Ankole

The kingdom of Ankole is located in the South-Western region of Uganda bordering Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ankole is home to some of the most favorable grazing lands in Africa: ==History==

Under the Empire of Kitara Before the collapse of the Empire of Kitara, Nkore was a small and remote area on the edges of the empire. Founding According to legend, the first (and semi-legendary) was born as the illegitimate and the last king of Bachwezi kingdom. Colonial and post-colonial periods On 25 October 1901, the Kingdom of Nkore was incorporated into the British Protectorate of Uganda by the signing of the Ankole agreement. The kingdom was formally abolished in 1967 by the government of President Milton Obote, and since then, the kingdom has not been restored officially. Because of the reorganisation of the country by Idi Amin, Ankole no longer exists as an administrative unit. It is divided into ten districts, namely: Bushenyi District, Buhweju District, Mitooma District, Rubirizi District, Sheema District, Ntungamo District, Mbarara District, Kiruhura District, Ibanda District, and Isingiro District. ==Culture and society==

Organization Nkore society evolved into a system of ranked statuses, where even among the cattle-owning elite, patron-client ties were important in maintaining social order. Men gave cattle to the king (mugabe) to demonstrate their loyalty and to mark life-cycle changes or victories in cattle raiding. This loyalty was often tested by the king's demands for cattle or for military service. The reign of Ntare V is full of examples of famous Bairu emitwe leaders, such as Ruhara, who was also a regional chief. Ruharu was a close friend of King Ntare V. He gained great fame and renown because of the leading part he played in conquering large parts of Rwampara County, which was previously part of the Mpororo kingdom. Ruhara, together with other Iru such as Koyokoma and Rwankwiiziire, played the leading role in traveling across Nkore to stop the flow of people fleeing Nkore after the death of Ntare V, showing their great influence and personal standing in the society. Iru and Hima relations Nkore society was composed of the Iru (pl. Bairu) and Hima (pl. Bahima). The Iru were cultivators who had some cattle while the Hima were those engaged almost exclusively in pastoralism (often having herds in the many dozens or even hundreds). The Bairu and Bahima did not have many opportunities to mix much due to the simple fact that they had different lifestyles which did not give them much time left for communal leisure gatherings. The Bairu engaged in the cultivation of finger millet like, the building of homesteads, brewing beer, and the hunting of wild game for meat, which the Bahima (except for beer drinking did not engage in. The Hima settled a specific region of marshlands which was mostly devoid of population, with only a few scattered agriculturalists living there. There were virtually no contacts between the two groups. In Nkore, it was believed that that "obwiru" [the state of being a Mwiru] was poverty; he who was poor was a Mwiru; he who was rich was a Muhima. Marko Kiiza of the Kingdom of Igara says: A number of social pressures worked to destroy Hima domination of Nkore. ==Military==

The Iru were able to join the army and even lead army units (emitwe). Bairu warriors were considered far superior to the ordinary Iru farmers and also to the ordinary Hima (who were derisively called "tick eaters"). Bairu leaders of the emitwe were as equal as the Bahima who held the same office and were of greater standing than those Bairu or Bahima who did not. Poems and songs of praise were sung about the exploits of Iru warriors against the rival Kingdom of Rwanda. Kananura, a member of the Hororo people, speaks of the military organization of Nkore: "A war expedition without the Bairu could not be contemplated or be successful. The Omukama used to call out all his male subjects to fight if there was a war to be fought." An Iru named Katare (son of Kobengo) was one of the most famous warriors during the reign of Ntare IV, and his praises are still sung in Ankole today; ==List of Abagabe of Ankole==

Names and dates up to 1967 taken from John Stewart's African States and Rulers. ==Nkole people==

Nkole people are a Bantu ethnic group native to Uganda. They primarily inhabit Ankole. They are closely related to other Bantu peoples of the region, namely the Nyoro, Kiga, Tooro and Hema peoples. Their population is 4,187,445 (9.8% of Uganda).People from Ankole region are referred to as “Banyankore”. The Banyankore speak Orunyankore, a Great Lakes Bantu language. There were an estimated 12.3 million native speakers in 2014. ==Counties of Nkole (Amashaza)==

Nkore Kingdom was divided into ten counties. These counties are now divided into various political constituencies. But the original ten counties of Nkore include: • Kashari • Isingiro • Rwampara • Nyabushozi • Ibanda • Sheema • Kajjara • Bunyaruguru • Igara Bushenyi • Buhweju ==Nkole calendar==

The Nkore calendar was divided into 12 months. They were named according to weather conditions and activities done in that period. They include: • Biruuru • Kaatambuga • Katumba • Nyeikoma • Kyabahezi • Kahingo • Nyeirurwe • Kamena • Kicuransi • Kashwa • Museenene • Muzimbezi ==See also==