A few thoughts on reading "King Leopold's Ghost"
Written by Adam Hochschild
(5/7/2017)
A consistent theme runs through a few popular history titles our book club have read in recent years. "The Meursault Investigation" deals with many issues and conflicts in French colony Algeria before and after its independence. "Lawrence in Arabia" delineates the exploits by a few imperial powers in their attempts to carve up the Arabian territory during World War I. And "King Leopold's Ghost" dwells in a small imperial country's many misdeeds in colonizing vast area of the Congo in Africa at the end of 19th century.
Right in the middle of reading "King Leopold's Ghost", I was awed by the sweeping scale and boundless details of events and personalities strutting on stage in the early days of the Free Congo State. The colony of the Congo was in fact designed and executed almost single-handedly by monarch (King Leopard II) of Belgium, a country only fraction of the size of its acquired land. Motivations behind the biggest exploit of the time, executions of step by step schemes and all the other fascinating details piqued my curiosity all the while for wanting to learn this piece of history. It is the kind of books which inform, educate and enlighten that I found hard to put down once you get the gist of the storyline.
What impressed me also are the insights provided by Hochschild with bountiful research data to support him, an array of analyses on the psychology and mores of the time in history which explained partially why this at all happens.
"Colony of the world offers a convenient escape" said the author at one point. It is to those who were dissatisfied with their own lives and status, the newfound land in the continent of Africa offers opportunities rarely found elsewhere another chance in life to excel, procure wealth and reach fame. They includes the famous explorer Stanley himself and others, many are rank and file in the military or commercial firms aiming to dig gold in this vast country.
Coming into this remote land where no established rules or law exist except those made by the intruding white men themselves, the visitors tossed all moral trappings from the old world aside and committed cruelties and atrocities unimaginable back home without being held responsible. Worse even, when the truth of those deeds broke open and reached far and beyond the continent of Africa, they were simply dismissed, depressed and deliberately forgotten for almost a century since the break of the story.
English writer Joseph Conrad, the author of "Heart of Darkness", described this land with an unique eye. Piercing into the veiled secrets and revealing misdeeds, the horror on human kinds' cruelty against their own kind was ironically disguised in the name of humanity. On the other hand, he and his peers alike cannot spare the sense of superiority toward African natives whom they sympathized with. It was the superiority complex of Europeans, compounded with their self righteousness and military powers which conquered the Congo in such short time that made its inhabitants slaves in their own homeland.
The Belgium reign of the Congo under either King Leopold or by the state of Belgium are not unalike in enforcing forced labor, mutilation and often time killing with military action against the population. By sacrificing millions of Congo natives a vast fortune was made for the governing body of Free Congo State. So who is behind all these and who is to be blamed?
This fascinating account tracing back to this piece of history of more than a century earlier makes you ponder about human nature and the truthfulness of history. Are men by nature selfish and evil? How can some do those hideous things to their own kind albeit a different race? What after all is the truth in history we read about?
Understanding that truth is elusive and often time veiled in disguise, this excellent book offers plateful of food for thought to be digested by readers and students of history alike.
Grace
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