THE TALLENSI 24!
all. They never united for war or self-protection against a common enemy. They had, in short, no 'tribal' government or 'tribal' citizenship, no centralized State exercising legislative, administrative, juridical and military functions in the interests of the whole society. Until British rule made them the subjects of a foreign State, obliged to render certain services and to obey certain laws and entitled in return to protection and freedom of movement, it was dangerous for anybody to travel outside his own community, except under the safe-conduct of kinsmen in other clans, The indigenous political system of the Tallensi has a different character. It is based on a social structure which determines the status, rights and obligations of individuals and defines units —both territorial and associationai—that transcend the domestic group and outlast changes in membership due to birth and death. A differentiated constitution provides for formal leadership and authority within each unit, and there are institutions binding them together in mutual dependence, compelling their cooperation for the common good and regulating their interrelationships, hostile or friendly. Finally, there are explicit sanctions maintaining the system.
///. Warfare
Formerly, war used to break out from time to time in Taleland. During the last three generations three large-scale wars occurred, involving almost all the Tale settlements, but, significantly, no neighbouring 'tribes'. Small fights were more frequent, both between Tale clans and between Tale and neighbouring non-Tale clans.
In general wars the alignment of forces always followed the major cleavage which runs through the whole society. The same communities always fought on the same side, assistance being rendered to one another on the grounds of clanship, local, community, or ideological ties. Armed conflict between units which supported one another in war sometimes occurred; but this was not regarded as war.
A general war consisted of a series of local skirmishes without organized methods of collective attack or defence or any military leadership, and lasted only two or three days. It ceased as abruptly as it usually began—as soon as the clans which initiated hostilities made peace.