African Interlacustrine Region until 1914 3104-WH16MPAW-OG

The lecture outlines the history of states and societies of the African Inter acustrine region (focusing on Buganda, Rwanda and Bunyoro) until 1914, i.e. until the end of the early colonial phase that begun in the region around 1890. In the historiographic convention, the Interlacustrine region is considered part of East Africa. However, in many respects it differs considerably form the territories which are now Kenya and Tanzania. In present-day southern Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, relatively early military strong centralised states emerged (according to the most caucious authors, it happened until 16th and 17th century). The monarchies developed complex beaurocratic sytems. The state ideologies were reinforced by institutionalised religions as well as rich court ceremonial.
Early European travellers and researchers noticed that the societies of the region were usually composed of two contrasting, ethno-social strata: pastoralists and agriculturalist (i.e. Tutsi and Hutu in Rwanda, Bahima and Bairu in Bunyoro) the only exception being Buganda. As the groups differed with respect to anthorpometric data the obseravtion gave rise to “Hamitic”: theory of the states' origns. Although it has been abandoned since, the theory influenced the policies of the colonial powers.
From the perspective of historian and political anthopologist, the region offers multiple research opportunities. The rich evidence allows for comparative research on the vast spectrum of political forms that evolved in different ecological conditions, the dynamics of social and economic changes, as well as the differences in political culture. As far as the early colonial period is concerned, the most interesting topics seem to be different colonial strategies of conquest and domination, varying capability of adopting to the new conditions that was displayed by the African societies, as well as different speed at which they accepted Christianity and western cultural patterns.

Type of course

elective courses
general courses

Prerequisites (description)

(in Polish) Znajomość języka angielskiego.

Learning outcomes

After finishing the course student :
– compares social and political systems of the states of the Interlacustrine region
– recognizes differences and common traits of the political cultures of the relevant societies
 explains the background of the European expansion in the region regionie
 explains the African responses to colonialism

Assessment criteria

Participation, final test

Bibliography

B. Kiwanuka, A History of Buganda. From the Foundation of the Kingdom to 1900, New York 1971; C. Newbury, The Cohesion of Oppresion: Clientship and Ethnicity in Rwanda, 1860-1960, New York: The University of Columbia Press 1988; R. Reid, War in Pre-colonial Eastern Africa. The Patterns and Meanings of State-Level Conflict in the Nineteenth Century, Oxford: James Currey 2007; H. L. Wesseling, Divide and Rule. The Partition of Africa 1880-1914; E. Steinhart, Conflict and Collaboration. The Kingdoms of Western Uganda 1890-1907, Princeton 1977; J-P. Chrétien, The Great Lakes of Africa. Two Thousand Years of History, New York: Zone Books 2006;B. C. Ray, Myth, Ritual and Kingship in Buganda, Oxford: OUP 1991; S. Doyle, Crisis and Decline in Bunyoro. Population and Environment in Western Uganda 1860-1955, Oxford: J. Curray 2006; C. Wrigley, Kingship and State: The Buganda Dynasty, Cambridge: CUP 1996 (eBook Academic Collection); N. Kodesh, Beyond the Royal Gaze: Clanship and Public Healing in Buganda, Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press 2010 (eBook Academic Collection); J. Vansina, Antecedents to Modern Rwanda : The Nyiginya Kingdom, Madison: Univ. Of Wisconsin Press 2004 (eBook Academic Collection)

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

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Description of 3104-WH16MPAW-OG in USOSweb