Uganda Peoples >> The Bantu
Bantu are a group of people who speak related languages and
have similar social characteristics. They occupy a large part
of Zaire and southern as well as eastern Africa. The Bantu
are said to have originated from somewhere in the Congo region
of central Africa and spread rapidly to southern and eastern
Africa. Today, more than one half of the population of Uganda
are Bantu.) There are several groups speaking different Bantu
languages.
Bantu are said to have settled in Uganda between A.D 1000
and A.D. 1300. Some reasons are given to explain why the Bantu
moved from their original homeland to come to settle in Uganda.
One reason is that they might have been overpopulated and
therefore some groups decided to move away in search of vacant
lands on which to practice agriculture. Another reason given
is that they might have moved away just in search of fertile
lands or due to internal conflicts within their communities
or external attacks by their neighbours.
Other reasons suggested include diseases and other natural
disasters which might have made them uncomfortable in their
homeland and so they decided to move away. One other reason
is that they might have been encouraged to move away in quest
of adventure and this was because they had invented iron tools
which enabled them to confront wild animals and other obstacles
during their movements.
Having moved away from their original homeland, the Bantu
who settled in present Uganda include:
Bafumbira & Banyarwanda, Baganda,
Bagisu, Bagwere, Bakiga, Banyankore, Bakonjo & Bamba,
Banyole, Banyoro, Basamia, Basoga and Batooro
Though there are striking similarities in language and customs
among the different Bantu groups, each group has its own peculiarities
in customs and other social arrangements.
Effects of Bantu migrations
The coming of the Bantu to Uganda had many effects. The most
obvious among such effects is that they led to the settlement
and increased the population of eastern, central and southern
Uganda. They are also credited with introducing iron working
in Uganda. Although it is not yet clear whether it was the
Bantu or the legendary Bachwezi who introduced iron working
in Uganda, we still believe that the Bantu might have come
with the idea because their movement coincided with the Iron
Age (A.D 500-500 ).
It is also stated that the Bantu introduced centralised governments
of the type that existed in the Bantu- kingdoms of Buganda,
Bunyoro-Kitara, Nkore And Toro, Igara and Buhweju. The assertion,
however, has raised a number of theories. Some historians
assert that the idea of centralised kingdoms was brought by
the Luo. Other historians insist that the idea of centralised
government could not have been an indigenous one. They attribute
state formation to the Bachwezi whom they say were Hamites
from Ethiopia who were of either Portuguese or Greek origin.
Such assertions are presently not taken very seriously because
they contain a lot of bias against the idea of African initiative.
It can therefore be tentatively stated that the Bantu brought
the idea of centralised state formation while these assertions
are subjected to further research.
The Bantu are also said to have introduced agriculture. This
is true because their predecessors were essentially hunters
and gatherers. In addition to agriculture, the Bantu also
introduced crops such as millet and sorghum.
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