Rwandans

Africaagro-pastoralists
Map
expand_more Description

The Rwandans encompass groups presently known as Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. The differentiation is today much greater than in the past when they lived together as members of a single political community beginning with the founding of the Kingdom of Rwanda in the 16th century. The Rwandan monarchy expanded over years to extend control over neighboring kingdoms and chieftaincies through conquest and incorporation. The royal court encouraged hierarchical differentiation between Hutu, Tutsi and Twa as a means of helping organize its rule. This differentiation was further exaggerated during the colonial period, making the meaning of ethnic identity more contentious and the most important cause of cyclical political violence in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa.

Identifier
Region
  • Africa
Subregion
  • Central Africa
Subsistence Type
  • agro-pastoralists
Countries
  • Rwanda
External Links