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ORIGINS OF BUNYORO-KITARA KINGS
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Batembuzi
dynasty
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Bachweezi dynasty
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Babiito
dynasty
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The Batembuzi Dynasty
The first kings were of the Batembuzi dynasty. Batembuzi
means harbingers or pioneers. The batembuzi and their reign are not well
documented, and are surrounded by a lot of myth and oral legend. There
is very little concurrence, among scholars, regarding the Batembuzi time
period in history, even the names and successive order of individual kings.
It is believed that their reign dates back to the height of Africa's bronze
age. The number of individual batembuzi reigns, as given by different scholars,
ranges from nine to twenty one.
The Bachwezi Dynasty
The Bachwezi are credited with the founding of the ancient
empire of Kitara; which included areas of present day central, western,
and southern Uganda; northern Tanzania, western kenya, and eastern Congo.
Very little is documented about them. Their entire reign was shrouded in
mystery, so much so that they were accorded the status of demi gods and
worshipped by various clans. Many traditional gods in Toro, Bunyoro and
Buganda have typical
kichwezi
(adjective) names like Ndahura, Mulindwa,
Wamara, Kagoro, etc.
The bachwezi dynasty must have been very short, as supported
by only three names of kings documented by historian. The bachwezi kings
were Ndahura, Mulindwa and Wamara; in this order.
In addition to founding the empire of Kitara, the bachwezi
are further credited with the introduction of the unique, long horned ankole
cattle, coffee growing, iron smelting, and the first semblance of organized
and centralized government, under the king.
No one knows what happened to the Bachwezi. About their
disappearance, there is no shortage of colorful legend. One legend claims
that they migrated westward and disappeared into Lake Mwitanzige (Albert).
Another legend has them disappearing into lake Wamala, which bears the
name of the last king of the dynasty. There is a popular belief among scholars
that they simply got assimilated into the indigenous populace, and are,
today, the tribal groups like the bahima of Ankole and the batutsi of Rwanda.
The bahima and batutsi have the elegant, tall build and light complexion
of the bachwezi, and are traditionally herders of the long horned Ankole
cattle.
The Babiito Dynasty
The bachwezi dynasty was followed by the babiito dynasty
of the current Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara. Any attempt to pinpoint the dates
of this, or any other dynasty before it, is pure conjecture; as there were
no written records at the time. Modern day historians place the beginning
of the babiito dynasty at around the time of the invasion of Bunyoro by
the Luo from the North. The first
mubiito
(singular) king was Isingoma
Mpuga Rukidi I, whose reign is placed around the 14th century. Todate,
there have been a total of 27 babiito kings of Bunyoro-Kitara.
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Batembuzi dynasty
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Bachweezi
dynasty
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Babiito dynasty
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