Monthly Archives: September 2014

To start off, the name of the country Malawi came from the term “Marawi”. This came from the Marawi Empire of which Malawi was a part of .

Marawi means the “ray of light” which may have come from the sight of many kilns lighting up in the night sky.

The Aramawi people, who found the Marawi dynasty in the late 15^th century, migrated from present day Republic of Congo to escape unrest and disease.

Initially the Marawi Empires income was mainly dependent on agriculture that mainly produced millet and sorghum. It was during the early 16^th century when the Europeans came in contact with the people of Malawi.

The Portuguese arrived at the area of Malawi through the Mozambican port of “Tete” in the mid 16^th century and gave written reports about the people of Malawi.

The Portuguese were responsible for the introduction of Maize in the staple of the people of Malawian diet. In exchange the Malawi Empire traded slaves. These slaves mainly were sent to work in in Portuguese plantations in Mozambique of Brazil.

Ever since the involvement of Portuguese men, the Empire of Malawi went on a downfall.

This decline resulted from the involvement of two important groups into the region of Malawi: Angoni and Ayao.

The Angoni people came arrived from modern day South Africa as a part of the Great Migration, known as the mfecane, in escape from the Zulu empire, Shaka Zulu. The mfecane had a significant impact on Southern Africa. These people adopted shaka’s military tactics to subdue the lesser tribes like the Marawi they found along their way. As they progressed, the Angoni impis (soldiers) would raid and plunder food, women and livestock. The young men were recruited for their army, while the older citizens were turned to slave laborers or disposed off to Arab slave traders operating in Lake Malawi.

The other influent groups were the Ayao group. These people came from northern Mozambique to escape famine and conflict from other tribes, especially the Makua Tribe. The Ayao people were riche who amassed their wealth by trading ivory and slaves with the Arab slave traders. The Ayao were the first to use firearms in the battles with other tribes. As a benefit of their partnership the Arabs granted the Ayao people with sheikhs who in turn provided them with literacy and the Muslim religion. They also encouraged the production of rice, which became a major crop in the lake region.

After the Portuguese arrival, their next European contact was the arrival of David Livingstone in 1859. Subsequently the Scottish Presbyterian established churches such as the St Michaels and All Angels church found in 1876. Their main aim was to end the slave trade to the Persian Gulf. IN 1878 numerous traders, mostly from Glasgow formed the African Lakes Company, which allowed for smooth trade to missionaries.

After an intense session of slave trade and competition to rule, the Country of Malawi became a fully independent member of the Commonwealth on 6^th July 1964.

Two years later, Malawi adopted a republican constitution and became a One-Party state with Hastings Banda as its first president.

The History of Uganda before it became a British protectorate is one of a assembly of various but similar tribes.

Early activity within the region of Uganda has been traced back to the Archeulean age ( 1.7- 0.1 Million years ago ). Stones and other artifacts used by inhabitants in the area recovered from Lake Victoria is dated back to a period around a hundred thousand years ago, marking the occupants of the region some of the oldest in the history of human kind.

The location of Uganda itself,  filled with water sources, made it very desirable for settlers. Indeed the Baganda meaning “Bundles” people, derived from the Bantu, signifying “human beings'” tribe, is one of the main aboriginal peoples that settled in the region.

The Bangandas originally came from the central and western areas of the continent. These residents were at the origin of a new era such as ironworking skills and social/political constructs. Their belief in a constitutional system prompted governments which in turn gave birth to structures such as kingdoms and empires. The Buganda and Bunyoro-Kitara are two of earliest ethnic groups originating from the Bantu people employing such organization.

The Empire of Kitara; the mother of all kingship in the Great lakes region and modern day Uganda, left and indelible mark on the district with a powerful oral tradition expanding over the territory. Their oral tradition; one of a ruling clan that was later on recorded by some Banyoro natives, served as a sample to upcoming dynasties such as the Batembuzi and Bachwezi.

Following the establishment of these settlers; The Bantu, Banganda and the Kitara Empire, a cluster of ethnic groups known as the Nilotic people rooted themselves in Northern section of the area as farmers. They include the Luo, Ateker, Lango people amongst many others. These folks were known to have flourished with many cattles and were the basis of the agricultural life in the region. Both Luo and Bantu united to form the mighty Babiito dynasty, with Bunyoro-Kitara as ruler.

The Bunyoro-Kitara  kingdom solely expanded their influence unto the Eastern and even Western shores of the territory, up to the early sixteenth-century.  They possessed the highest quality of metallurgy in their surroundings which reinforced their economic and political prowess. At it’s height, the empire controlled the entire region of the Great Lakes is regarded and of the most powerful empires in East Africa from the thirteenth to nineteenth century.

The Baganda people is currently one of the largest traditional kingdoms, most powerful ethnic group in current Uganda, representing twenty percent of it’s population or approximately twenty-eight million people, spreading their tongue “Luganda” an their customs “Kiganda” all over the country including Kampala which holds their political and commercial capital.

Interestingly, the name Uganda meaning ” The Land of the Ganda” originated from Arab and Swahili traders that ventured to East Africa as they refer to the Kingdom of Buganda. Today uganda is made up of over 40 different ethnic groups.

Recently, the use of DNA testing conducted on ancient Egyptian mummies have linked Egyptian pharaohs to the people of the Great Lakes area. In late 2012, DNA tests on the mummy of the Pharaoh Ramses III and his son showed their chromosome group E1b1a was associated with Niger-Congo speaking Africans.

Many siblings of Royalty in Ancient Egypt became ascendents of their throne. Moreover, many of the Egyptian customs transferred over to the Bugandan Kingdom.

Although there are still multiple debates being held on the precise time and manner in which a the Luo tribe established themselves, the Ancient history of Uganda is one that is fairly uniform throughout my personal research. Their values and traditions are deeply rooted, bringing together a beautiful, culturally diverse, loving people we now know as Ugandans.

Sources:

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artsculture/Reviews/Ancient-Egyptian-Pharaohs-related-to-Ugandans—DNA/-/691232/2419938/-/cjldv9/-/index.html

http://www.buganda.com/bugintro.htm

http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Uganda.html

Gold, Gold, Gold!  Yup that’s what Ghana was known for. The kingdom of Ghana was so rich, that even there animals were too. During the 9^th and 11^th centuries (C.E) of Ghana, dogs wore golden collars. Not to mention, horses slept on fancy plush carpets. Now that’s just the animals, imagine what Ghana’s kings were. All I’m going to say is pretty rich! With Ghana being wealthy in gold, they became a leading force in the trans-Saharan trade network.

Ghana was the first nation to gain its own independence. An African nationalists named Kwame Nkrumah had helped Ghana fight for their independence as well as their political rights. Kwame was Ghana’s first president and was responsible for the Organization of the Pan-African unity, in 1963 of Ethiopia. The Organization of Pan-African Unity originated from the Pan-African movement. The main goal of the Pan-African movement was to give Africans the idea that they were united as one, eventually helping them to stick and work together. Other efforts such as ending slavery and the slave trade and colonizing Africa was part of it as we’ll. Gladly, in 1807, the Great Britain abolished the African slave trade.

Did you know where the human kind began? Africa was the first continent in which human life began. Well should I say that’s what evidence suggested… Science techniques known as fossil identification, radiocarbon dating, and DNA analysis lead to the discovery of human existence. Fossils are preserved remains that allowed the past life of animals, humans, plants and other organisms to be traced back. Because Africa’s oldest fossil of the early human ancestors was found, the stages of evolution in Africa were able to be discovered. DNA analysis allowed a specific organism to be identified. In this case, a genetic footprint was able to show the generation of Africans, passed down from one to another. Radiocarbon dating age was much of a long process. “Living organisms absorb tiny amounts of carbon from the atmosphere”. With the use of carbon, researchers were able to predict the Age of Africans. Who would think that such things could be done to discover the early life of humans? However, although science techniques led to the history of their existence life, it’s possible for the evidence to not be true.

Influential individuals such as WEB DuBois, Marcus Garvey, and Kwame himself held conferences in order to help make the movement a success. The Organization of the Pan-African unity wanted to dominate European control of the continent, make Africa feel like a comfortable for all people of the African descent, and lastly have all African countries work together to improve each country’s economy. Kwame knew with the use of this, it was possible to strengthen the country’s independence as a whole too.

A ruler in Ghana was known as the king, or the war in chief. Laws coming from a king were legal acts to be followed. According to Ghana’s politics, the king served as the “commander in chief of a highly organized army, the controller of all trade activities, and the head administrator of justice”. Individuals such as ministers, civil servants, counselors, and ministers were assigned by the ruler to help with administrative duties, but the ruler still held dominant power. Very different compared other government’s right? Although the king held absolute power in the Kingdom of Ghana, he still allowed citizens to voice their complaints that they had and then they would be addressed.

Not to mention that Gold played an important role in helping Ghana gain it’s own independence. It open doors to trade, and paved ways for Ghana to improved their advancement in gold. When the king was not reporting to his normal duties, he was spreading trade internationally. Much of Ghana wealth came from Arabs through trade. Islamic merchants would travel to Ghana just to do business with them. Could you believe it took them two months? Yes two whole months! Islamic travelers would be taxed for their imports and exports, better known as a tariff.

Sadly, Ghana Kingdom, the wealthiest, was not wealthy for that long. Competition began arising, bringing forth jealousy, fear, and anger of Ghana’s control. During the mid 11^th a century, a group of Muslim individuals known as Almoravids, invaded Ghana’s capital city Koumbi Saleh. Luckily, with the territories being security protected and taxes being enforced, Ghana was able to make the Muslims withdraw from the takeover. Eventually, about 200 years later, Ghana’s kingdom was defeated and taken over by the nation of Mali. From being cut off form the international trade and weakened from numerous attacks, Ghana had no defense in the takeover. Unfortunately, the nation of Mali became the newly found empire.

P.S here’s two images of “The Golden Stool of the Ashanti Kings of Ghana”.  This symbolized their power.