Tooro Kingdom

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Kingdom of Tooro
Obukama bwa Tooro (Tooro)
Flag of Toro.gif
Flag
Anthem: "Agutamba"
Kingdom of Toro (map).png
Location of the Tooro Kingdom (red)

in Uganda  (pink)

Capital Fort Portal
Official languages Rutooro, English
Ethnic groups
many ethnicities but the indigenous are; Batooro, Bakonzo, Babwisi, Bamba
Demonym(s) Tooro
Government Constitutional monarchy
•  Omukama
Rukidi IV
•  Omuhikirwa (Prime Minister)
Steven Kiyingi
Independence
• from the Kingdom of Bunyoro
1830, 1876
• Monarchy abolished
1967
• Monarchy reinstated
1993
Currency Ugandan shilling
Time zone UTC+3 (EAT)
Calling code 256
Tooro
PersonOmutooro
People Abatooro
Language Orutooro
Country Obukama bwa Tooro
Tooro Palace Palace of the king of the Tooro Kingdom - Flickr - Dave Proffer.jpg
Tooro Palace
Parliament of Tooro Kingdom The parliiament of Toro Kingdown 09.jpg
Parliament of Tooro Kingdom
The original Kingdom of Tooro (red) and its districts. Lake Victoria and other bodies of water are shaded blue. Kingdom of Toro (map of the original kingdom).png
The original Kingdom of Tooro (red) and its districts. Lake Victoria and other bodies of water are shaded blue.

The Tooro Kingdom [lower-alpha 1] is a Bantu kingdom located within the borders of Uganda. [1] The current Omukama of Tooro is King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. [1] King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV took to the throne of Tooro kingdom in 1995 at the age of just three years, after the death of his father Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Rwamuhokya Olimi III on August 26, 1995, at the age of 50. [1] [2]

Contents

The people native to the kingdom are the Batooro, and their language is likewise called Rutooro. [1] [3] The Batooro and Banyoro speak closely related languages, Rutooro and Runyoro, and share many other similar cultural traits. [3] The Batooro live on Uganda's western border, south of Lake Albert. [1]

History

The Tooro Kingdom evolved out of a breakaway segment of Bunyoro sometime before the nineteenth century. [4] It was founded in 1830 when Omukama Kaboyo Olimi I, the eldest son of Omukama of Bunyoro Nyamutukura Kyebambe III of Bunyoro, seceded and established his own independent kingdom. [3] [1] Absorbed into Bunyoro-Kitara in 1876, it reasserted its independence in 1891.

As with Buganda, Bunyoro, and Busoga, Tooro's monarchy was abolished in 1967 by the Government of Uganda, but was reinstated in 1993. [1]

Aerial view of the Tooro Palace at Karuzika Hill overlooking Fort Portal Town Tooro Palace.jpg
Aerial view of the Tooro Palace at Karuzika Hill overlooking Fort Portal Town

Cultural influence

The Austrian painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000) spent some time there in the 1960s where he painted a number of works and named them after the kingdom. [5] [6]

The Batooro people have a strong culture but similar in stratification to Banyoro. [2] They have got a strong cultural naming system (PET NAME) known as Empaako. [7] [8] With the Empaako naming system, children are given one of twelve names shared across the communities in addition to their given and family names. [8] [9] Addressing someone by his or her Empaako is a positive affirmation of cultural ties. It can be used as a form of greeting or a declaration of affection, respect, honour or love. [8] [7] Use of Empaako can defuse tension or anger and sends a strong message about social identity and unity, peace and reconciliation. [8] [10] The Empaako names are: Amooti, Abbooki, Akiiki, Ateenyi, Adyeri, Atwoki, Abwoli, Araali, Acaali, Bbala, and Okaali. [8] [10] [9]

Abakama baTooro (Kings of Tooro)

The following is a list of the Abakama of Tooro since 1800:

  1. Olimi I: 1822–1865
  2. Ruhaga of Tooro: 1865–1866
  3. Nyaika Kyebambe I: 1866–1871 and 1871–1872
  4. Rukidi I: 1871
  5. Olimi II: 1872–1875
  6. Rukidi II: 1875–1875
  7. Rububi Kyebambe II: 1875 and 1877–1879
  8. Kakende Nyamuyonjo: 1875–1876 and 1879–1880
  9. Katera: 1876–1877
    1. Interregnum, reverted to Bunyoro : 1880–1891
  10. Kyebambe III: 1891–1928
  11. Rukidi III: 1929–1965
  12. Olimi III: 1965–1967 and 1993–1995
    1. in pretence : 1967–1993 (monarchy abolished)
  13. Rukidi IV: 1995–present (monarchy reinstated)

See also

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ↑ /ˈtɔːroʊ/ , Tooro pronunciation: [tóːɾo]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunyoro</span> Kingdom in Western Uganda

Bunyoro, also called Bunyoro-Kitara, is a traditional Bantu kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Central and East Africa from the 13th century to the 19th century. It is ruled by the King (Omukama) of Bunyoro-Kitara. The current ruler is Solomon Iguru I, the 27th Omukama.

Omukama wa Bunyoro is the title given to rulers of the East African kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara. The kingdom lasted as an independent state from the 16th to the 19th century. The Omukama of Bunyoro remains an important figure in Ugandan politics, especially among the Banyoro people of whom he is the titular head. He is closely related to the Omukama of Tooro Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omukama of Tooro</span> Title of the king of Tooro, Uganda

Omukama wa Tooro is the official title given to the king of Tooro in Uganda.

Omukama Nyamutukura Kyebambe III ruled Bunyoro from 1786 to 1835. In 1822, his eldest son rebelled and established his own independent kingdom, the Tooro Kingdom.

Rukirabasaija Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, commonly known as King Oyo, is the reigning Omukama of Tooro, in Uganda. He was born on 16 April 1992 to King Patrick David Mathew Kaboyo Olimi III and Queen Best Kemigisa Kaboyo. Three and a half years later in 1995, Oyo ascended the throne and succeeded his father to become the 12th ruler of the 180-year-old Kingdom of Tooro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Elizabeth of Tooro</span> Ugandan politician

Princess Elizabeth of Tooro was the Batebe of the Kingdom of Tooro until 12 September 1995, when she was succeeded by Omubiitokati Ruth Nsemere Komuntale. She is a Ugandan lawyer, politician, diplomat, and model.

Queen Best Kemigisa Akiiki is the Queen Mother of the Tooro Kingdom, based in Fort Portal city, Uganda. She is mother to Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Amooti Rukidi IV, the reigning Omukama of Tooro.

Rukirabasaija Kaboyo Omuhundwa Kasusunkwanzi Olimi I was Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom, from around 1830 until around 1861. He was the first Omukama of Tooro.

Rukirabasaija Kasunga Kyebambe Nyaika was Omukama of the Kingdom of Tooro, from 1862 to 1863, and 1864 to 1874. He was the third (3rd) Omukama of Tooro.

Rukirabasaija Kato Rukidi I(kajjaju) was Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom, from 1871 until 1871. He was the fourth (4th) Omukama of Tooro.

Rukirabasaija Kasunga Nyaika Kyebambe l was Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom, from 1872 until 1875. He was the fifth (5th) Omukama of Tooro.

Rukirabasaija Isingoma Rukidi II was Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom for a few months in 1875. Tooro was among the traditional kingdoms located within the borders of modern-day Uganda. He was the sixth Omukama of Tooro.

Rubuubi Kyebambe IIl was Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom, in 1875 and from 1877 until 1879. He was the seventh (7th) Omukama of Tooro.

Rukirabasaija Kakende Nyamuyonjo was Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom from 1875 until 1876 and from 1879 until 1880. He was the eighth (8th) Omukama of Tooro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyebambe III of Tooro</span> Omukama of Toro

Rukirabasaija Daudi Kasagama Kyebambe IV was Omukama (King) of the Tooro Kingdom from 1891 until 1928. He was the 10th Omukama of Tooro.

Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo (Rwamuhokya) Olimi III was the 11th Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom and reigned from 1965 until his death in 1995.

Omukama Rukirabasaija Agutamba Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I is the 27th Omukama of Bunyoro from 1994 to present. The King's traditional alternative name used by family is Amooti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tooro people</span> Bantu ethnic group in Uganda

The Tooro people, also known as Batooro or Toro people are a Bantu ethnic group, native to the Tooro Kingdom, a subnational constitutional monarchy within Uganda.

Empaako, also known as pet names or praise names, is a practice of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda, and Banyabindi peoples of Uganda by which children are given a name. They were introduced after the Biito clan conquered the Empire of Kitara, and are nowadays used as a respectful and endearing way to refer to someone in conversation, separate from individual given names and surnames.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Today in History: Toro king passes on". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  2. 1 2 "The Kingdom of Toro". www.torokingdom.org. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  3. 1 2 3 Turyahikayo, B. (1976). "Review of A Dynastic History "The Kingdom of Toro in Uganda"". Transafrican Journal of History. 5 (2): 194–200. ISSN   0251-0391. JSTOR   24520247.
  4. ↑ "Uganda Batoro - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System". photius.com. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  5. ↑ "Hundertwasser - One Toro in the Kingdom of the Mountains of the Moon". hundertwasser.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  6. ↑ "Kingdom of the Toro von Friedensreich Hundertwasser auf artnet". Archived from the original on 2020-07-31.
  7. 1 2 "UNESCO - Empaako tradition of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi of western Uganda". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Empaako Ceremony, Origin and meaning". The Ugandan. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  9. 1 2 "Home". Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  10. 1 2 BigEyeUg3 (2015-11-02). "Pet Names (Empaako) and Their Meaning". BigEye.UG. Retrieved 2020-05-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)


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