Briefly describe pre-colonial massai society and the changes in the colonial period.

Dear Student,

Before colonial times,

• The Maasailand stretched over a vast area from north Kenya to the steppes of northern Tanzania. 
• The Maasai pastoralists had dominated their agricultural neighbours both economically and politically. 
• The  society was divided into two social categories – elders and warriors. The elders formed the ruling group and met in periodic councils to decide on the affairs of the community and settle disputes. The warriors consisted of younger people, mainly responsible for the protection of the tribe. Raiding was important in a society where cattle was wealth. It is through raids that the power of different pastoral groups was asserted.

During colonial times:

• European imperial powers scrambled for territorial possessions in Africa, slicing up the region into different colonies
• The best grazing lands were gradually taken over for white settlement and the Maasai were pushed into a small area in south Kenya and north Tanzania.
• The traditional difference based on age, between the elders and warriors, was disturbed, though it did not break down entirely. A new distinction between the wealthy and poor pastoralists developed.