Clan (African Great Lakes): Difference between revisions
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In the [[African Great Lakes]] region, the '''clan''' is a unit of social organisation. It is the oldest societal structure in the region, other than family and direct lineage. The structure is found in modern-day [[Rwanda]], [[Burundi]], [[Tanzania]] and [[Uganda]]. |
In the [[African Great Lakes]] region, the '''clan''' is a unit of social organisation. It is the oldest societal structure in the region, other than family and direct lineage. The structure is found in modern-day [[Rwanda]], [[Burundi]], [[Tanzania]] and [[Uganda]]. |
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== Etymology == |
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The term ''clan'' was first used in the nineteenth century by Europeans, due to the similarities to other [[clan]] systems found across the world.{{sfn|Chrétien|2003|p=88}} The people of the area use a variety of vernacular terms to describe the concept: ''ubwoko'' in Rwanda, ''umuryango '' in Burundi, ''ruganda'' in the [[Bunyoro]] and [[Buhaya]] kingdoms, ''igise'' in [[Ha language|Buha]], ''ishanja'' in [[Buhavu]] and ''ebika'' in Buganda.{{sfn|Chrétien|2003|p=89}} |
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== Description == |
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Clan membership is a loose concept, with the correlation to lineage based more on oral tradition and personal belief than on concrete evidence.{{sfn|Chrétien|2003|p=88}} Clan members have dispersed over time, and are no longer associated with particular regions.{{sfn|Chrétien|2003|p=88}} Clans differ somewhat in their nature from country to country: in Rwanda the clan is a very structured unit, with twenty in total, themselves divided into subclans. The same holds in Nkore, which has only four clans.{{sfn|Chrétien|2003|p=89}} |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==References== |
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* {{cite book |last=Chrétien |first=Jean-Pierre |year=2003 |title=The Great Lakes of Africa: Two Thousand Years of History |edition=Hardcover |location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=1-890951-34-X |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ezo5PQAACAAJ |access-date=2010-10-18 }} |
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{{refend}} |
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[[Category:History of Africa]] |
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[[Category:African clans| ]] |
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Latest revision as of 02:28, 7 May 2024
In the African Great Lakes region, the clan is a unit of social organisation. It is the oldest societal structure in the region, other than family and direct lineage. The structure is found in modern-day Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda.
Etymology[edit]
The term clan was first used in the nineteenth century by Europeans, due to the similarities to other clan systems found across the world.[1] The people of the area use a variety of vernacular terms to describe the concept: ubwoko in Rwanda, umuryango in Burundi, ruganda in the Bunyoro and Buhaya kingdoms, igise in Buha, ishanja in Buhavu and ebika in Buganda.[2]
Description[edit]
Clan membership is a loose concept, with the correlation to lineage based more on oral tradition and personal belief than on concrete evidence.[1] Clan members have dispersed over time, and are no longer associated with particular regions.[1] Clans differ somewhat in their nature from country to country: in Rwanda the clan is a very structured unit, with twenty in total, themselves divided into subclans. The same holds in Nkore, which has only four clans.[2]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b c Chrétien 2003, p. 88.
- ^ a b Chrétien 2003, p. 89.
References[edit]
- Chrétien, Jean-Pierre (2003). The Great Lakes of Africa: Two Thousand Years of History (Hardcover ed.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 1-890951-34-X. Retrieved 2010-10-18.