2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Study on the Hamitic Hypothesis : With Special Reference to Its Relation with the Ethnic Groups in Northeast Africa

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21820012
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Historical studies in general
Research Institution	Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Principal Investigator	ISHIKAWA Hiroki Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, アジア・アフリカ言語文化研究所, 助教 (40552378)
Project Period (FY)	2009 – 2010
Keywords	アフリカ / ヨーロッパ / 人種論 / ハム仮説 / 歴史
Research Abstract	In the 19th century, Europeans created a racial theory on Sub-Saharan Africa called "Hamitic Hypothesis". According to it, "Hamites, who were Caucasian and superior to Negroid" conquered the Great Lakes Region in Africa and formed several kingdoms. J. H. Speke (English explorer) is believed to have created this hypothesis. This study reveals the reason why he connected the formations of the kingdoms of the Great Lakes Region in Africa with the Oromo of Ethiopia. This study also reveals the influence of the English racial theories during the first half of the 19th century on the Speke's hypothesis about the foundation of the kingdoms of the Great Lakes Region.