Yuhi IV of Rwanda
Encyclopedia
Yuhi Musinga king of Rwanda
, came to power in 1896 and collaborated with the German government
to strengthen his own kingship. In 1931 he was deposed by the Belgian administration
because of his inability to work with subordinate chiefs and his refusal to be baptized a Roman Catholic. His eldest son, Mutara III of Rwanda
, succeeded him.
Musinga acceded to power as a young teen-ager, in a palace coup which overturned the short reign of Rutarindwa, the original successor to the powerful king Kigeri Rwabugiri (1867-95) of Rwanda. Over his reign Musinga struggled with three major issues. The first was the question of legitimacy. The overthrow of Rutarindwa was organized by members of the Bega clan, including Kanjogera, widow of Rwabugiri and Musinga’s mother. Such an accession to power brought into question the legitimacy of Musinga’s claims to kingship, claims normally defined by clear ritual protocol. The second concerned the relation of the royal court to the separate regions of the country, as following Rwabugiri’s death many areas occupied by his armies broke away, diminishing the domain of the kingdom. Third, Musinga’s accession was quickly followed by the arrival of German forces in the area, along with a powerful missionary order, the “Missionaires d’Afrique” (the “White Fathers”), creating a colonial context that marked Musinga’s reign (1896-1931).
During Musinga’s reign German power was used to reassert royal authority over many autonomous areas, while the court delegates served as colonial administrators, especially under Belgian rule after World War I. The missionaries were also used to try to extend court legitimacy. However, such policies of collaboration with European actors created strong cleavages at the royal court of Musinga, as political factions competed for power and aligned themselves variously with outside actors and local allies.
Four factors in particular marked Musinga’s reign: World War I, and the replacement of German rule by Belgian rule; the expansion of the royal power to areas autonomous of the court; the presence of many powerful competing factions at the court; and a major famine in 1928-29.
In November 1931 Musinga was deposed by the Belgian administration and replaced by his son Mutara Rudahigwa (r. 1931-59). Exiled first to Kamembe, in southwest Rwanda, and then to Kilembwe, in southeastern Congo, Musinga died on 13 January 1944.
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, came to power in 1896 and collaborated with the German government
German East Africa
German East Africa was a German colony in East Africa, which included what are now :Burundi, :Rwanda and Tanganyika . Its area was , nearly three times the size of Germany today....
to strengthen his own kingship. In 1931 he was deposed by the Belgian administration
Ruanda-Urundi
Ruanda-Urundi was a Belgian suzerainty from 1916 to 1924, a League of Nations Class B Mandate from 1924 to 1945 and then a United Nations trust territory until 1962, when it became the independent states of Rwanda and Burundi.- Overview :...
because of his inability to work with subordinate chiefs and his refusal to be baptized a Roman Catholic. His eldest son, Mutara III of Rwanda
Mutara III of Rwanda
Mutara III was the Mwami, or monarch of Rwanda between 1931 and 1959. As a member of the Tutsi people in Rwanda, stereotyped as tall, he stood a symbolic 6'8" tall...
, succeeded him.
Musinga acceded to power as a young teen-ager, in a palace coup which overturned the short reign of Rutarindwa, the original successor to the powerful king Kigeri Rwabugiri (1867-95) of Rwanda. Over his reign Musinga struggled with three major issues. The first was the question of legitimacy. The overthrow of Rutarindwa was organized by members of the Bega clan, including Kanjogera, widow of Rwabugiri and Musinga’s mother. Such an accession to power brought into question the legitimacy of Musinga’s claims to kingship, claims normally defined by clear ritual protocol. The second concerned the relation of the royal court to the separate regions of the country, as following Rwabugiri’s death many areas occupied by his armies broke away, diminishing the domain of the kingdom. Third, Musinga’s accession was quickly followed by the arrival of German forces in the area, along with a powerful missionary order, the “Missionaires d’Afrique” (the “White Fathers”), creating a colonial context that marked Musinga’s reign (1896-1931).
During Musinga’s reign German power was used to reassert royal authority over many autonomous areas, while the court delegates served as colonial administrators, especially under Belgian rule after World War I. The missionaries were also used to try to extend court legitimacy. However, such policies of collaboration with European actors created strong cleavages at the royal court of Musinga, as political factions competed for power and aligned themselves variously with outside actors and local allies.
Four factors in particular marked Musinga’s reign: World War I, and the replacement of German rule by Belgian rule; the expansion of the royal power to areas autonomous of the court; the presence of many powerful competing factions at the court; and a major famine in 1928-29.
In November 1931 Musinga was deposed by the Belgian administration and replaced by his son Mutara Rudahigwa (r. 1931-59). Exiled first to Kamembe, in southwest Rwanda, and then to Kilembwe, in southeastern Congo, Musinga died on 13 January 1944.