Empire of Kitara

The Empire of Kitara or Chwezi Empire (Empire of the Sun, Empire of the Moon, Empire of the Light), refers specifically to the Kingdom of the Bakitara, at the time of its greatest expansion, it had rulership that stretched throughout the Nile valley and beyond. When the Kingdom of Aksum disintegrated around 940 AD into kingdom of Makuria, the Zagwe kingdom, the Damot kingdom and the Shewa kingdom in Northeast of Africa, Another kingdom broke away in the south to form the Empire of Kitara.

Founding

According to historical records, The Empire was founded by a man called Kintu who is believed to have came from Abyssinian(current Ethiopia) after the disintegration of Aksum Kingdom around 940 AD. Kitara comes from two words. A Bantu prefix Ki, and the word Tar, Meteoric(old Egyptian Script) meaning King, hence Kingdom.

Kintu is believed to have come with a White Cow, In Bunyoro-Kitara, a White Cow is Called Kitara, and is a Symbol of Kingship.

Kintu and his wife kati had three sons but it was very confusing for them not to have names. They all shared the name "Kana" (meaning little child) Whenever the father called one, they could all come and whenever he gave one child a present, they all quarreled declaring it was intended for them, So, he asked Ruhanga if they could be given names. Ruhanga agreed but he proposed two tests to help him select the boys names.

In the first test, the boys had to select some items that were placed along a path.

In the second test, the boys had to keep bowls of milk on their lap during a night until morning.

For the first test, Potatoes, millet, leather thong/strap and a ox’s head were placed along the path, As the children walked, they found the things in the path, the eldest son picked up the potatoes and millet, the second pick up the leather thong and the youngest, picked the ox’s head.

For the second test, they sat down on the ground, with their legs stretched out, each holding on his lap a full wooden milk pot. At midnight, the youngest boy started to dose and spilled half of his milk: He greatly feared and turned to his brothers and begged them to fill up his milk pot, so the two brothers filled up their young brother milk pot. But at cock crow the eldest spilled all his milk, and when he asked his brothers to pour from their pots into his, they refused, saying that he would need so much to fill up the empty pot.

At dawn Ruhanga came and told each to uncover his milk pot. With the eldest, he found it empty; with the second, half full; while the youngest had his full.

So Ruhanga called Kintu that he had found the names for his three children.

The oldest son was named Kairu, which means “little peasant” for he had shown that he knew nothing about the value of cattle or milk. He had spilled all his milk, and he had chosen potatoes and millet from the items along the path. He and all his descendants forever would be farmers and servants.

The second he named Kahuma which means (little herdsman), This is because he had chosen the leather thong/stap, used for tying up cattle, and only half of his milk was missing

The youngest son had all his milk. And he had chosen the head of an ox in the first test. Ruhanga named him Kakama, which means “little mukama.” A mukama(Omukama) is a ruler. hence Kakama went on to become the second ruler of the Empire of Kitara

The Kitara Empire included what corresponds to modern Uganda, northern Tanzania, eastern Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and Malawi.

According to oral tradition in the area of the Great Lakes of Africa (also known as Bachwezi, Bacwezi, or Chwezi empire, Empire of the moon) was ruled by a dynasty known as the Bachwezi (or Chwezi), successors of the Batembuzi Dynasty.[1]

Territory

Kitara historical-sites

Decline

The collapse of the Kitara empire came along a prophesy that said when the sacred cow (Bihogo) Died, it would mark the end of this empire. Many believed in this prophecy and so in the 1300 there was an invasion from the North and the descendants of those who ruled this empire moved south to the present Rwanda, Burundi, Ankole and Eastern Congo. Small chiefdoms arose from this in the region.

Abakama (Kings)

Abakama (Kings) of Bunyoro-Kitara

	Dynasty	King/Omukama	Clan	Father	Mother	Mother's Clan	Reign	Burial Place
1	Batembuzi (Reign of the gods)	Kintu	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	late 900	Unknown
2		Kakama	Bagabu	Kintu	Kati	Unknown	early 1000	Unknown
3		Itwale	Bagabu	Kakama	Unknown	Unknown	early 1000	Unknown
4		Hangi	Bagabu	Itwale	Unknown	Unknown	mid 1000	Unknown
5		Ira lya Hangi	Bagabu	Hangi	Unknown	Unknown	mid 1000	Unknown
6		Kabengera Kazooba ka Hangi	Bagabu	Hangi	Unknown	Unknown	late 1000	Unknown
7		Nyamuhanga	Bagabu	Kazooba	Unknown	Unknown	early 1100	Unknown
8		Nkya I	Bagabu	Nyamuhanga	Nyabagabe	Unknown	early 1100	Unknown
9		Nkya II	Bagabu	Nyaka I	Unknown	Unknown	mid 1100	Unknown
10		Baba	Bagabu	Nyka II	Unknown	Unknown	mid 1100	Unknown
11		Kamuli	Bagabu	Baba	Unknown	Unknown	late 1100	Unknown
12		Nseka	Bagabu	Kamuli	Unknown	Unknown	late 1100	Unknown
13		Kudidi	Bagabu	Nseka	Unknown	Unknown	early 1200	Unknown
14		Ntozi	Bagabu	Kudidi	Unknown	Unknown	early 1200	Unknown
15		Nyakahongerwa	Bagabu	Ntozi	Unknown	Unknown	mid 1200	Unknown
16		Mukonko	Bagabu	Nyakahongerwa	Unknown	Unknown	mid 1200	Unknown
17		Ngozaki Rutahinduka	Bagabu	Mukonko	Unknown	Unknown	late 1200	Unknown
18		Isaza Waraga Rugambanabato	Bagabu	Ngozaki Rutahinduka	Unknown	Unknown	late 1200/early 1300	Unknown
19		Bukuku Omuranzi	Baranzi	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	early 1300	Kisegwe kya Nyinamwiru, Birembo Sub County, Bugangaizi
20	Bachwezi (Reign of the demi-gods)	Ndahura Kyarubumbi	Bachwezi	Isimbwa	Nyinamwiru	Unknown	1320 - 1350	Unknown
21		Mulindwa Nyabweliza Ngango	Bachwezi	Isimbwa	Nyakwahya	Basaigi	1350 - 1360	Unknown
22		Wamara Bwigunda	Bachwezi	Ndahura	Nyante	Unknown	1360 - 1400	Unknown
23	Babiito (Reign of the Kings)	Isingoma Rukidi I Mpuuga Kyeramaino	Babiito	Kyomya	Nywatoro	Bakwonga	early 1400	Dyangi(Bukidi/gulu), garments (masaijagaka-Chope)
24		Ocaki I Rwangirra	Babiito	Rukidi I	Iremera	Balisa	early 1400, 9 years	Irangara, garments(Karara) Bugangaizi)
25		Oyo I Nyimba Kabamba Iguru	Babiito	Rukidi I	Iremera	Balisa	mid 1400	Kinogozi-Buruli, garments(Kigaju-Kuhukya)
26		Winyi I Rubembeka Ntara	Babiito	Oyo I	Nyaraki	Bakwonga	late 1400	Kiburara, Isingo/Rugonjo/Ssingo
27		Olimi I Rwitamahanga	Babiito	Winyi I	Nyagiro	Banywagi	early 1500	Kalimbi-Mutuba II, Isingo/Rugonjo/Ssingo
28		Nyabongo I chwa Relemu	Babiito	Olimi I	Unknown	Muchwa	mid 1500	Muyenje, garments(Busesa in Buyaga)
29		Winyi II Rubagiramasega	Babiito	Nyabongo I	Unknown	Balisa	mid 1500	Lapenje, Isingo/Rugonjo/Ssingo
30		Olimi II Ruhundwangeye	Babiito	Winyi II	Unknown	Bakwonga	late 1500	Burongo, Isingo/Rugonjo/Ssingo
31		Nyarwa I Omuzarra Kyaro	Babiito	Olimi II	Runengo	Bagweri	late 1500/early 1600	Kyaka - Toro
32		Chwa I Ente Nkole Rumoma Mahanga	Babiito	Nyarwa I	Runengo	Bagweri	early 1600	Rwanda
33		Omujwera(Princess) Masamba Ga Winyi	Babiito	Winyi II	Unknown	Bakwonga	early 1600, 5 years	Rwembuba, Bugangaizi
34		Kyebambe I Omuziikya	Babiito	Chwa I	Ihembe	Babiito	early 1600	Kijaguzo, Nyakabimba-Toro
35		Winyi III Ruguruka Macolya	Babiito	Kyembabe I	Gawa	Bakwonga	mid 1600	Miduma, Buruli- Masindi
36		Nyaika I Omuragwa Macolya	Babiito	Winyi III	Unknown	Unknown	late 1600	Kihwera, Bujenje
37		Kyebambe II Bikaju	Babiito	Winyi III	Kacubya	Unknown	late 1600/early 1700	Nyamiryango, kihukya Saza
38		Olimi III Isansa	Babiito	Kyembabe II	Mpanga Omwangamwoyo	Babiito	1710-1731, 21 years	Kiguhyo-Buyaga, garments in Buhonda Bugangaizi
39		Duhaga I Mujwiga	Babiito	Olimi III	Kindiki	Basaigi	1731-1782, 51 years	Irangarra Muytba III, Bugangaizi
40		Olimi IV Kasoma	Babiito	Duhaga I	Unknown	Muchwa	1782-1786, 4 years	Ruhunga - Mumyoka, Buhaguzi
41		Kyebambe III Nyamutukura	Babiito	Olimi IV	Kafunda	Bachwa	1786 - 1835, 49 years	Kibedi-Nyamanunda, Buyaga
42		Nyabongo II Mugenyi Biranga	Babiito	Kyebamabe III	Kajaja	Bafunjo	1835 - 1848, 13 years	Bukonda Sabagabo - Buyaga, garments in Kitonzei, Mutuba I
43		Olimi IV Rwakabale	Babiito	Nyabongo II	Unknown	Bazira	1848 - 1852, 4 years	Kitonya, Mutuba III, Buyaga
44		Kyabambe IV Kamurasi	Babiito	Nyabongo II	Unknown	Unknown	1852 - 1869, 17 years	Busibika Ngangi, Buyanja
45		Chwa II Kabaleega Yokana	Babiito	Kamurasi	Kenyange Nyamutahingurwa	Abayonza	1870 - 1899, 29 years	Mparo, Hoima
46		Kitahimbwa I Karukara Yosia	Babiito	Chwa II Kabaleega	Maliza Mukakyabara Bagaaya Akiiki	Babiito	1898-1902, 4 years	Nyareweyo, Bugagaizi
47		Duhaga II Bisereko Andereya	Babiito	Chwa II Kabaleega	Maliza Mukakyabara Bagaaya Akiiki	Babiito	1902-1924, 22 years	Kinogozi, Buhimba-Hoima
48		Winyi IV, Tito Gafabusa	Babiito	Chwa II Kabaleega	Maliza Mukakyabara Bagaaya Akiiki	Babiito	1925-1967, 42 years	Mparo, Hoima
49		Iguru I, Solomon Gafabusa	Babiito	Winyi IV	Getrude Gafabusa Komweru Ateenyi	Babiito	1994 - Present	N/A
50	Chwezi Empire	Khalai	Bachwezi	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Present	Unknown

• The earlier dates as estimated using

Batembuzi. the disintegration of Aksum Kingdom in 940 AD Bachwezi. Historical accounts Babiito. Biharwe full moon eclipse that happened in 1520 AD when Omukama Olimi I Rwitamahanga was on expedition from Rwanda and Ankole

References

1. Doyle, Shane (2006). Crisis & Decline in Bunyoro: Population & Environment in Western Uganda 1860-1955. James Currey Publishers. pp. 11–13. Retrieved 22 October 2015.

External links

• Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom ""
• Mwambusya Ndebesa, "Impure Royals? All Baganda Have Some Foreign Blood", The East African, February 3, 1999
• The Batembuzi Dynasty (at Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom website)