The Matriarchs of Uganda: Stories from the Precolonial Era

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Happy Mother's day to all mothers in the world. Queen - Mothers were vital to the power structures of the intralacustrine region. They were often the rallying points around which clans gathered to defend their candidate of choice.   Here is a list of 5 pre-colonial Queen-Mothers of Uganda. Enjoy!!

Sources

Buganda

Laurence Schiller, “The Royal Women of Buganda” The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 23, No. 3 (1990), pp. 455-473 

JM Gray, “Mutesa of Buganda” 

Rhiannon Stephens, “A History of Motherhood, Food Procurement and Politics in East-Central Uganda to the Nineteenth Century” ( Evanston, Illinois 2007)

https://arch.library.northwestern.edu/downloads/x633f108q

 Kabaka Muteesa’s letter to Queen Victoria ;

 https://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/mutesas-letter-to-queen-victoria/#:~:text=Oh!,He%20is%20God%20of%20God.

Ham Mukasa, “Ebifa Ku Mulembe gwa Kabaka Mutesa” The Uganda Journal, Vol 1 No 2, April 1934. English Version translated by A.H.C. Full name isn’t displayed. Title in English is “Some Notes on the Reign of Kabaka Mutesa”.

https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00080855/00056/52j

Bunyoro

Ade Adefuye, “Kabalega and the Palwo: A Conflict of Aspirations”, (Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria Vol VIII NO 1 December, 1975)

J.W. Nyakatura, Anatomy of an African Kingdom (New York: Nok Publishers, 1973) 

Edward I. Steinhart, Conflict and Collaboration, The Kingdoms of Western Uganda 1890-1907(New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1977) https://www.amazon.ca/Conflict-Collaboration-Kingdoms-Western-1890-1907/dp/0691615594/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U1JCNQI4FX7J&keywords=The+Kingdoms+of+Western+Uganda+1890-1907&qid=1694981666&s=books&sprefix=the+kingdoms+of+western+uganda+1890-1907%2Cstripbooks%2C151&sr=1-1

Ruth Fischer, Twilight Tales of the Black Baganda( London: Marshall Brothers, 1938)

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30717853317&searchurl=kn%3DTwilight%2BTales%2Bof%2Bthe%2BBlack%2BBaganda%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image1

https://kabalegafoundation.org/facts-about-omukama-kabalega.html

https://www.bunyorokitarausa.org/amasaaza-ga-bunyoro/

Busoga

David William Cohen, “Womunafu’s Bunafu” ( New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1977)

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31182157137&searchurl=ds%3D20%26kn%3Dwomunafu%2527s%2Bbunafu%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title1

Rhiannon Stephens, “A History of Mo