EDUARDO C. MONDLANE
I
THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE IN MOZAMBIQUE
EARLY CONTACTS WITH PORTUGAL:
The Portuguese claim that they were in Mozambique since the
end of the 15th century.  In fact it would be more accurate to say
that the Portuguese^first touched the coast of Mozambique at the end
of the l^th century, for it is one thing to touch a coast and another
to establish an enduring relationship with the people on it.  When
Vasco da Gama landed in Natal, South Africa on Christmas day 1497?
later in Inhambane and finally in Sofala, he was really groping for
the way to India and not in the least interested in establishing any
posts in East Africa.  Only in ^the 16th century did__the Portuguese
find it necessary to set up trading posts in the country.  The first
post was established on theTsTand oT'Mozambique, obviously to avoid
direct contact with the people on the mainland, and for the supply
of the ships sailing from Lisbon to India with fresh foods.  Later
in the 16th century, the Portuguese attacked the various coastal city
states who were beginning to question their intrusion in the trade
with India.  Yet, every time the Portuguese talk about their relationship with Mozambique, they refer to a "five hundred years presence",
with the obvious implication that they had developed deep roots in
the country that would be difficult, if not impossible, to unearth.
It must be pointed out that this approach to history is
typical of practically all colonial powers when they are pressed to
show cause why they should not yield their imperial authority to the
indigenous peoples.  It is used constantly by the South African
whites when they try to justify their monopoly of political, economic
and social power in South Africa;  the same applies to Rhodesian
whites who, for some peculiar reason, try to connect their 19th
century settlement in Southern Rhodesia in 1887 with the first arrival
of the Dutch settlers in the Cape in 1652.
The so-called Portuguese Empire in East Africa, of which
Mozambique is supposed to be a remnant, was in fact composed of a
number of Arab city states scattered along the whole of the central
part^of_J£a&i Africa. "St no Time" had the Portuguese~~ever dared venture
into the interior long enough to establish enduring contacts with the
indigenous peoples.
If one were to admit that since they had conquered these
Arab city states they therefore were at some time lords of the East
African coast, then it must be pointed out that the area involved
'was the equatorial portion of the costal strip now known as Kenya,
^Tanganyika and the northern portion of Mozambique, and not the present
^area now known as Mozambique.  The very name of Mozambique derives
'from the fact that an island of that same name was the main center of
Portuguese control of East Africa, and tj^at island is situated in the
northern-mos>t_jppint of the country. *
p—-
PORTUGUESE CONQUER COASTAL CITY STATES AND THE INTERIOR:
It was during thua^last half of the 19th century that Portugal fci_^ike_all^
imperialist adventures_j^ith the irvtent of conquering as much of the
African territory from the indj-genous peoples _as possible.  The
climax came when the .Berlin trea1^y~\of 1885 gave "a green light to
several European powers to conquer 'speciTred areas of Africa, thus
starting the "scramble for Africa".  By that time the lar^esjtjportion
of the boasted Portuguese Empire in__East Africa had already beehTtaken
over-^CIthe__British, Xhe_\j^r^^^Z^K^s^e  Italians.  All that had remained irr~the~lianas or Portugal were a few northern Mozambican islands
and the Arab city of Sofala.  They then proceeded to claim some trading posts which were found on river estuaries and on the bays of Beira