Robert Sutherland Rattray (1881-1938) was a colonial administrator and anthropologist, famous for his foundational research on the Asante in the 1920s. In the first half of the twentieth century, colonial governments in British territories across Africa were increasingly interested in the use of anthropology to inform policies of indirect rule. Anthropologists, too, were keen to promote the practical value of their nascent discipline and this ‘colonial exchange’ was fundamental to the development of Schools of Anthropology such as that at Oxford. Having already developed an amateur interest in ethnology, Rattray was among the first to take advantage of a Colonial Office scheme that enabled him to study for the newly created Anthropology Diploma at Oxford during periods of leave. Thanks to the advocacy of Marett, his anthropological training and linguistic abilities (he was a fluent Twi-speaker), Rattray was approached to take up the position of Special Commissioner to undertake anthropological research in Asante. Over the course of the 1920s, Rattray published a series of classic monographs, which are still widely cited and distributed in Ghana. Among the Asante today, Rattray is celebrated for his work documenting Asante customs, traditions and genealogies. In this presentation we reflect on the Rattray’s ambiguous position both historically in relation to colonial administration and today in relation to the strategic use of his ethnography by Asante elites.
Departmental Seminar Series Hilary Term 2026
Theme: Hidden Histories of Oxford Anthropology
3pm, Fridays of Weeks 1-8, Lecture Room at 64 Banbury Road
Convened by Paul Basu, Clare Harris, David Pratten, Alpa Shah
