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According to oral tradition in the area of the Great Lakes of Africa, the Empire of Kitara (also known as ''Bachwezi'', ''Bacwezi'', or ''Chwezi'' empire) was ruled into the 16th century by a dynasty known as the Bachwezi (or Chwezi), successors of the ''Batembuzi Dynasty''. The sphere of influence of this empire would have included what corresponds to modern Uganda, northern Tanzania, eastern Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Burundi. There is no evidence of the historicity of such an empire, and scholarly opinion is sceptical, but the tradition has been important in the political history of the East African Community, especially in the Buganda kingdom of the 19th century, whose kings sought legitimacy by declaring themselves the heirs of the Kitara empire.〔Doyle, Shane. ''"(Bacwezi and Kitara: Genealogy and political legitimacy in Uganda, from 1860 to the present day ) "The founding myths of a number of Great Lakes kingdoms claim inheritance from an ancient empire of Kitara, ruled by a dynasty known as the Bacwezi. These claims are treated by historians today with a great deal of scepticism. Kitara, if it ever existed, seems unlikely to have been a centrally controlled, homogeneous empire. The Bacwezi were most probably a collection of local deities, redesignated as a dynasty by incoming monarchs, seeking to add to their legitimacy. But there can be no denying the power of images of Kitara and the Bacwezi in the politics of the region. This paper would examine two of the ways by which political leaders have appropriated the legacy of Uganda's ancient past. Most obviously, Uganda's kings from the late 19th century to the present day, have sought to claim the title of true heir of Kitara, in order to secure the favour of foreign power-brokers. More interestingly, the ideological legacy of the Kitara empire has in some cases limited the ethnic exclusiveness of 'traditional' kingship in the region. The kingdom of Bunyoro, in western Uganda, has encouraged immigration from other parts of East Africa for at least fifty years, on the grounds that Kitara had also been an expanding, multi-ethnic empire, and that the current Babito dynasty has bridged the divide between Bantu- and Luo-speakers in the region." 〕〔Mwambutsya, Ndebesa, "(Pre-capitalist Social Formation: The Case of the Banyankole of Southwestern Uganda. )" ''Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review'' 6, no. 2; 7, no. 1 (June 1990 and January 1991): 78-95.〕 ==Batembuzi dynasty== The Batembuzi are known in oral traditions from Bunyoro, Toro, Ankole, Rwanda and Karagwe. They are considered as demi-gods – superhumans with divine creative power who did not die but merely disappeared into the underworld. The founder of the Batembuzi dynasty is said to have been Ruhanga, also considered to be the creator. According to an Uganda Travel Guide, the traditional lineage of Batembuzi kings is: * ''Ruhanga'', the creator * ''Nkya'', brother of Ruhanga * ''Kakama'', son of Nkya * ''Bada'', son of Kakama * ''Ngonzaki'', son of Bada * ''Isaza'', son of Ngonzaki 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Empire of Kitara」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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