46 
In the Heart of Africa 
districts existed that were under the dominion of one sultan, the 
ruler over some one and a half million people. To anyone with 
an intimate knowledge of African affairs it seemed a sheer im¬ 
possibility that so powerful a sovereign would voluntarily submit 
to the new regimcy and agree to enter upon no undertakings 
within his vast realms except by permission of the European 
Resident. To compel him to do so would have meant bloody 
wars and an enormous sacrifice of human life as the inevitable 
consequence. The sudden change of existing conditions, too, 
would have involved a heavy pecuniary sacrifice, as the Govern¬ 
ment would have found it necessary, with such a large popula¬ 
tion, to appoint a relatively large number of European officials. 
As such measures would have proved impracticable, complete 
anarchy would have followed. So the country was therefore 
allowed to retain its traditional organisation, and the Sultan was 
given full jurisdiction over his fellow-people under control of 
the Resident, who was to suppress cruelty as far as possible. In 
one word, the Government does not acknowledge the Sultan as 
a sovereign lord, but fully recognises his authority as chief of 
his clan. Kindred tribes, non-resident in Ruanda, are therefore 
not subject to the Sultan’s jurisdiction, but are under the 
administration of the Resident. 
The fundamental principle is the same with all Residents. 
It is desired to strengthen and enrich the Sultan and persons in 
authority, and to increase thereby their interest in the continuance 
of German rule, so that the desire for revolt shall die away, as 
the consequence of a rebellion would be a dwindling of their 
revenues. At the same time, by steadily controlling and direct¬ 
ing the Sultan and using his powers, civilising influences would 
be introduced. Thus by degrees, and almost imperceptibly to 
the people and to the Sultan himself, he eventually becomes 
nothing less than the executive instrument of the Resident. 
This may explain the apparent breach of the rule so readily 
quoted —divide et impera; only apparent, for both Resident and 
Sultan play off the subordinate chiefs one against the other, and 
retain all the privileges which a strong centralisation gives them. 
