Those Who Came Before Us
Those Who Came Before Us is an immersive journey into African history, oral traditions, and the pre-colonial kingdoms of the Great Lakes. From Buganda and Bunyoro to the mysteries of the Bachwezi and the spirits of Lake Victoria, each episode blends history and myth to reveal the emotional and spiritual world of East Africa. Together, we hold a lantern to the darkness of the past. So that the stories, fears, and ambitions of those who came before us are never forgotten.
New episodes explore African mythology, Buganda history, and the hidden worlds of pre-colonial East Africa.
Those Who Came Before Us
The Kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara: The Babiito and decline in Bunyoro
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After the collapse of the Bachwezi empire, the Babiito took over as Bunyoro’s 3rd dynasty in the 16th Century. The precise year this happened is hard to pin down. However, the Babiito began their kingship differently from their predecessors. While the Bachwezi and Batembuzi were both healers and politicians, the Babiito stayed away from the ritual side of things.
Their rule extended into the 19th century when the kingdom was experiencing long term decline due to various circumstances. Bunyoro was no longer the number 1 regional power. That spot went to their neighbour and age old rivals… Buganda.
Sources
Yolamu Ndoleriire Nsamba, Mystique In Sovereigns’ Headgear (Wandsbeck: Reach Publishers, 2016), p174, 186, 192, 193,
David Schoenbrun, A Mask of Calm: Emotion and Founding the Kingdom of Bunyoro in the 16th Century, Comparative Studies in Society and History (Northwestern University, 2013) p 634,
G.N. Uzoigwe, Revolution and Revolt in Bunyoro- Kitara (Kampala, Longman Uganda, 1970) p 9
Shane Doyle, Crisis & Decline in Bunyoro; Population & Environment in Western Uganda 1860 - 1955, (Kampala: Fountain Publishers, 2006) p14, 43
Ruth Fischer, Twilight Tales of the Black Baganda( London: Marshall Brothers, 1938), p120, 159
J.W. Nyakatura, Anatomy of an African Kingdom (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973) p 41, 57, 84 -95
G.N. Uzoigwe, Succession and Civil War in Bunyoro - Kitara, The International Journal of African Historical Studies ( Boston University African Studies Center, 1973) p66
John Beattie, Bunyoro; An African Kingdom (New York: Holt Rinehart and Winston Inc, 1960) p 18-20
Music Transition
Energizing Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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