From wikipedia bunyoro is a kingdom in western uganda. This is the first book to be a series of kingdoms in northr published on the history of the west tanzania thereafter, kingdom of toro. At the hight of its glory, the empire included present day masindi, hoima, kibaale, kabarole and kasese districts. All members have the primary objective of improving the living conditions of the banyoro long term and to represent hm the omukama, the royal family and the bunyorokitara.
The kingdom of bunyoro kitara is the remainder of a once powerful empire of kitara. The bunyoro state arose in the th or 14th century and was initially known as kitara. Dunbar author see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Anatomy of an african kingdom a history of bunyorokitara, nok publishers, new york, 1973 3. Bunyoro kitara kingdom is the districts of hima, masindi and kibale. His word was highly respected and almost equated to the word from god. With revised sections and a new preface, this comprehensive text surveys east africas political, economic, and social history from precolonial to modern times. The native language is runyororutooro, a bantu language. They belong to the kingdom of bunyorokitara in western uganda, in the area to the immediate east of lake albert. It enumerates historical events, plus practices, past and present, that made bunyoro kitara a kingdom bonded in chains of poverty. An introductory history documents the transformation of east africa from the stone age to the first decade of the twentyfirst century. Mar 15, 20 the story of the beginning is similar in the kingdoms of bunyoro, toro and ankole. The kingdom bunyoro kitara was a very extensive, prestigious and famous at the height of its power.
Bunyoro moves to honour kabalega uganda radio network. This also includes compilation of existing cultural literature for. The kingdom of bunyoro kitara was established following the collapse of the empire of kitara in the 16th century. Sep 21, 2011 the people of bunyoro are known as banyoro singular munyoro. Their existence is shrouded in a lot of myth, mysticism and legend. Jun 06, 2016 that bunyoro kitara is only a skeleton of what it used to be is an absolute truth to which history can testify. Sources and bibliography a history of modern uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in east africa from the 16th to the 19th century.
Origins of the batembuzi and the bachwezi dynasty ad 1100. This is a summary of east african history from pre1500 to the 1960s, and independence. Other kingdoms like bunyorokitara were too large with a class system. Queen masamba ga winyi, the first female ruler in east and central africa, is listed as the 11th omukama of bunyorokitara kingdom. The arkbk is founded and registered in the republic of uganda at the year 2009. The book is ideal for any reader interested in unraveling the intricate history of this east africa, and especially for students coming to the study of this region for the first time. The most popular usages are banyoro the people, bunyoro the region, and bunyoro kitara the kingdom. Maxon revisits the diverse eastern region of africa, including the modern nations of kenya, tanzania, and uganda. This is it from the ncdc as far as the issues of bunyoro kitara kingdom history on thursday 14th may 2020. The kingdom continued to expand under its priestkings until about 1800, when it started to. That bunyorokitara is only a skeleton of what it used to.
A history of bunyorokitara paperback january 1, 1965 by a. Bunyorokitara kingdom is the districts of hima, masindi and kibale. The beginning of babiito rule in bunyoro kitara bunyoro. The story of the beginning is similar in the kingdoms of bunyoro, toro and ankole. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the history and welfare of bunyoro kitara. List of omukama greatest of men bunyoro kitara king solomon agutamba iguru on june 11,2017 celebrated 23 years on the throne. Speaking during the swearing in ceremony of bunyoro kingdom cabinet on friday, prime minister jackson nsamba kasozi revealed that the new cabinet will convene its first meeting on october 10.
Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. This document, from the national archives of uganda, is the original of the bunyoro agreement of 1955 between great britain and the kingdom of bunyorokitara, one of the traditional kingdoms of uganda. There, peoples were organized into statesor kingdoms, as they were labeled by the earliest european visitors. She lay next to lake victoria giving her defence, communication and transport advantage. Satthianadhan and murdoch, sketches of indian christians, 1896. Reid examines the political, economic, and social history of uganda, providing a unique and wideranging examination of its turbulent and dynamic past for all those studying ugandas place in african history and african politics. The agreement, in both english and lunyoro, was signed on september 3 by sir andrew cohen 190968, governor of the uganda protectorate, on behalf of the british government in london and the. This book is the first major study in several decades to consider uganda as a nation, from its precolonial roots to the present day. The founders of kitara were known as the abatembuzi, a people who were later succeeded by the abachwezi. This is because they were once united under one kingdom. One may ask how a mighty empire, like kitara, became whittled away to the present underpopulated and underdeveloped kingdom of bunyoro kitara.
He is the twentyseventh king omukama of his dynasty, which is the royal babiito dynasty. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in central and east africa from th century to the 19th century. The omukama of bunyoro remains an important figure in ugandan politics, especially among the banyoro people of whom he is the titular h. History to nyakatura clearly implies the traditions associated. The earliest known recorded history arose in ancient egypt, and later in nubia, the sahel, the maghreb and the horn of. Ocaki of bunyoro late fifteenthearly sixteenth century 3. Traditional history of bunyorokitara, a form cass library of african studies. Tracing the history of the friendship between banyoro and the acholi, henry ford mirima, the press secretary of the omukama of bunyorokitara, says chief laboni of lango had his daughter nyatworo. Introduction to the kingdom bunyoro kitara lets talk.
The history of africa begins with the emergence of hominids, archaic humans andat least 200,000 years agoanatomically modern humans homo sapiens, in east africa, and continues unbroken into the present as a patchwork of diverse and politically developing nation states. Anatomy of an african kingdom a history of bunyorokitara by nyakatura, john and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles. Death in india of nehemiah goreh, a convert from hinduism to christianity who had written several books in defense of his newfound faith. The king held executive, judiciary and legislative powers. Omukama of bunyoro is the title given to rulers of the east african kingdom of bunyoro kitara. History of east africa, the early period, oxford press, 1967. Bunyoro project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read.
Bunyoro empire was an empire in present day westerm, central, and southeastern uganda. Dunbar, 1966, published on behalf of the east african institute of social research by oxford university press edition, in english. Bunyoro, east african kingdom that flourished from the 16th to the 19th century west of lake victoria, in presentday uganda. Bunyorokitara was the biggest and strongest kingdom in the interlaucstine region by the beginning of the century. Bunyorokitara kingdom, general informations page 3 of 50 1. A thousand years of bunyorokitara kingdom the people and the.
Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. It has an inspiring history, a rich culture, and a bright future. It was successor to the mythic and mysterious kitara empire. Islam in east africa and the rise of swahili culture. He is closely related to the omukama of toro kingdom. Bunyoro was established by invaders from the north. In this respect the northerners differed markedly from the peoples to the southwest of the nile. A feudal state with elements of patriarchal slavery, bunyoro was one of the most powerful states in the interlake region in the 17th and 18th centuries. The people of bunyoro are known as banyoro singular munyoro. Bunyoros ancient history empagi za bunyoro kitara foundation.
The kingdom lasted as an independent state from the 16th to the 19th century. Along the way the group lost the vision and the organization was put on hold. The founders of bunyoro were known as the bacwezi, a people who succeeded the batembuzi. However, with the weakening of the bachwezi dynasty of bunyoro under the hapless leadership of wamara, the last of the bachwezi kings, the rise of the greater babito dynasty became an inevitability in. However, by the end of the 18th century, bunyoro kitara had become weak and started to loose some of her territory. Crown, spears and drum, bunyorokitara kingdom page 3 of 30 remnants of the great kitara empire. Omukama of bunyoro is the title given to rulers of the east african kingdom of bunyorokitara. You can look at the whole list of his predecessors. Bunyoro kitara and just split later to form smaller denominations of the once mighty and epansive kitara. His majesty rukirabasaija agutamba king solomon gafabusa iguru the first, is the fortyninth omukama of bunyorokitara. Bunyoro kitara kingdom history murungi oliver abwooli.
The omukama could bestow the distinction of membership of this order upon any. Her reign was categorized with peace and she is todate a great inspiration to many a feminist. Ugandas places, historical events, important people, ethnic groups, languages, and politics up to early 1994. A political history of uganda, heinneman educational books. The bunyoro kitara kingdom were restored by the amendment no.
Tracing the history of the friendship between banyoro and the acholi, henry ford mirima, the press secretary of the omukama of bunyoro kitara, says chief laboni of lango had his daughter nyatworo. Bunyoro kitara north america started in 2009 by a group of enthusiastic leaders in maryland, usa. The organization was then revived in 2016 with a new vision and determination to make. They belong to the kingdom of bunyoro kitara in western uganda, in the area to the immediate east of lake albert. Hamis kiggundu donates 200 copies of books worth 6 m to. However, with the weakening of the bachwezi dynasty of bunyoro under the hapless leadership of wamara, the last of the bachwezi kings, the rise of the greater babito dynasty became an inevitability in the region. Dunbar the book briefly tackles the history of the ancient kingdom of bunyorokitara from which all conceptions of kingship in uganda originated. Bigo is an encampment ditch that is six miles in circumference and twentytwo feet deep, enclosing two square miles. Bunyoro article about bunyoro by the free dictionary. According to oral traditions, it is generally believed that the batembuzi were the founders of the bunyoro kingdom.
Legend might defer a little between each tribe but below is the general myth. Its founding is beyond recorded history as their strong oral tradition holds, after numerous invasions aimed at the richest lands on the continent of africa. The book briefly tackles the history of the ancient kingdom of bunyorokitara from which all conceptions of kingship in uganda originated. The kingdom of bunyoro was established following the collapse of the empire of kitara rwanda in the 16th century. There is very little concurrence, among scholars, regarding the batembuzi time period in history, even the. History the kingdom bunyoro kitara was a very extensive, prestigious and famous at the height of its power. Author children and adult books pertaining to bunyoro culture and history by the association members. In the past kitara was used commonly to denote greater bunyoro. Bunyoro historical kingdom, east africa britannica. The organization of the peoples who came to inhabit the area north of the nile river was mainly based on their clan structures.
The book has been written during the time in which i have been the king ruling in the succession of my ancestors. Socially, people were organised in strong clans with the royal clan of the kings, princes and princesses. Bunyoro association of the representatives of the kingdom. Major settlement sites affiliated with bunyoro are ntusi and bigo. The kingdom of bunyoro was established in the 16th century by rukidimpuga out of the northern portion of the kingdom of the songora also known as the chwezi empire or empire of kitara. John beattie has 18 books on goodreads with 210 ratings. The omukama of bunyoro remains an important figure in ugandan politics, especially among the banyoro people of whom he is the titular head. The organization was then revived in 2016 with a new vision and determination to make the banyakitara in all the usa and canada great. Bunyoro, an african kingdom, 1959 a history of bunyorokitara, a. The kingdom of bunyorokitara is the remainder of a once powerful empire of kitara. The book briefly tackles the history of the ancient kingdom of bunyoro kitara from which all conceptions of kingship in uganda originated. Bunyoro kitara is moving to designate kabalega day in memory of the kingdoms great 19th century ruler, omukama cwa ii kabalega.