"The Fijians: A Study of the Decay of Custom" by Basil Thomson is a historical exploration of the cultural changes experienced by the Fijian people in the early 1900s. The book highlights the gradual erosion of their traditional customs due to Western civilization and the impact of missionaries. The author, drawing on his decade-long experience in Fiji as a magistrate and commissioner, captures the Fijians' unique position between their old ways and encroaching modern influences, showing how they are neither entirely untouched by the outside world nor fully assimilated into it. Thomson points out how missionary work, while altering moral and religious beliefs, has unintentionally led to practical problems in areas like health and agriculture, causing a growing apathy and disconnection from the traditions that once defined Fijian society.
The Fijians: A Study of the Decay of Custom
By Basil Thomson
Witness the clash between ancient traditions and modern ways as a once-vibrant culture faces the unforeseen consequences of change and the slow fade of its cherished heritage.
Summary
About the AuthorSir Basil Home Thomson, was a British colonial administrator and prison governor, who was head of Metropolitan Police CID during World War I. This gave him a key role in arresting wartime spies, and he was closely involved in the prosecution of Mata Hari, Sir Roger Casement and many Irish and Indian nationalists. His equating of Jews with Bolshevism led to accusations of anti-semitism. Thomson was also a successful novelist.
Sir Basil Home Thomson, was a British colonial administrator and prison governor, who was head of Metropolitan Police CID during World War I. This gave him a key role in arresting wartime spies, and he was closely involved in the prosecution of Mata Hari, Sir Roger Casement and many Irish and Indian nationalists. His equating of Jews with Bolshevism led to accusations of anti-semitism. Thomson was also a successful novelist.
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