Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History
The 1920s Coptis Revolt: Congo's Yellow Root Rebellion
In this episode of The History of Belgium, Lucas and Luna explore the Coptis Revolt of the 1920s, a forgotten uprising in the Ituri and Uele regions of the Belgian Congo. The revolt was sparked by the Belgian colonial administration's forced cultivation of coptis teeta, a medicinal plant used for yellow dye, which disrupted traditional Lese and Mbuti economies. Lucas details how the Office des Produits Agricoles du Congo (OPAC) imposed quotas, leading to brutal enforcement by the Force Publique, including the use of the chicotte whip. The episode examines the role of botanist Émile…
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