Editing History of Malawi (section)

==British rule==
[[Image:Flag of Nyasaland (1919–1925).svg|thumb|160px|Flag of Nyasaland]]
{{main|British Central Africa Protectorate|Nyasaland}}

In 1883, a consul of the [[British government]] was accredited to the "Kings and Chiefs of Central Africa" and in 1891, the British established the [[British Central Africa|British Central Africa Protectorate]].

In 1907, the name was changed to ''Nyasaland'' or the ''Nyasaland Protectorate'' ([[Nyasa (lake)|Nyasa]] is the [[Chiyao]] word for "lake"). In the 1950s, Nyasaland was joined with [[Northern Rhodesia|Northern]] and [[Southern Rhodesia]] in 1953 to form the [[Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland]]. The Federation was dissolved on 31 December 1963.

In January 1915, [[John Chilembwe]], a [[Baptists|Baptist]] pastor in south-eastern Nyasaland, led an unsuccessful revolt against British colonial rule known as the [[Chilembwe uprising]]. Chilembwe opposed both the recruitment of Nyasas as porters in the [[East African campaign (World War I)|East African campaign]] of [[World War I]], as well as the system of colonial rule. Chilembwe's followers attacked local plantations, but a rapid counteroffensive by government forces defeated the rebels. Chilembwe was killed, and many of his followers were executed.<ref>{{cite book|last=Strachan|first=Hew|author-link=Hew Strachan|title=The First World War in Africa|location=Oxford|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2004|isbn=0-19-925728-0}}</ref>

In 1944, the [[Nyasaland African Congress]] (NAC), inspired by the [[African National Congress]]' Peace Charter of 1914, emerged. NAC soon spread across Southern African with powerful branches emerging among migrant Malawian workers in Salisbury (now [[Harare]]) in [[Southern Rhodesia]] and [[Lusaka]], in [[Northern Rhodesia]].

Thousands of Nyasalanders [[Nyasaland in World War II|fought]] in the [[World War II|Second World War]].
 
In July 1958, Dr [[Hastings Kamuzu Banda]] returned to the country after a long absence in the United States, the United Kingdom and [[Ghana]]. He assumed leadership of the NAC, which later became the [[Malawi Congress Party]] (MCP). In 1959, Banda was sent to [[Gwelo|Gwelo Prison]] for his political activities but was released in 1960 to participate in a constitutional conference in London.

In August 1961, the MCP won an overwhelming victory [[Nyasaland legislative election, 1961|in an election]] for a new Legislative Council. It also gained an important role in the new Executive Council and ruled Nyasaland in all but name a year later. In a second constitutional conference in London in November 1962, the British Government agreed to give Nyasaland self-governing status the following year.

Hastings Banda became Prime Minister on 1 February 1963, although the British still controlled the country's financial, security, and judicial systems. 
A new constitution took effect in May 1963,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Malawi (10/03) |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/malawi/34344.htm |access-date=2022-07-01 |website=U.S. Department of State}}</ref> providing for virtually complete internal self-government.