HISTORY

TRAINS on POSTAL STATIONERY MOZAMBIQUE COMPANY (1891-1941) (Mozambique)

	PC - 1907 (?) - H&G 10 - 20 Rs. - ind of no rail interest; photo of street scene in Beira (capital), with trolley tracks DL
	Letter Card - 1913 (?) - H&G A1 - 25 Rs. - ind of no rail interest; photo on other panel, train station at Beira, with steam train DL, YD

HISTORY OF MOZAMBIQUE COMPANY

There is surprisingly little direct history about Mozambique Company on the www. It is referred to in many general discussions of the colonial history of east Africa and Mozambique, but only in a general way, e.g.

PORTUGUESE CONTROL OF MOZAMBIQUE

Until the 19th Century Portuguese rule in Mozambique was limited to a few coastal settlements and parts of the fertile Zambesi Valley, settled by Portuguese prazeiros (land-holders) who inter-married with Africans and ran their own slave armies. Commerce was mainly controlled by Indian merchants. Only at the very end of the century, during the period of the "Scramble for Africa", did Portugal then try to extend its control throughout Mozambique. The frontiers were agreed in 1891.

Portugal's attempts to control the country met with fierce resistance. In the south it faced the strong Gaza Kingdom but the Emperor Gungunhana was defeated by the stronger Portuguese in 1895. Other areas were conquered in the following years. Private companies were allowed to administer the colony. From 1891 to 1941 control of the central areas was given to the Mozambique Company, formed with British and French capital, which had a charter allowing it to raise taxes and grant mineral and land concessions. In addition to paying taxes the peasants were forced to do labour on plantations or building roads and railways and on other projects. The government made hardly any welfare provision for the African peoples.

Notably, Mozambique Company's authority over the area it controlled extended to issuance of postage stamps.

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