Dispossessed African elites and religious authorities triggered the revolts of 1916-1917.

Evidence

This tranquillity, however, had a price, and France quickly earned the hatred of those who lost when peace was achieved: dispossessed sovereigns, warrior chiefs, marabouts, witches, fetishists. For a long time, these elements “managed to lure us into a false sense of security by their cleverness.” They were nevertheless waiting for the right moment to reassert their preeminence-they were at the root of the revolts of 1916 and 1917. The problem now was to determine what attitude to adopt toward them and, more specifically, what portion of French sovereignty to accord or refuse them. — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 660

Categorization

• SEED: The category of losers under French pacification — sovereigns, warrior chiefs, marabouts, witches, fetishists — is a vivid taxonomy of elite resistance worth developing in an essay.