Kingdom of Toro

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Flag of the Kingdom of Toro

The Kingdom of Toro is an empire in southwest Uganda on the south bank of the Albertsee .

The center is today's Kabarole district with its district capital Fort Portal , near the graves of the royal family. Toro was founded in 1822 by Kaboyo. Between 1876 and 1891 it belonged to Bunyoro-Kitara . Toro was dissolved in 1967 along with the three other kingdoms of Uganda. In 1993 it was re-established as a cultural institution, but without being given political status.

Territory, population and culture

The old territory of Toro included the five Ugandan districts of Bundibugyo , Kabarole , Kamwenge , Kasese and Kyenjojo . This area corresponded to the western region of Uganda. When the kingdom was rebuilt in 1993 , Bundibugyo and Kasese were separated. The traditional main district of the kingdom, Kabarole, officially had 359,180 inhabitants in 1992, together with Kamwege (295,313) and Kyenjojo (380,362) results in a total population of 1,034,855 inhabitants on the determination date 1992. The people of Toro, the Batoro , speak Runyoro-Rutoro , a Bantu language , among other languages . Due to the long common history of Toro and Bunyoro-Kitara, see more about culture under Bunyoro .

history

Creation and first independence

The ancient territory of the Kingdom of Toro

The Kingdom of Toro was founded in 1822 when Prince Kaboyo of the Babiito dynasty rebelled against his father Kyebambe III, the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara . Kaboyo managed to claim some of the most important areas of Bunyoro-Kitara for himself. Although Kaboyo was apparently the rightful successor to rule over all of Bunyoro, the new Omukama of Toro - with the royal name Kaboyo Olimi V - preferred to leave Bunyoro to his younger brother. After the death of the ruler of Toro, there were protracted throne disputes between the numerous sons of Omukama, in the course of which the neighboring kingdoms, especially Buganda, intervened several times.

The re-establishment of the kingdom

Bunyoro's invasion under Omukama Kabalega in 1876 resulted in Toro's reintegration into the kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara in 1880. The royal family fled to neighboring Ankole . This turned out to be a serious wrong decision, as a large part of the family died violently here. The only survivor, Prince Kasagama, then turned to Buganda. In Buganda, which was more willing to cooperate with the advancing British, Kasagama managed to win the trust of Captain Lugard . Together with the British, Kasagama took military action against Bunyoro and was named Kyebambe VI by Lugard on August 14, 1891. proclaimed the Omukama of the rebuilt Toro. Since 1896 Toro was part of the British Uganda Protectorate. Kyebambe VI, who later converted to Christianity . ruled Toro for 37 years.

Toro's Babiito dynasty since 1928

The Kingdom of Toro within the 1993 borders

Kyebambe's successor as Omukama of Toro was Rukidi III in 1928, also for 37 years. As Rukidi III. In 1965, Patrick Olimi III took over for a short time. the crown before the Ugandan government under Milton Obote officially abolished the kingdoms in 1967. Patrick Olimi later became Uganda's ambassador to Cuba after a long exile in Kenya . The re-establishment of the kingdoms in 1993 could Patrick Olimi III. experienced as Omukama from Toro for two more years before he passed away in 1995. Since then, the official Omukama of Toro has been Rukidi IV (three years old in the case of succession).

List of Omukama from Toro, Babiito dynasty

The time of the confusion about the throne caused by succession disputes and external influence can be easily read from the list below: it ranges from 1866 to around 1880.

  1. 1822–186x Rukirabasaija Kaboyo Omuhundwa Olimi V Kasusunkwanzi I., eldest son of Rukirabasaija Agutamba Kyebambe III. Nyamutukura, Omukama from Bunyoro-Kitara
  2. 186x – 1866 Rukirabasaija Kazana Ruhaga
  3. 1866–1871 Rukirabasaija Kasunga Nyaika Kyebambe IV.
  4. 1871 Rukirabasaija Kato Rukidi I.
  5. 1866–1871 and 1871–1872 Rukirabasaija Kasunga Nyaika Kyebambe IV.
  6. 1872–1875 Rukirabasaija Nyaika Mukabirere Olimi VI.
  7. 1875 Rukirabasaija Isingoma Rukidi II.
  8. 1875 Rukirabasaija Rubabi Kyebambe V.
  9. 1875–1876 Rukirabasaija Kakende Nyanuyonjo
  10. 1876–1877 Rukirabasaija Katera
  11. 1875 and 1877–1879 Rukirabasaija Rubabi Kyebambe V.
  12. 1875–1876 and 1879–1880 Rukirabasaija Kakende Nyanuyonjo
  13. 1880-1891 Interregnum Bunyoros
  14. 1891–1928 Rukirabasaija Daudi Kasagama Kyebambe VI.
  15. 1928–1965 His Highness Rukirabasaija Sir George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III.
  16. 1965–1995 His Majesty Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Koboyo Olimi III. (Rutabingwa rwa Muhokya Omwana wa Rusasuka)
  17. Since 1995 His Majesty Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

literature

  • Kenneth Ingham: The Kingdom of Toro in Uganda . Methuen, London 1975, ISBN 0-416-80200-1 .
  • Kenneth Ingham: The Making of Modern Uganda . Greenwood Press, Westport, Conn. 1983, ISBN 0-313-23114-1 (reprint of the London 1958 edition).

Web links