Who Are the Azande?
The Azande (Zande) are a Central African ethnic group inhabiting parts of South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic, numbering approximately 3-4 million. They speak Zande, a Niger-Congo language of the Adamawa-Ubangi branch. The Azande were historically organized into kingdoms that expanded through conquest in the 18th and 19th centuries, absorbing numerous smaller groups. They became one of the most extensively studied African societies, famous through E.E. Evans-Pritchard's classic ethnographic work on witchcraft, oracles, and magic. The Azande's elaborate system for detecting witchcraft through the poison oracle became central to anthropological theory.
Witchcraft and Oracles
The Azande system of witchcraft (mangu), oracles, and magic formed the subject of Evans-Pritchard's influential 1937 book. Azande believed misfortune resulted from witchcraft—an inherited, often unconscious substance in the body. When illness or accident struck, the poison oracle (benge) was consulted: poison administered to chickens while questions were posed; the chicken's survival or death provided answers. This system explained causation in a coherent, internally logical manner. Evans-Pritchard showed Azande were not irrational but operated within a different explanatory framework. This analysis transformed anthropology's understanding of rationality and belief, making Azande thought a foundation for cross-cultural studies of knowledge systems.
Kingdoms and Expansion
The Azande were not a single people but a political amalgamation. Starting from a core Vungara aristocracy, Azande kingdoms expanded in the 18th-19th centuries, conquering and absorbing diverse populations. The Avongara ruling class governed commoner subjects (Azande proper), creating a stratified society. Azande warriors wielded distinctive iron throwing knives (shongo) and large shields. By the late 19th century, Azande kingdoms controlled vast territories. European colonization—Belgian, French, and British—dismembered these kingdoms, dividing Azande among three colonial zones. This colonial partition, reflected in today's national boundaries, fragmented what was once a powerful political entity.
Contemporary Azande
Modern Azande face severe challenges from regional conflicts. South Sudan's civil wars and the Lord's Resistance Army's incursions have devastated Azande communities, causing displacement and humanitarian crises. In DRC, ongoing instability affects the region. Many Azande have become refugees. Traditional structures have been disrupted though not eliminated. Agriculture—including cassava, millet, and groundnuts—provides livelihoods where security permits. Christianity has spread widely, but traditional beliefs persist. The Azande's reputation in anthropology continues; Evans-Pritchard's work remains required reading. How the Azande survive current conflicts while maintaining identity across three troubled nations shapes this historically significant people's future.
References
- Evans-Pritchard, E.E. (1937). Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic among the Azande
- Evans-Pritchard, E.E. (1971). The Azande: History and Political Institutions
- Schildkrout, E. & Keim, C. (1990). African Reflections: Art from Northeastern Zaire