Traditional Rwanda
Primary 4 · Social and Religious Studies
Traditional Rwanda
Lesson 2 of 5
14 min
Keza's grandfather likes to tell stories about the old kingdom. "In those days," he says, "the Mwami was like the father of the whole country. But no father can look after a whole country alone. He needed helpers at every level, from the royal court down to every hill."
The symbol of the king's power was the royal drum called Kalinga. In Kinyarwanda, the word ingoma means both "drum" and "kingdom".
The kingdom was divided into areas, and the Mwami chose chiefs (abatware) to lead them for him:
| Chief | Job |
|---|---|
| Umutware w'ingabo | Army chief: led the soldiers and defended the kingdom |
| Umutware w'ubutaka | Land chief: looked after farming land and collected a share of the crops for the king |
| Umutware w'umukenke | Pasture chief: looked after grazing land and cattle, and collected a share for the king |
Below them, hill chiefs led the people on each hill, and the heads of families led their own homes.
Every adult man belonged to an army group. Each group had a proud name, such as Inzirabwoba, "the fearless ones". Young men trained in itorero (you will learn more about it in the next lesson).
| Pre-colonial Rwanda | Rwanda today |
|---|---|
| The Mwami, from the royal family | The President, elected by citizens |
| Chiefs chosen by the king | Leaders of provinces, districts, sectors, cells and villages |
| The Abiru advised the king | Parliament makes laws; ministers advise and lead |
Tip
Picture a pyramid: the Mwami at the top, helped by the queen mother and the Abiru; then the three chiefs (army, land, pasture); then the hill chiefs; and at the base, the families.
Three chiefs: Soldiers, Soil, Cows = ingabo, ubutaka, umukenke.
Answer: The Mwami (king).
Answer: The queen mother, the king's mother, who helped to rule.
Answer: They kept the kingdom's secret rules and customs and advised the king, including on choosing the next king.
Answer: Umutware w'umukenke (the pasture chief).
Answer: The Mwami came from the royal family, but today the President is elected by the citizens.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Only the facts about the queen mother and the army groups are taken from the Wikipedia article. The rest of the lesson, including the practice questions, is written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each chief to his job.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
