A Yao askari, King's African Rifles, 1914

Watercolour by Margaret Metcalfe (1877-1972), 1914 (c).

The Yao were a Moslem people from the region around the southern part of Lake Malawi (formerly in British Nyasaland). They formed the main source of recruits for the King's African Rifles Nyasaland battalions. Originally, the main reason for the large number of Yao volunteers was probably the simple fact that the recruitment office was near Yao areas. However, due to prevailing racial ideals the British interpreted this as a sign of their 'martial spirit'. This led to an active official policy of enlisting the Yao, which in turn made military service ever more attractive among this group.