BACWEZI CLAN vs BACWEZI DYNASTY

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BACWEZI CLAN vs BACWEZI DYNASTY

The bacwezi dynasty governed Kitara between early 1300 AD to mid 1400 AD, a period of about 100 years.

The Bacwezi dynasty descend from Isimba, who was son of *Isaza Nyakikooto Rugambanaabato* of the Bagabu clan and Nyamata(milky) of Ruyonga(aka Nyamiyonga) of the hamites.

Note: The hamites are belived to have arrived in Kitara around 1200 AD during the reign of Mukonko of kitara.

Its reported that the hamites with thier leader ruyonga(Nyamiyoga) wanted to form one Kingdom with Kitara hence the famous story of Isaza and Nyamiyonga

Isaza was the last Mutembuzi king of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. The Batembuzi ruled the kingdom for an estimated 19 generations.

Isimbwa had seven wives, one of who produced *Ndahura kyarubumbi (lit: Ndahura son of a potter)*, who became the first Omukama (king) of Bacwezi dynasty.

The clan is believed to have started when Ndahura was trying to hide his identity from King Bukuku of Kitara which will be interrogated further on.

 

What is the meaning of bacwezi

 

There is a confusion between bacwezi the clan and bacwezi, the dynasty. According to the Isimbiwa genealogy, he married seven women from seven different clans that mothered nine important bacwezi, the other 2 bacwezi being fathered by his children Ndahura and Komya respectively

The seven (7) children fathered by Isimbwa from 7 different women

  1. He fathered Mugenyi from Nyangoma of the Basingo clan
  2. Ndahura Kyarumbumbi from Nyinamwiru of the Baranzi clan
  3. Kango Byonyabwe from Rugonya of the Basambo clans
  4. Mugarura from Koogere of the Bacwa clan
  5. Kyomya from Nyabiryo of the ??
  6. Mulindwa Nyabweliza Ngango from Nyakwahya of the Basiita clan
  7. Ibona from Waraga of the bacwezi clan

 

Note: In the above list, bacwezi clan is mentioned as one of the clans that Isimbwa marries from, that means the bacwezi as a clan existed before the bacwezi as a geanology, and history has it that when Ndahura was being interrogated by Bukuku to identify his clan, he simply said “Nyowe Ndi Wokwezi”(Am of the moon) in fear of being killed by King Bukuku, So its possible that Ndahura subsequently adopted the bacwezi clan, a clan of the mother of his half brother, from fear of Bukuku.

Its vividly recorded in the history of Bunyoro-kitara, that King Bukuku had a divination that one of his grandchildren would take over power from him, in fear of this, he kept his only daughter(Nyinamwiru) locked away from the eyes of men, he chopped of her breasts, removed her one eye and locked her up in one one the enclosures in the palace, when Nyinamwiru got pregnant, Bukuku was shocked, and in his exlamation he stated, “Ndahuura”(will i hear again), hence the baby was named Ndahura from this exclamation.

Bukuku ordered for the killing of baby Ndahura, which did not happen, one the potters found the child and hid him in the famous caves of Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru(the breasts of Nyinamwiru)-the alkaline are breast shaped with dripping alkaline and are belived to have been the milk on which baby Ndahura fed on)

8 Ndahura fathered Wamara from Nyante of the Basengya clan, Wamara would become the last bacwezi ruler

  1. Kyomya fathered Nyarwa, Nsingoma-Rukidi, Kato-Kimera and Kiiza from Nyatworo of the Bakwonga clan, Kyomya also fathered Kagoro from a maid, Kacubya of the Basaigi clan

 

Note: History records indicate that Kagoro staged a coup that ended the bacwezi dyanasty rule.

 

Totem/Omuziro of the bacwezi

 

Primary Totem Ente Emira – cow which has drunk salt water.

Secondary Totem: Obusito – colostrum(Milk from a  cow and which has just given birth)

 

The Ente Emira Totem is believed to have been acquired when Omukama Wamara’s cow Bihogo bya Gaju got suffocated on salty water and died, this cow which revealed the end of the bacwezi rule became their totem.

The Obusito totem is belived to have been acquired when “Wamara’s blood brother relationship with Kantu had caused the milk to change into omutara(red milk)”, this blood brotherhood [bond of friendship] was loosened, after four days the cows began producing normal milk once more. From then onwards, the Bacwezi decided to avoid the obusito [milk that is from a cow that that has just given birth to calf before 4 days] totem.

Below are clans that Sub Clans of the Bacwezi Clan

  1. Abatwa
  2. Abatenzi
  3. Abasumba
  4. Abazaazi
  5. Abembwa(floppy-eared dog totem) – Buganda
  6. Banvuma(obusito totem/Creeper) – Buganda
  7. Mbogo(buffalo totem) – Buganda

 

     Sites associated with the bacwezi dynasty rule

 

  1. Karwata
  2. Kibengo
  3. Bijogolo
  4. Mubende hill, (capital of Omukama Ndahura)
  5. Masaka hill, situated on the northern bank of R. Katonga (capital of Omukama Wamara)
  6. Kagogo in Kibooga
  7. Ntusi
  8. Bigo
  9. Bwewemba
  10. Nyakahuma tree
  11. Burora hill, located in Buyaga county, near L. Mwitazinge (Mulindwa’s shrine)
  12. Rusiba hill, (centre for the cult of Kagoro)
  13. Kasonko

 

Notable Items/things introduced by the Bacwezi to Bunyoro-Kitara

 

Political

  1. Reed Palaces
  2. Regalia – Branding
  3. Superior army
  4. Superior iron making
  5. Abatimbo, royal drum players
  6. Moon Ceremonies lasting 9 days
  7. Reed Fenced royal enclosures
  8. Cattle and human sacrifices
  9. Beaded crowns/braces surmounted by tall copper cones
  10. Ceremonial herding and milk drinking

 

Economical

  1. Cattle breeding and Long horned cattle
  2. Copper spears
  3. Coffee cultivation, Kibaale forest in Bunyoro
  4. Back Cloth Manufacturing
  5. Iron working, earth works and fortifications

 

Social

  1. Superior dressing, back cloth, weaved cotton, cotton bandages
  2. Doctors, Treating smallpox, cesarean section and other diseases
  3. Cow hides sandals
  4. Grass thatched houses, cow dung floors, interior decorations (beads etc)
  5. Entertainment – Mweso(orusoro, Wrestling, Body massage)
  6. Brotherhood pack(Omukago)

 

We must say that the notable things introduced by the bacwezi rule where from the hamites whose great grand maternal parents (nyinenkuruza) was Nyamata of ruyonga/Nyamiyonga

 

Notable bacwezi leaders

 

  1. The most outstanding heroes of the period were Ndahura, Kagoro, and Kiro. Ndahura Kyarubimba, Rweshakara Myambi, Rumoona Mahanga, I, his praise names mean “he who thatches himself with thorns”, “attacker of nations,” was the first Cwezi King. When he first took over the kingdom it was in a disturbed and unsettled state. Several of the district (saza) chiefs had revolted against Bukuku and had refused to acknowledge him. Bukuku of the Baranzi clan, had been left in charge of the kingdom after Isaza Nyakikoto Rugambo n’Abato the last Mutembuzi king, had disappeared.

 

Among the many important things remembered about his reign is the first introduction to Bunyoro of a certain kind of coffee plant known as embyarwa. Today it is found in the forests of Pabidi in Budongo, Mabira in Kyaggwe, Kiijura and Kyabaranga in Toro, and as far south as Kiziba in north-west Tanzania.

Another important introduction was the type of cotton plant known as ewaro. Of the two new plants, coffee became more popular than cotton because cotton had fewer uses than coffee.

Ndahura is also remebered for leading successful campaigns to bring back the empire togther from chiefs who had rebelled during the reign of Bukuku.

Ndahura is remebered for ousting Ntege ya koya, he was accusing Ntege of cession tendencies, Ntege belonged to Ffumbe clan and had been appointed during the reign of Isaza, he was this replaced by Kyomya, Kyomya was made paramount chief of Muhwahwa(Buganda).

Ndahura went on several expeditions and one one of his expeditions in Ihangiro(karagwe), he got defeated and embarassed by the rule of Ihangiro called bwirebutakya(its recorded that he was made to do manual labor in gardens and eat like a commoner), so when he was freed from this expedition and returned to kitara, he abudicated his throne by telling his people that a defeated king in battle can not rule his people and the leadership went to his son Wamara.

 

  1. Kagoro, Kakyomya Mkuba Itera, Matambara Gatoosa Engangule ya Kacubya, was another of the great and brave Cwezi fighters; so much so that many people in Bunyoro still think that he did not die a natural death but flew up to the sky. He is therefore regarded as the god of lightning and thunder, and even today, whenever there is a lightning flash, many Banyoro say: ‘Gentle Araali, the lightning that strikes, your accidents are frequent.’ If someone is struck by the lightning and survives, people say that the Mucwezi god has had a quarrel with him.

 

  1. The third hero among the Bacwezi was Kiro Muhimba, who showed his powers during his father Ndahura’s reign. He was delegated to fight and subdue the rebellious people who lived to the north of the country. From there he continued to Bulega and went right round till he met with his father’s army towards the Toro side.

 

How/why the bacwezi lost power: Coup vs Prophecy

 

Some history books write that it’s Kagoro who staged a coup to end the bacwezi rule, yet another story points to divination

Coup

Kagoro was among the several sons of Kyomya who was bore by a maid called kacubya, and was a military commander appointed by Omukama Wamara.

Kitara faced lot of famine, followed by cattle diseases that lead to a great deal of dissatisfaction among the people of Kitara of the bacwezi. Kagoro, Wamara’s military commander, seized the opportunity to stage a coup against the Bacwezi, who were mercilessly massacred and their bodies thrown into water. The Bachwezi aristocracy, was thus annihilated or, as tradition put it, ‘disappeared’.

The coup marked the end of the Bacwezi Empire, but since kagoro was a half brother to Rukidi Mpuuga and his other brothers, we can assume the coup could have been the possible end of the bacwezi rule.

 

Prophecy

 

According to other court traditions, the last king of the bacwezi, Wamara was under the influence of the diviners; in one incident Wamara had a visitor, a one Kantu. Wamara instructed his wives to take good care of Kantu, but his wives did not do as instructed, Kantu got killed by an angry bull.

When the bull was slaughtered, they found that it did not have intestines, Wamara called on his diviners who failed to interpret the puzzle, a one diviner called Nyakoka from Bukidi (present northern Uganda) offered to solve the mystery.

Nyakoka cut open the legs and head of the animal and there the missing intestines were found. Then a large black smut from the fire settled on them, it could not be removed.

Nyakoka divined that the absence of the intestines from their natural place signified that the country would be left without rulers, because the rule of the Bacwezi had ended.

The intestines’ presence in the animal’s legs and head meant that the Bacwezi would load up their belongings and would travel far away; while the presence of the intestines in the head meant that the Bacwezi would continue to rule over men through spirit mediums (Mbandwa cults) and the *black smut meant that black men from a distant land* where going to take over the governship of kitara.

 

Why the bacwezi were/are worshipped?

 

It has to be noted that the bacwezi were not worshiped during thier rule, but when they left, they began to be worshipped, this is mainly because they had introduced divination(kubandwa) and sacrifices which continued when they left.

The worship part was partly introduced by the new babiito rulers as a way of commemorating and giving respect to their predecessors, The babiito recognized Wamara as thier guardian, this they did to cement their political and social positions in Kitara, From that time (15th Century), the “Wamara” cult acquired the largest number of followers.

In Bunyoro kitara kingdom there is saying of “abacwezi ikumi na mwenda abaramibwa* literally, there are nineteen bacwezi leaders worshipped.

List of the these 19 Bachwezi

 

  1. Ndahura Atwooki – The god of epidemics.
  2. Wamara Abooki ruled Bwera now called Budu and Nkole – The god of plenty.
  3. Kiro Muhimba ruled Bugahya, Bugungu and Chope
  4. Kyomya Amooti ruled Muhwahwa(Buganda)
  5. Ibona wa Waraga ruled Kyaka(Kitara)
  6. Mulindwa Abwooli ruled Buleega & Buyaga- The goddess who protected the royal clan.
  7. Rubanga ruled Buruli – God of health.
  8. Mugasa Ibebe ruled Sese Islands
  9. Kanyabugoma ruled Bugoma
  10. Kahuka ruled Tooro and Busogora
  11. Mugarra Karundi Adyeri ruled Bunyara
  12. Mugenyi ruled Mwenge
  13. Kagoro Araali ruled Bwiru
  14. Rukoke Nyakalika
  15. Kaikara Adyeri was priestesses. Kaikara has a shrine at Semwema Cave – – Goddess of the harvest.
  16. Nyabuzaana was priestesses
  17. Kagole was priestesses
  18. Mugizi was priestesses – God of the body of water called Lake Mwitanzige.
  19. Njunaki was priestesses. Prominent female Mucwezi military commander

 

What the Bahuma aka Bacwezi Introduced in Kitara

 

  1. Reed House
  2. Copper smelting
  3. Decentralized governace
  4. coffee
  5. cotton
  6. Wrestling
  7. Shoes -obukarabanda
  8. Orusoro
  9. Bark-cloth
  10. Omukago
  11. Cattle-Long Horned
  12. Regalia Enkondo/Drums
  13. Smoking Pipes
  14. Tobacco
  15. Salt Processing
  16. Making Ghee
  17. Barter trade
  18. Cattle Shade Kraal
  19. Making regalia such as Enkondo, Drums, etc

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