Book

The Nyoro state

Clarendon Press • Oxford • Published In 1971 • Pages:

By: Beattie, John.

Abstract

In this study, Beattie examines the political institutions of the Bunyoro kingdom prior to 1967. Bunyoro had been the dominant kingdom in the interlacustrine region, but was in decline by the time the first Europeans, Speke and Grant, arrived in 1862. Oral history and court ritual speak to a structural duality--typical of the interlacustrine states--between centralized rule imposed by outsiders--in the caseof Banyoro by pastoralists from the north (BAHIMA) and a lineage-based organization of indigenous agriculturalists (BAIRU). However, Beattie argues that this structure disappeared with the destruction of the herds and that political authority rested in royal grants of land and political office made to Bahima and Bairu alike. The Banyoro never achieved the degree of centralization of the neighboring Buganda kingdom and Beattie examines the multiple reasons for this situation.

HRAF PubDate

2003

Region

Africa

Sub Region

Eastern Africa

Document Type

Book

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 2002

Field Date

1951-1955

Coverage Date

1862-1967

Coverage Place

Western Province, Uganda

Notes

John Beattie

Includes bibliographical references (p. 272-275)

LCCN

78026244

LCSH

Nyoro (African people)