The Baganda people of Uganda are located along the northern and western shores of Lake Victoria. They speak a Bantu language called Luganda, a tonal language in which words are differentiated by their meaning and not necessarily their spelling.
They are sometimes referred to as the King's Men because of how important the king is in their politics, social structure, and culture. Before 1967, when Uganda abolished all kingdoms, the Baganda were organized under a centralized bureaucratic kingdom. However, in 1993 the government reinstated the kingship by allowing Robert Mutebi II to be the thirty-sixth kind of Baganda.
Traditionally, the king ruled over a hierarchy of chiefs who collected taxes via food and livestock. The taxes were distributed along the hierarchy, eventually reaching the king's palace as tribute. The king directly appointed chiefs to have greater control over their loyalty. The king was the center of many rituals, and commoners even had to lie face down in the king's presence.
Today, the king is devoid of political powers for the purpose of preventing tribal conflict during the formation of a nation state. All Baganda now participate in the Uganda government system, although the king remains important in ritual functions and the people's mindset in general. Another one of the changes to the Baganda culture includes the shift from the majority of the population following the Balubaale cult, a polytheistic religion in which several gods ruled over specific aspects of life, to the majority being Christian and fifteen percent being followers of Islam.
Among the things that have not changed are the Baganda's value of being sociable in their dealings with fellow citizens, as well as their lauding of intelligence and assertiveness to gain higher social standing. Typically, the Baganda exchange long greetings as part of a social ritual with their neighbors, which vary depending on the time of day, the ages of the people in the conversation, and how long its been since they last saw each other. Greetings also vary depending on the nature of the area; women are typically less humble toward men and other social superiors within urban areas, while they still kneel in the presence of their social superiors in rural areas.
The living conditions and state of education are relatively optimal in Baganda. The Baganda have a year-round growing season and have constant access to an abundance of food, especially considering that the majority of Baganda are farmers. Affluent farmers have access to running water and even electricity; though most have to go down to a well or wait until it rains to fetch their water. Regardless of their social status, the Baganda expel a lot of resources and time to ensure that their children receive a good education and will go to great lengths to continue the schooling of promising students, with several family members combining their efforts. After completing the full course of education, the family member is then expected to help his or her family members in turn.
SOURCES
http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Baganda.html
http://www.newuganda.com/baganda-people-and-their-culture/
(image) http://www.primeugandasafaris.com/blog/ugandas-traditional-dances-2.html
They are sometimes referred to as the King's Men because of how important the king is in their politics, social structure, and culture. Before 1967, when Uganda abolished all kingdoms, the Baganda were organized under a centralized bureaucratic kingdom. However, in 1993 the government reinstated the kingship by allowing Robert Mutebi II to be the thirty-sixth kind of Baganda.
Traditionally, the king ruled over a hierarchy of chiefs who collected taxes via food and livestock. The taxes were distributed along the hierarchy, eventually reaching the king's palace as tribute. The king directly appointed chiefs to have greater control over their loyalty. The king was the center of many rituals, and commoners even had to lie face down in the king's presence.
Today, the king is devoid of political powers for the purpose of preventing tribal conflict during the formation of a nation state. All Baganda now participate in the Uganda government system, although the king remains important in ritual functions and the people's mindset in general. Another one of the changes to the Baganda culture includes the shift from the majority of the population following the Balubaale cult, a polytheistic religion in which several gods ruled over specific aspects of life, to the majority being Christian and fifteen percent being followers of Islam.
Among the things that have not changed are the Baganda's value of being sociable in their dealings with fellow citizens, as well as their lauding of intelligence and assertiveness to gain higher social standing. Typically, the Baganda exchange long greetings as part of a social ritual with their neighbors, which vary depending on the time of day, the ages of the people in the conversation, and how long its been since they last saw each other. Greetings also vary depending on the nature of the area; women are typically less humble toward men and other social superiors within urban areas, while they still kneel in the presence of their social superiors in rural areas.
The living conditions and state of education are relatively optimal in Baganda. The Baganda have a year-round growing season and have constant access to an abundance of food, especially considering that the majority of Baganda are farmers. Affluent farmers have access to running water and even electricity; though most have to go down to a well or wait until it rains to fetch their water. Regardless of their social status, the Baganda expel a lot of resources and time to ensure that their children receive a good education and will go to great lengths to continue the schooling of promising students, with several family members combining their efforts. After completing the full course of education, the family member is then expected to help his or her family members in turn.
SOURCES
http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Baganda.html
http://www.newuganda.com/baganda-people-and-their-culture/
(image) http://www.primeugandasafaris.com/blog/ugandas-traditional-dances-2.html