The Banyankole | Ankole Tribe & Cattle Culture

The Ankole tribe of Uganda / banyankole: Ankole (Runyankore: Nkore), was a standard Bantu kingdom in Uganda located in south-western Uganda, east of Lake Edward. it had been ruled by a monarch referred to as the Mugabe. the dominion was formally abolished in 1967 by the govt of President Milton Obote, and since then, the dominion has not been restored officially. The people of Ankole are commonly referred to as the Banyankole (singular: Munyankole)
On 25 October 1901, the dominion of Ankole was incorporated into British Protectorate of Uganda by the signing of the Ankole agreement.
Originally, Ankole was referred to as Kaaro- Karungi and therefore the word Nkore is claimed to possess been adopted during the 17th century following the devastating invasion of Kaaro-Karungi by Chawaali, the then Omukama (king) of Bunyoro-Kitara. Ankole  as a word was first introduced by British colonial masters to refer to the larger kingdom which was formed after the conquest of the previous independent kingdoms of Igara, Sheema, Buhweju and parts of Mpororo.
The Banyankole currently inhabit the subsequent districts: Bushenyi District, Buhweju District, Mitooma District, Rubirizi District, Sheema District, Ntungamo District, Mbarara District, Kiruhura District, Ibanda District and Isingiro District.
Origin of the Ankole people
History has it that the primary king of Ankole was Ruhanga (creator), who is believed to possess come from heaven to rule the world . Ruhanga is believed to possess accompany his three sons namely: Kairu, Kakama and Kahima
It is said that Ruhanga gave a test to work out which of his sons would become the ruler. within the test, the boys were tasked with keeping pots crammed with milk on their laps throughout the night. At the top of the task, the youngest son, Kakama, is claimed to possess passed the test followed by Kahima then eldest son, Kairu as last. Ruhanga is claimed to possess declared that Kairu and Kahima would serve their brother Kakama after which he ascended back to heaven.
The pastoralists Hima (also referred to as Bahima) established dominion over the agricultural Iru (also referred to as Bairu). The Hima and Iru established close relations supported trade and symbolic recognition, but they were unequal partners in these relations. the 2 groups retained their separate identities through rules prohibiting intermarriage and when such marriages occurred, they were considered void.

Counties of Ankole
Ankole Kingdom was divided into ten counties. they’re now divided into various political constituencies. The counties originally included:
• Kashari
• Isingiro
• Rwampara
• Nyabushozi
• Ibanda
• Sheema
• Kajjara
• Bunyaruguru
• Igara
• Buhweju
Political organization of the Ankole Kingdom
The Kingdom had a centralized administration system headed by the King (Omugabe) assisted by local chiefs and a major Minister (Enganzi). The Abagabe(kings) came from the royal Bahinda clan.
The Omugabe regularly held court where he resolved disputes involving quite 50 cows, or cases of wives deserting their husbands. The Enganzi was the favored chief with power on which disputes would be heard by the Mugabe. The Enganzi alone had the proper to enter the Mugabe’s rooms at any time. At his appointment, a neighborhood chief was given several hundred cows as a present from the Omugabe. Ordinary cattle herders were liberal to settle wherever they chose in search of excellent pastures and wise leadership. Chiefs regularly held courts to resolve minor conflicts. per annum agents from the Mugabe traveled throughout the dominion in search of taxation within the sort of 1 cow per 50 cows during a homestead. They however had no right to levy taxes on subjects.
Ankole Kingdom was ruled by 23 kings and a few were buried in Nkokonjeru (Ankole Royal Tombs)
Language
The Banyankole speak a Bantu language called Runyankole. it’s a member of the Niger-Kordofanian group of language families. In many of those languages, nouns are composed of modifiers referred to as prefixes, infixes, and suffixes. Word stems alone haven’t any meaning . for instance, the prefix ba -signifies plural; thus, the ethnos carries the name Ba nyankole. a private person may be a Mu nyankole, with the prefix mu -carrying the thought of singularity. Things concerning or belonging to the Banyankole are mentioned as Ki nyankole, taking the prefix ki -. The pastoral Banyankole are mentioned as Ba hima; a private of this group is referred to as a Mu hima. The agricultural Banyankole are referred to as Bairu; the individual may be a Muiru.
Social stratification of the Ankole Kingdom
The Banyankole society was mainly divided into two man classes: the Bahima (cattle keepers) and therefore the Bairu (agriculturalists). The Bahima were regarded superior to the Bairu. the 2 groups had a standard ancestry. The society was a dual pyramid with pastoral and agricultural existence. Within the 2 classes, the clans cut across both the Bairu and therefore the Bahima. There was a general belief that what made a mwiru (plural Bairu) what he’s was a hoe and what made a Muhima (plural Bahima) what he’s was cattle. However, this type of belief wasn’t very accurate because one merely acquiring cows wouldn’t immediately transform him from a Mwiru into a Muhima nor would the loss of cows transform a Muhima into a Mwiru. One who owned few cattle would be called a Murasi if he was a Muhima. One who owned cattle was called a Mwambari if he was a Muiru.
The two groups lived together and existed in co-dependence. The Bairu exchanged cattle products with Bahima and therefore the Bahima equally received agricultural goods from the Bairu. This was due to the need for milk, meat, hides and other cattle products by the Bairu whereas the Bahima also needed agricultural products as well as the local brewed beer.

Way of lifetime of the Ankole/Banyankole people
Clothing
The code during this region differentiated rank and gender. Traditionally, chiefs wore long robes of cow hide while the themes wore a little portion of the cow hide over their shoulders. the ladies subjects wore skin hide cloths and also covered their faces while publicly. If on a journey or when traveling to go to friends, Bahima women were carried during a cow skin-covered litter for fear that walking would tire them. within the times however, cotton replaced cow hide as a way of body attire. On special occasions, a Munyankore man might wear an extended white cotton robe with a Western-style sports coat over it. A hat resembling a fez can also be worn. Women cover their bodies, heads, and partially their faces with bright colored cloth.
Entereko
The Banyankole brewed beer by squeezing ripe bananas and mixing the resulting juice with water and sorghum then letting the mixture ferment overnight during a wooden trough called obwato. This brewed beer was a requirement at every social communal work or the other function.
Whenever beer was made, the Banyankole had what they called entereko where the beer was stored. If someone brewed beer, he had to order some for the neighbors as a symbol of belonging and good neighborliness. The brewed beer was called Entereko.
when someone brewed beer in the community after one or two days, he would invite his neighbors over and serve them the reserved beer. This practice was so important that anyone who did not suits it had been considered a nasty neighbor. He wouldn’t be accorded the services of the neighbors within the event of need.
During the service of the entereko, the lads would discuss important matters of substance that affected their area especially , the dominion and beyond. There would be tons of merry making including dancing. the normal dance among the Banyankole was called ekyitaguriro and men and ladies would participate in it. The Bahima also sang and made competitive recitals connected with valor in wars of offences and defense and about cattle.
Food
Originally, the staple food of the Banyankole was millet. it had been supplemented with bananas(matooke), potatoes and cassava.
Millet and meat were prepared for important occasions. Potatoes and cassava weren’t respectable foods and unless there was a true shortage of food, they might not be presented to a visitor or to be eaten. it had been rear for a family to eat and finish the entire meal. However, the family head wasn’t alleged to eat leftovers. Besides men and boys were advised to not eat a burnt potato. the rationale was that it had been so sweet that whenever a person remembered its sweetness while on a search or work, he could be tempted to go away his duties and are available back home. Such food was eaten by women and youngsters. the most food of the Bahima was milk ad blood called enjuba. they might, additionally barter potatoes, cassava, and matooke from the agriculturalists in exchange for milk and ghee. In times when there was scarcity, milk would be substituted by blood by the Bahima.

Traditional marriages
The Banyankole have an upscale cultural tradition of marriage called Kuhinjira. this is often a pre-wedding ceremony where the bride’s family exchanges gifts with the groom’s family. This they believe, helps create a special bond between both families. This very tradition was first introduced by the Bafumbira tribe of South western Uganda. The common thread within the Ankole marriage like many African traditional marriages is to make closeness to the bridal family.
This is done through a 3rd party called the Kateraruume (literally meaning somebody who will remove the dew from the path).
Even today when couples choose the official introduction and marriage after they need been cohabiting, this go-between is vital in initiating the wedding negotiations. This takes place with the assistance of a mediator called the Kateraruume.
The Kateraruume may be a highly respected person representing the groom’s interests and is charged with facing the bride’s family and ensuring that the bride’s family is willing to simply accept the groom’s family to formally discuss the wedding .

In case the proposal is endorsed, the groom’s family approaches the bride’s family with the Kateraruume leading them there.

At the bride’s home, the Kateraruume is invited in with the groom entourage after some teasing. The entourage usually comes with beer after which the Kateraruume then indicates to the girl’s marriage panel that he’s on a wedding mission.

The Kateraruume then explains his mission and is asked many questions by the girl’s family. Later, they discuss the wedding payments, which may be picked any time after the 2 families have agreed, sometimes thereon same day.
After both families are in agreement, marriage preparations follow. In Ankole tradition, the wedding payment includes cattle, which can re-evaluate and above 10. These gifts are presented to the bride’s family symbolizing the power and willingness of the groom to require care of his woman.

During the Kuhinjira ceremony, the bride and therefore the groom aren’t party to the discussions. The bride is typically hidden while the groom has got to shut one’s mouth throughout the discussions and await the result . during this case, however, the groom-to-be is ‘king’ because everything is completed on his behalf.
The Ankole people have Mishanana as their cultural wear or Bussuti which they placed on during the Kuhinjira. the women placed on Bussuti whereas the lads placed on Kanzus and that they add a cow hide on top of it. They even have their drums that are used during the normal ceremonies.

Birth and Naming ceremony of the Banyankole

Like most traditions in Uganda, once a lady got pregnant and was due for birth, she was always sent to her mother’s home where they might easily get help.
After birth, the mother would be confined for days and this confinement was mentioned as ekiriri. If she gave birth to a boy, confinement would take four days and if a woman , it might take three days. The name given to the kid usually trusted the private experiences of the oldsters , the time of birth, day of week, ancestral name of place of birth. The name choices were usually given by the daddy , mother or grandfather. However, the father’s choice usually prevailed.

The names often portrayed the state of mind of the one that did the naming. as an example , among the Banyoro, if the kid was named Kaheeru, it portrayed the very fact that the daddy of the kid suspected the mother for practicing adultery. In Ankole region, it had been also considered normal for a wife to possess extra marital affairs together with her in-laws and even have children with them.
Death in Ankole
The Banyankole didn’t believe that death occurred naturally. The had a belief that death occurred thanks to certain aspects like misfortunes, witchcraft or spite of the neighbors. After death of a member, they victims often consulted a sorcerer to seek out out who was liable for the death of their beloved.
After death, a corpse would normally stay indoors in order that the whole family and every one relatives would be present for burial. Amongst the Bairu, the corpse would be buried within the plantation or compound of the family. The Bahima would bury during a kraal. The families within the kingdom would usually bury the dead with the bodies facing the east and burial ceremonies happened within the afternoon. A deceased man was laid to rest on his right while a lady would be laid on her left.
After burial, the lady left behind would be granted three days of mourning while the person was granted four mourning days. Neighbors and relatives of the deceased would camp and sleep reception to comfort the victims left behind. During this era , nobody was allowed to farm or do any manual work for it had been believed that this is able to anger the gods who would ravage hail storms onto the village. Anyone who did that might even be considered a witch and be suspected of being liable for the death of the deceased.
Suicide was highly despised amongst the Banyankole. it had been considered a taboo. Burial for people that committed suicide was very complex. The body was buried with charms and sometimes , the body wasn’t to be touched. The body was cut from a tree where it might fall directly into the grave which had been dug. it’s believed that whoever cut the rope would soon die.
Ankole Royal Regalia.
The Ankole kingdom was made from drums and spear that constituted the royal regalia. The drum was the most element of the regalia and it had been called Bagendanwa. This drum was believed to possess been made by the last Muchwezi ruler, King Wamala. The drum was only used on occasions when a replacement King was coroneted. it had been stored in an open hut that was considered special and it had been a taboo to possess the hut closed. a fireplace was always kept burning for the Bagendanwa and therefore the fire could only be put call at the event that the king died. it had been customary for the Bagendanwa to have cows and other drum to accompany it. The drums were: kabembura, Nyakashija, Eigura, kooma and Njeru ya Buremba. These were got from the Bulimia Kingdom.

Some of uganda tribes are also shared in the countries of Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi and Tanzania .