Historical Dictionary of Burundi by Warren WeinsteinReview by: Carol W. DickermanCanadian Journal of African Studies / Revue Canadienne des Études Africaines, Vol. 15, No. 1(1981), pp. 153-154Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of the Canadian Association of African StudiesStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/485155 .

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Books/Livres 153

Valensi's treatment of these and other particulars of pre-colonial Maghrib society provides a stimulating departure from the often tedious methods of textbook or specialized monograph writing. The reader is warned, however, to test many quickly presented generalizations with detailed documentation which is increasingly becoming available for each of the subtopics surveyed in this brief book.

Byron D. CANNON

Department oj'History University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah

Warren WEINSTEIN, Historical Dictionary oJ Burundi. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1976, xvi + 368 p.

Weinstein's Historical Dictionary of Burundi is one in a series of reference books on African countries published by the Scarecrow Press. These books, as the series editor Jon Woronoff writes in his foreword, "are intended as aids for teachers and students, librarians and scholars, and not as in-depth analyses of the country concerned" (p. vii). The central feature of this volume on Burundi, and of all the books in the series, is an alphabetical arrangement of events, individuals, organizations, and terms considered important in the country's history. A brief introduction, a chronology of events, a list of

acronyms and an extensive bibliography are provided for further explanation of the entries.

Unfortunately, both in its conception and in its execution, the Historical Dictionary, o Burundi is a disappointment. The book is replete with inconsistent references, typo- graphical and grammatical errors, misleading definitions, and factual inaccuracies. In a brief outline of Burundi history at the beginning of the book, for example, Weinstein alludes to various land and cattle contracts that were important in the process of state formation in Burundi and refers us to five specific entries in the dictionary for fuller definitions. Only three of the terms are to be found. The entries for the mnwamis Mwezi Gisabo, Mwambutsa IV, and Ntare V are equally elusive. Mwambutsa is entered by his title, under "Mwami Mwambutsa," while his grandfather, Mwami Mwezi Gisabo, is listed as "'Mwezi Gisabo." Mwambutsa's son, who reigned briefly as Ntare V, is to be found under "Ndizeye, Charles (Ntare V)." The entry "Ntare'" makes no reference to him, but tells us, inaccurately, that Ntare is the "dynastic name given to the sovereign according to the seasonal cycle" (p. 221, underlining mine). In the chronology of events, his name is written "Charles Ndiyezeye," and a further, mislabeled reference is made to a non-existent entry under 'Ntare V (sic)" (p. 16).

Definitions of terms are also unclear and occasionally misleading as well. Itegeko, for instance, is defined as "Umwimo paid to a chief' (p. 153). Umnwimo, unfortunately, has no entry. The author begins his definition of Hutu by referring to them as "the middle

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154 Canadian Journal of African Studies

class" (p. 147), apparently alluding to a social standing between Tutsi and Twa rather than to the bourgeoisie status the phrase usually conveys. Other terms have been translated into English, often yielding curious results. The Conseil Superieur du Pays is rendered variously as "Land High Council" and "Land Superior Council" (both p. 8), and as "Supreme Land Council" (p. 121). Centre extra-coutumier becomes "Extra-

Customary Center" (p. 107). Some English translations have lost their original meanings altogether and lack even cross-references; "hill," "Central Bank," and "Electricity and Water Company" (pp. 146, 107, and 132) would undoubtedly be more valuable entries if found under the commonly used Kirundi or French forms, umusozi or colline, Banque de la Republique du Burundi, and Regideso.

Still other entries are omitted completely. There are none, for example, for Jean-Paul Harroy, Vice-Governor General of Ruanda-Urundi from 1955 to 1962; for Muramvya, the traditional seat of the mwami's government; for Abanyabururi or Bururi, mentioned in the introduction (p. xi); for the Peres Blancs; for the Fonds d'Avance or the Carte de Merite Civique; or for evolue'.

These are only a sample of the inadequacies of the Historical Dictionary oj Burundi. In a book whose self-professed aim is to provide detailed information rather than in-depth analysis, these errors are grave indeed. It is precisely in these details that a reference book should be accurate.

Nor can the work claim to be truly historical in its focus. Only eleven of the sixty-two pages of chronology are devoted to pre-independence events, while perhaps four-fifths of the dictionary's entries concern post-1962 Burundi. The material on recent events and political figures is, in fact, the book's only strength. Weinstein, a political scientist, has presented information unavailable elsewhere. But to bill the publication as a historical dictionary is misleading, for the book describes little of Burundi's history in either the pre-colonial or colonial periods and explains even less. The author gives us little sense of the kingdom's formation and structure. The colonial period is also a puzzle. There are no entries that describe Belgian colonial policy in either theory or implementation or that deal with the role of the Catholic Church in Burundi. At least the bibliography might have been arranged by subject, rather than by format, to point the reader to specific pertinent sources.

The Historical Dictionary of Burundi appears to have been hastily compiled and published, and it is regrettable that neither Weinstein nor the Scarecrow Press has given more care and thought to the preparation of this volume. Material on Burundi is scarce, particularly in English, and a thorough, balanced treatment would have been a valuable addition to the literature.

Carol W. DICKERMAN

Department oj History University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin.

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