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Tooro Kingdom

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Kingdom of Tooro
Obukama bwa Tooro(Tooro)
Flag of Tooro
Flag
Anthem:"Agutamba"
Location of the Tooro Kingdom (red) in Uganda (pink)
Location of the Tooro Kingdom (red)

inUganda(pink)

CapitalFort Portal
Official languagesRutooro,English
Ethnic groups
many ethnicities but the indigenous are;Batooro,Bakonzo,Babwisi,Bamba
Demonym(s)Tooro
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy
Rukidi IV
Omuhikirwa(Prime Minister)
Steven Kiyingi
Independence
• from theKingdom of Bunyoro
1830, 1876
• Monarchy abolished
1967
• Monarchy reinstated
1993
CurrencyUgandan shilling
Time zoneUTC+3(EAT)
Calling code256
Tooro
PersonOmutooro
PeopleAbatooro
LanguageOrutooro
CountryObukama bwaTooro
Tooro Palace
Parliament of Tooro Kingdom
The original Kingdom of Tooro (red) and its districts.Lake Victoriaand other bodies of water are shaded blue.

TheTooro Kingdom(/ˈtɔːr/,Tooro pronunciation:[tóːɾo]), is aBantukingdom located within the borders ofUganda.[1]The currentOmukama of Toorois King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba IguruRukidi IV.[1]King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba IguruRukidi IVtook to the throne of Tooro kingdom in 1995 at the age of just three years, after the death of his fatherOmukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Rwamuhokya Olimi IIIon August 26, 1995, at the age of 50.[1][2]

The people native to the kingdom are theBatooro,and their language is likewise calledRutooro.[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

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The Tooro Kingdom evolved out of a breakaway segment ofBunyorosometime before the nineteenth century.[4]It was founded in 1830 whenOmukamaKaboyo Olimi I,the eldest son ofOmukama of BunyoroNyamutukura 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 withBuganda,Bunyoro,andBusoga,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

Cultural influence

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The Austrian painterFriedensreich 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)

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The following is a list of theAbakamaof 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 toBunyoro: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 (monarchy reinstated)

See also

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Bibliography

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  • Ingham, Kenneth.The Kingdom of Tooro in Uganda.London: Methuen, 1975.

References

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  1. ^abcdefg"Today in History: Toro king passes on".newvision.co.ug.Retrieved2020-05-30.
  2. ^ab"The Kingdom of Toro".torokingdom.org.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-08-12.Retrieved2020-05-30.
  3. ^abcTuryahikayo, B. (1976). "Review of A Dynastic History" The Kingdom of Toro in Uganda "".Transafrican Journal of History.5(2): 194–200.ISSN0251-0391.JSTOR24520247.
  4. ^"Uganda Batoro - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System".photius.Retrieved2020-05-30.
  5. ^"Hundertwasser - One Toro in the Kingdom of the Mountains of the Moon".hundertwasser(in German).Retrieved2024-01-25.
  6. ^"Kingdom of the Toro von Friedensreich Hundertwasser auf artnet".Archived fromthe originalon 2020-07-31.
  7. ^ab"UNESCO - Empaako tradition of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi of western Uganda".ich.unesco.org.Retrieved2020-05-30.
  8. ^abcde"Empaako Ceremony, Origin and meaning".The Ugandan.Retrieved2020-05-30.
  9. ^ab"Home".Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda.Retrieved2020-05-30.
  10. ^abBigEyeUg3 (2015-11-02)."Pet Names (Empaako) and Their Meaning".BigEye.UG.Retrieved2020-05-30.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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