TheBritishwereinDarfurforonlyfortyyears(1916-56)and,administratively,theirimpactwasminimal.Inretrospect,theirmostimportantrolewasinrecordingandcodifyingthecustomarylawandadministrativepracticeunderthesultans.ThepresentvolumepresentsannotatedselectionsfromtheBritishrecordsthatwerecopiedinsitubytheauthorinal-FashirandKutumin1970and1974andofwhichtheoriginalsweresubsequentlydestroyedbyaccident.DarfurwasuniqueinaSudanesecolonialcontextinthatin1916theBritishconqueredafunctioningmulti-ethnicAfricanMuslimstate.Theirpolicyinthefortyyearsoftheirrulewaslargelytomaintainthesystemtheyhadinheritedfromthesultans.Althoughtheymadesomeadministrativemodifications,itwasonlyinthelastfewyearsbeforeindependencein1956thattentativestepsweretakentowardschange,forexampletheintroductionoflocalgovernmentinthetowns.Thematerialdescribedhere,acombinationofadministrativepracticeandethnographicreporting,isfarfromsimplyacademicinimportance,butisinvaluableonsuchissuesaslandtenure,agriculturalpractice,grazingrightsandlivestockmigrationroutes,tribaladministrationandcompensationforinjuryanddeath.
