Jump to content

Vira people

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
King Lwegeleza III on the day of his coronation in 1997.

TheVira peopleorBavira(in the plural) are one of the most numerous ethnic groups in the EasternDemocratic Republic of the Congo.[citation needed]These people are located in the region ofUvirain the East of the country, on the northeast coast ofLake Tanganyikaat the border withBurundi.The Bavira are also known in the name of Benembuga in Kivira (Bavira language) which means "authentic Uvira citizens."

The current king of the Bavira is Lwegeleza III (Edmond). He succeeded his father Mwami Lenghe Rugaza, who was assassinated in 1997 in the violent disorder which took place after the liberation of the DRC byLaurent-Désiré Kabila.

Cultural identity

[edit]

To be aMuvira(the singular of Bavira), one must belong by birth to one of the fifty families (clans) founder of the ethnic group. No other consideration is valid in this traditional society. And as Bavira are patriarchal, the lineage of the father determines membership in the group.

Anyone whose family, to say the clan is part of many of these clans is Muvira, regardless of where they live now. And anyone whose clan is not this number of clans is not a Muvira whatever number of years that his family lives in the chiefdom of Bavira. The list of 51 clans that make up the people Bavira is just below.

Kings Bavira

[edit]
Le roiLenghe IIIRugaza Kabale (père du roi actuelLwegeleza III) en 1987.

Since 1645 years, are led by the Bavira Dynasty BeneLenghe. These last are from the last king of the dynasty of ancient Balabwe strain,MbutiIlunga, who died in Katanga in 1645. His son Lenghe Ilungha took control of the state. Thus, the termBeneLenghemeans the descendants of Lenghe. It is from him that we began counting the kings of Bavira.

  1. LengheorLenghe IIlunga, son of Mbuti Ilunga and first king of the dynasty BeneLenghe (1645–1670), a 25 -year reign
  2. MubilaMunanila or Munana son of Ilunga Lenghe I (1671–1709), 38 -year reign
  3. KibweMabingo (1709–1735), a 26 -year reign
  4. Muluta IKibwe (1735–1763), a 28 -year reign
  5. KinyundaKye Lugongo (1763–1798), 35 years of reign
  6. Mbuti IILenge (1798–1830), 32 -year reign
  7. Muluta IIMuvuluma (1830–1871), 41 -year reign
  8. NambuzaMukangwa (1871–1897), a 26 -year reign
  9. Muluta IIINakumika (1898–1932), a 34 -year reign
  10. Lenghe IIKabale Mamboto Lwegeleza (1932–1945), a 13 -year reign
  11. Lwegeleza IKabale Mamboto (1945–1964), 19 -year reign
  12. Lenghe IIIKabale Rugaza Rampan Roman Geslin (1965–1996), 31 -year reign
  13. Lwegeleza IIILenghe Edmond (1997–present)

Clans of Bavira

[edit]
A look at children Bavira in 1913.
  1. Baanzavillage Kasenga
  2. Babengavillage Kigongo
  3. Babindavillage Kigongo
  4. Babogwevillage Kashombe
  5. Babondovillage Kibombo
  6. Babuguvillage Kabimba
  7. Babulwavillage Kabimba
  8. Babumbavillages Bumba and Kamba
  9. Babundavillages and Kabunda Kabindula
  10. Bafumuvillages Kasenga Kilomoni and Kanvira
  11. Bafundavillage Kimanga
  12. Bagajavillages Uvira Centre and Mujaga
  13. Bagandavillage Lugongo
  14. Bagelavillage Kabimba
  15. Bagendovillage Katala
  16. Bagezivillage Kabimba
  17. Bagotwevillage Kigongo
  18. Bagunguvillages and Kanvira Kilomoni
  19. Bahagwevillage Kigongo
  20. Bahalavillage Makobola
  21. Bahaluvillages and Makobola Natutwa
  22. Bahangvillage Gomba
  23. Bahinga,their former name Balama, villages Kabimba Lugongo and Ngaja
  24. Bahongavillage Kigongo
  25. Bahofuvillage Kabimba
  26. Bajombovillages and Bijombo Kitundu
  27. Bajumbivillages Kitundu, Kiku and Mbigo
  28. Bakalivillage Kabimba
  29. Bakangavillages and Mugea Lugongo
  30. Bakonovillages Uvira Centre, Kirungu, Kayaja and Makobola. They have no connection with Bakono of Rwanda, the latter being Nilotic while Bakono Uvira are like all other Bantu Bajoba
  31. Balambovillages Kigongo, Kihala, Kitundu, Katala and Bugizi
  32. Bahetavillage Muheta, Katongo
  33. Balegavillage Muheta
  34. Balembwevillages and Rugembe Kalundu
  35. Balibuvillage Katongo
  36. Balilavillage Kabimba
  37. ' Balizi'village Kitundu
  38. Balingivillage Kigongo
(a large part of the population was decimated by the floods of the river Kakumba in 1910)
  1. Balungutivillage Kigongo
  2. Bangala(or Bahangala ), villages and Makobola Kabone
  3. Banonevillages and Kabimba Kitala
  4. Bashambi( not to be confused with Bashimbi which are Bafuliru ), villages and Kala Kalundu
  5. Basingavillage Kasinga
  6. Basingwevillage Musingwe
  7. Batangavillage Kasenga
  8. Batalavillage Kitala
  9. Batendevillage Kabimba
  10. Batimbuvillages and Kilibula Ruzozi ( Kalundu port)
  11. Bavumivillage Kishembwe
  12. Bazibavillages and Kifuta Kagozi
  13. Bakabagavillages and Kabimba Kigongo
  14. BeneLenghe( sub-clan of the ancient Balabwe strain) villages Lugongo, Katala and Kala
  15. Balabwe(clan that gave birth to BeneLenghe ) village Labwe.

About the Balabwe clan

[edit]

The case of Balabwe deserves explanation. Because there is the Balabwe theancient strainandBalabwe the recent strain.The history of the Balabweancientstrain is very long. It starts with the great king ofkingdomtheocraticof Bupemba known name Ilunga Kiluwe, also known in the name of Sango Wa Mpemba. This is the one that gave birth to the emperors of the second dynasty of theLuba Empireby his son,PrinceMdidi Kiluweastraditionoften recognized the namehunter.

This great king Bupemba (territory was transformed intoUpemba National Parkby the colonizersBelgium) was from the clan ofBalabweterm meaningthose who have received theanointingofGodto reign.Mbidi his son, he also had descendants who continued to rule the kingdom of Bupemba, whose last kingMbutiIlunga will be forced, because of the cruelty of his brothers emperors Empire Baluba it made war to flee his country Bupemba with his people. The decades that followed, some of his people adopt the name of Bavira when it is reflected both in the current country that give the name ofUvira,saying countries Bavira. < Br/>

In terms of the Balabwe recent strain she began in 1840 by Prince Namango brother of King Muluta 2. The king, having adopted the Muslim religion, he lent strong hands to Arab slave to slavery in his country and in neighboring countries at the time. He also had disputes with its big brother the king about slavery. He was fiercely opposed to the king to have a covenant with the Arabs in the trade of human beings. The King refused to give up its alliances with Arabas, whereupon her little brothers decided to opt out of his clan BeneLenghe Balabwe to return to the old clan of his ancestor.

After this fight, in 1840, left Namango Katala up and move to another land that the people giving the name ofMuhungu,that is to say, a place of refuge. These Balabwe of recent strain BeneLenghe share with the country of Katala, height Rugenge (Kanvinvira). The village Rutemba them also belongs. Muhungu of his son Mushaba Mbuti "Mulyama" from base to another location in the city Kitija, which today is in the Chiefdom of Bafuliru.

There's still traces its banana plantation, called "Kigundu kya Mulyama" (the banana plantation of Mulyama). This name Mulyama (who drinks until morning) was given to him in connection with his inclinations exaggerated consumption of the drink. When he landed in a village, he could not proceed without having finished all the drink that it contained two glasses at his own expense, all the villagers. Mulyama built several other cities in this part of the country including Katala (near Namirye) Mujaga (around Lemera) Ndegu (Katobo), etc. where he was installing his brothers Balabwe.

In the land of Katala, areas likely descendants of Namango include: Shora and Rutemba. But, most of their fields lie in what is today the Chiefdom of Bufuliru, as we have just seen. And in the Rusizi Plain Chiefdom, there is the whole country Kagando and Kagozi. Luhindiza's son Mushaba Mbuti Mulyama, refused to live in the cities which his father had founded, whose popular culture was essentially based on drunkenness unabated. He still lived with his grandfather in the land of NamangoMuhungu.Then he returned toKatalatheir city of origin. Time after it based very close to Katala, his own city namedRutemba.

Note on Bahinga or Balama. Their original name Balama was given to them by other members of the tribe that the clan members lived a long time before dying. They were the praetorian guard of the king of Bavira since the flight of the people of the Luba empire. And later, when Mubila Munanila (Munana), son of King Ilungha Lenghe first moved the capital of Sanga ( current Nundu ) to Lugongo on the mountain that bears his name (Mt. Munanira overlooking the town of Uvira), the balama also moved to his side, in the same city as him. But then they got into the habit of going down the mountain to beg fry among clans fishermen settled on the shores of lake from Kilomoni up Kilibula: Bafumu, Bafunda, Bagaja, Bagungu, Balizi, Bakono, Balembwe, Batanga, Batimbu etc.

Additions based on ethnographic field data of 1949-50 gathered by Daniel Biebuyck:

References

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vira_people&oldid=1234832463"