Abstract
This paper analyzes the land tenure conflicts that resulted from the installation of an iron foundry in the region of Ilamba, in Angola hinterland, in the second half of the 18th century. The expropriation of African lands in West Central Africa in pre-nineteenth-century periods is a subject rarely addressed in historiography. This case study contributes to reflect on the issue, since it analyzes the colonial mechanisms of spoliation of lands and natural resources from the local African chiefdoms. On the other hand, the analysis also considers the sobas's strategies to maintain their political power over time.
Keywords:
Colonization; Angola; land tenure; African chiefdoms; conflicts