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
DynastyKing/OmukamaClanFatherMotherMother's ClanReignBurial Place
1Batembuzi (Reign of the gods)KintuUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownlate 900Unknown
2KakamaBagabuKintuKatiUnknownearly 1000Unknown
3ItwaleBagabuKakamaUnknownUnknownearly 1000Unknown
4HangiBagabuItwaleUnknownUnknownmid 1000Unknown
5Ira lya HangiBagabuHangiUnknownUnknownmid 1000Unknown
6Kabengera Kazooba ka HangiBagabuHangiUnknownUnknownlate 1000Unknown
7NyamuhangaBagabuKazoobaUnknownUnknownearly 1100Unknown
8Nkya IBagabuNyamuhangaNyabagabeUnknownearly 1100Unknown
9Nkya IIBagabuNyaka IUnknownUnknownmid 1100Unknown
10BabaBagabuNyka IIUnknownUnknownmid 1100Unknown
11KamuliBagabuBabaUnknownUnknownlate 1100Unknown
12NsekaBagabuKamuliUnknownUnknownlate 1100Unknown
13KudidiBagabuNsekaUnknownUnknownearly 1200Unknown
14NtoziBagabuKudidiUnknownUnknownearly 1200Unknown
15NyakahongerwaBagabuNtoziUnknownUnknownmid 1200Unknown
16MukonkoBagabuNyakahongerwaUnknownUnknownmid 1200Unknown
17Ngozaki RutahindukaBagabuMukonkoUnknownUnknownlate 1200Unknown
18Isaza Waraga RugambanabatoBagabuNgozaki RutahindukaUnknownUnknownlate 1200/early 1300Unknown
19Bukuku OmuranziBaranziUnknownUnknownUnknownearly 1300Kisegwe kya Nyinamwiru, Birembo Sub County, Bugangaizi
20Bachwezi (Reign of the demi-gods)Ndahura KyarubumbiBachweziIsimbwaNyinamwiruUnknown1320 - 1350Unknown
21Mulindwa Nyabweliza NgangoBachweziIsimbwaNyakwahyaBasaigi1350 - 1360Unknown
22Wamara BwigundaBachweziNdahuraNyanteUnknown1360 - 1400Unknown
23Babiito (Reign of the Kings)Isingoma Rukidi I Mpuuga KyeramainoBabiitoKyomyaNywatoroBakwongaearly 1400Dyangi(Bukidi/gulu), garments (masaijagaka-Chope)
24Ocaki I RwangirraBabiitoRukidi IIremeraBalisaearly 1400, 9 yearsIrangara, garments(Karara) Bugangaizi)
25Oyo I Nyimba Kabamba IguruBabiitoRukidi IIremeraBalisamid 1400Kinogozi-Buruli, garments(Kigaju-Kuhukya)
26Winyi I Rubembeka NtaraBabiitoOyo INyarakiBakwongalate 1400Kiburara, Isingo/Rugonjo/Ssingo
27Olimi I RwitamahangaBabiitoWinyi INyagiroBanywagiearly 1500Kalimbi-Mutuba II, Isingo/Rugonjo/Ssingo
28Nyabongo I chwa RelemuBabiitoOlimi IUnknownMuchwamid 1500Muyenje, garments(Busesa in Buyaga)
29Winyi II RubagiramasegaBabiitoNyabongo IUnknownBalisamid 1500Lapenje, Isingo/Rugonjo/Ssingo
30Olimi II RuhundwangeyeBabiitoWinyi IIUnknownBakwongalate 1500Burongo, Isingo/Rugonjo/Ssingo
31Nyarwa I Omuzarra KyaroBabiitoOlimi IIRunengoBagwerilate 1500/early 1600Kyaka - Toro
32Chwa I Ente Nkole Rumoma MahangaBabiitoNyarwa IRunengoBagweriearly 1600Rwanda
33Omujwera(Princess) Masamba Ga WinyiBabiitoWinyi IIUnknownBakwongaearly 1600, 5 yearsRwembuba, Bugangaizi
34Kyebambe I OmuziikyaBabiitoChwa IIhembeBabiitoearly 1600Kijaguzo, Nyakabimba-Toro
35Winyi III Ruguruka MacolyaBabiitoKyembabe IGawaBakwongamid 1600Miduma, Buruli- Masindi
36Nyaika I Omuragwa MacolyaBabiitoWinyi IIIUnknownUnknownlate 1600Kihwera, Bujenje
37Kyebambe II BikajuBabiitoWinyi IIIKacubyaUnknownlate 1600/early 1700Nyamiryango, kihukya Saza
38Olimi III IsansaBabiitoKyembabe IIMpanga OmwangamwoyoBabiito1710-1731, 21 yearsKiguhyo-Buyaga, garments in Buhonda Bugangaizi
39Duhaga I MujwigaBabiitoOlimi IIIKindikiBasaigi1731-1782, 51 yearsIrangarra Muytba III, Bugangaizi
40Olimi IV KasomaBabiitoDuhaga IUnknownMuchwa1782-1786, 4 yearsRuhunga - Mumyoka, Buhaguzi
41Kyebambe III NyamutukuraBabiitoOlimi IVKafundaBachwa1786 - 1835, 49 yearsKibedi-Nyamanunda, Buyaga
42Nyabongo II Mugenyi BirangaBabiitoKyebamabe IIIKajajaBafunjo1835 - 1848, 13 yearsBukonda Sabagabo - Buyaga, garments in Kitonzei, Mutuba I
43Olimi IV RwakabaleBabiitoNyabongo IIUnknownBazira1848 - 1852, 4 yearsKitonya, Mutuba III, Buyaga
44Kyabambe IV KamurasiBabiitoNyabongo IIUnknownUnknown1852 - 1869, 17 yearsBusibika Ngangi, Buyanja
45Chwa II Kabaleega YokanaBabiitoKamurasiKenyange NyamutahingurwaAbayonza1870 - 1899, 29 yearsMparo, Hoima
46Kitahimbwa I Karukara YosiaBabiitoChwa II KabaleegaMaliza Mukakyabara Bagaaya AkiikiBabiito1898-1902, 4 yearsNyareweyo, Bugagaizi
47Duhaga II Bisereko AndereyaBabiitoChwa II KabaleegaMaliza Mukakyabara Bagaaya AkiikiBabiito1902-1924, 22 yearsKinogozi, Buhimba-Hoima
48Winyi IV, Tito GafabusaBabiitoChwa II KabaleegaMaliza Mukakyabara Bagaaya AkiikiBabiito1925-1967, 42 yearsMparo, Hoima
49Iguru I, Solomon GafabusaBabiitoWinyi IVGetrude Gafabusa Komweru AteenyiBabiito1994 - PresentN/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

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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.
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