legal challenges, and lobbying to contest German colonial policies, rather than relying primarily on armed rebellion.
Rudolf Duala Manga Bell was executed in 1914 for allegedly collaborating with the Germans against other Duala leaders.
Answer: False
Rudolf Duala Manga Bell was executed in 1914 on charges of high treason, stemming from his leadership in resistance against German colonial policies concerning land and taxation, not for collaborating with the Germans.
Following World War I, France became the administrator of Duala territories under a League of Nations mandate.
Answer: True
After Germany's defeat in World War I, the League of Nations assigned the administration of former German colonies, including Duala territories, to France.
In their 1929 petition to the League of Nations, Duala chiefs primarily requested increased trade privileges.
Answer: False
The primary concerns articulated by Duala chiefs in their 1929 petition to the League of Nations centered on the desire for independence and, more urgently, the restitution of seized Duala lands, rather than solely trade privileges.
Which two ethnic groups reportedly occupied the Wouri estuary when the Duala arrived, according to Duala tradition?
Answer: Bakoko and Bassa
Duala tradition indicates that the Bakoko and Bassa peoples were inhabiting the Wouri estuary region at the time of the Duala arrival.
What pressure did the British exert on Duala kings regarding societal practices?
Answer: To outlaw the sacrifice of a chief's wives upon his death
The British, through their trade interactions, applied pressure on Duala kings to abolish certain traditional practices, notably the sacrifice of a chief's wives upon his death.
What significant contribution did missionaries like Alfred Saker make to the Duala language?
Answer: They developed a written form and translated the Bible.
Missionaries, including Alfred Saker, were instrumental in codifying the Duala language by developing a written form and undertaking the translation of the Bible into Duala.
Who secured land-cessation treaties with Duala kings in 1884, leading to German control?
Answer: Gustav Nachtigal
German explorer Gustav Nachtigal negotiated and signed land-cessation treaties with Duala kings in 1884, thereby establishing German colonial sovereignty over the region.
What was the primary cause of the 'Duala War' mentioned in the text?
Answer: A conflict among Duala chiefs over profits and alleged killings
The 'Duala War' originated from internal disputes among Duala chiefs concerning financial matters and accusations of wrongdoing, rather than external conflicts or rebellions against colonial powers.
How did the German administration manage Duala leadership after the Duala War?
Answer: They played competing chiefs against each other.
Post-Duala War, the German administration strategically managed Duala leadership by fostering divisions and playing rival chiefs against one another, thereby preventing the consolidation of power under a single leader.
Where did the German administration move its capital from Douala in 1901?
Answer: Buea
In 1901, the German colonial administration relocated its capital from Douala (Kamerunstadt) to Buea.
What methods did the Duala elite use to challenge German colonial policies?
Answer: Petitions, legal proceedings, and lobbying
The Duala elite, possessing knowledge of European legal frameworks, predominantly employed diplomatic and legal avenues, such as petitions and lobbying, to contest German colonial policies.
Rudolf Duala Manga Bell was executed for what charge?
Answer: High treason
Rudolf Duala Manga Bell was executed in 1914 following a conviction for high treason by the German colonial authorities.
After World War I, which nation became the administrator of Duala territories under the League of Nations mandate?
Answer: France
Following World War I, France assumed administrative responsibility for the Duala territories under the mandate system established by the League of Nations.
What was a primary concern expressed by Duala chiefs in their 1929 petition to the League of Nations?
Answer: The return of seized Duala lands
A central demand in the 1929 petition submitted by Duala chiefs to the League of Nations was the restitution of lands that had been expropriated by colonial powers.
What was the main concern of the Duala chiefs in their 1929 petition regarding the League of Nations?
Answer: Gaining independence and the return of seized lands
The 1929 petition submitted by Duala chiefs to the League of Nations primarily articulated demands for political independence and the recovery of lands previously confiscated by colonial authorities.
What was the main goal of the Duala elite, including King Rudolf Duala Manga Bell, in their resistance against German policies?
Answer: To oppose land seizures and unfair taxation
The resistance efforts led by the Duala elite, exemplified by King Rudolf Duala Manga Bell, were primarily focused on challenging specific German colonial policies, particularly those related to land appropriation and inequitable taxation.
Under French administration in the 1930s, nearly half the Duala population held significant economic roles.
Answer: True
During the 1930s, a substantial portion of the Duala population, estimated at nearly half, maintained significant economic positions as traders, managers, or civil servants within the French colonial administration.
The French encouraged interior peoples, like the Bamileke, to move to the coast, leading to the Duala becoming a minority in Douala.
Answer: True
To address labor shortages, French colonial policy actively encouraged migration from interior regions, notably the Bamileke, to the coastal areas. This demographic shift eventually resulted in the Duala becoming a minority within their traditional urban center, Douala.
Alexandre Duala Manga Bell became the recognized leader of the Duala proper in the late 1930s.
Answer: True
In the latter half of the 1930s, Alexandre Duala Manga Bell emerged and gained recognition as the de facto leader representing the interests of the Duala proper.
Football (soccer) has become the most popular sport among the Duala, surpassing traditional sports like pirogue racing.
Answer: True
Since the mid-20th century, football (soccer) has gained preeminence in popularity among the Duala people, eclipsing traditional sports such as pirogue racing in contemporary engagement.
How did French colonial policies affect the Duala's demographic status in Douala?
Answer: They led to the Duala becoming a minority in their own city.
French policies promoting migration from interior regions to the coast, aimed at securing labor, significantly altered the demographic composition of Douala, resulting in the Duala becoming a minority group within their traditional homeland.
What happened to Duala-owned farms during World War II?
Answer: They became unprofitable due to favoritism towards white-owned plantations.
During World War II, Duala-owned farms faced economic challenges and became largely unprofitable due to colonial policies that favored white-owned plantations, creating an uneven competitive landscape.
Which political party, formed after World War II, received significant support from the Duala people?
Answer: Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC)
Following World War II, the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC) garnered substantial support from the Duala populace as a significant pro-independence political movement.
What was the primary reason for the French encouraging interior peoples like the Bamileke to move to the coast?
Answer: To address a labor shortage on plantations
The French administration encouraged migration from interior regions, such as the Bamileke, to the coast primarily to fulfill labor demands on plantations and other economic enterprises.
How did the Duala people fare economically under French administration in the 1930s?
Answer: Nearly half held significant economic roles as traders or managers.
During the 1930s, a considerable proportion of the Duala population maintained significant economic roles, functioning as traders, managers, and civil servants, while others engaged in fishing and farming.
Which group is mentioned as being encouraged by the French to move to the coast, contributing to the Duala becoming a minority in Douala?
Answer: The Bamileke
The French administration actively encouraged the Bamileke people from interior regions to migrate to the coast, a policy that contributed to the demographic shift leading to the Duala becoming a minority in Douala.
How has the popularity of sports evolved among the Duala since the 1930s?
Answer: Football (soccer) has become the most popular sport, eclipsing others.
Since the 1930s, football (soccer) has risen to become the most popular sport among the Duala, surpassing the traditional prominence of activities like pirogue racing.
Which of the following best describes the contemporary division of Duala society?
Answer: Urban dwellers engaged in various professions and rural fishermen/farmers
Contemporary Duala society is largely characterized by a division between urban populations involved in diverse professions and rural communities primarily engaged in fishing and subsistence farming.
What role did the Duala play in the post-World War II decolonization movement in Cameroon?
Answer: They were significant supporters of pro-independence parties like the UPC.
The Duala community played an active role in the post-World War II decolonization efforts, notably by providing substantial support to pro-independence political parties, including the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC).