Ethnohistory and Political Change

Abstract

There is a reluctance on the part of many historians to use theoretical models for research, especially for ethnohistorical work, which is both unfortunate and unjustified. Much of the recent work in social anthropology and political science has been of great historical value precisely because the use of theory has rendered studies with an otherwise narrow scope more general in application. It is the intention of this article to examine some techniques for historical research into the process of political change among certain West African kingdoms and chiefdoms in the nineteenth century. While examining some of these techniques and the problems associated with them, it is also my intention to suggest ways in which they might be combined for use in the field.