What caused the 1865 religious wars?
Why don’t different religious groups in Uganda get along? </b>Frederick Womakuyu</b> sought to answer this question. Discover the genesis of the conflict in the first of a two-part series ...
Why don’t different religious groups in Uganda get along? Frederick Womakuyu sought to answer this question. Discover the genesis of the conflict in the first of a two-part series ...
RELIGIOUS wars in Uganda started with the arrival of foreigners. The first foreigners to come to Uganda were Arabs introducing Islam, followed by Protestants and Catholics, with Christianity.
According to enteruganda.com, the competition between Catholics and Protestants in Buganda was a reflection of the rivalry between France and England for spheres of influence where they could obtain cheap raw materials.
“Suspicious of their motives, Mutesa had confined the missionaries at the court and hence, the conversions started with royal chiefs and pages. As the two religious sects started advancing their agendas, they started conflicting with each other,†it stated.
They had many disputes and failed to provide arms to Mutesa.
The Arabs took advantage of these conflicts to spread Islam, improve trade and discredit the Christian factions, thus gaining ground in Buganda.
Enteruganda.com explains that the traditional political leaders, who had lost ground with the arrival of the new religions, came back and gained momentum.
“Mutesa lost confidence in missionaries and, consequently, the Catholics decided to remove themselves and establish a station at Kagei, south of L. Victoria in 1882. They remained there until Mwanga summoned them back to Rubaga in 1885,†it adds.
Mutesa died in 1884 and was succeeded by Mwanga, who was threatened by events like the news of Karl Peters signing treaties with leaders in Tanzania.
Then there was the coming of Bishop James Hannington from the east, a route believed to cause trouble to the kingdom, says. “Mwanga ordered the arrest of the bishop, his detention and later execution.â€
“Religion started spreading to the entire kingdom; the pages started giving respect to the preachers; they started questioning the Kabaka, denouncing authoritarian rule and preaching what they regarded as ‘democracy’. This marked the decline in the traditional system of governance.â€
Increasingly seeing his authority being undermined, in 1885, Kabaka Mwanga ordered the execution of three converts to re-assert his authority.
By 1886, Mwanga who was ill-advised by traditionalists ordered the denunciation of religion by every Muganda.
“Those who refused to denounce were burnt alive at Namugongo. This changed the pace of events, for Christians were determined to have a political platform,†it adds. This perturbed Mwanga so much that he was determined to get rid of the preachers and their followers. He planned to maroon them on an island on L. Victoria and starve them to death. “The plot didn’t succeed as the people who were supposed to implement it leaked it to the concerned parties.â€
RELIGIOUS wars in Uganda started with the arrival of foreigners. The first foreigners to come to Uganda were Arabs introducing Islam, followed by Protestants and Catholics, with Christianity.
According to enteruganda.com, the competition between Catholics and Protestants in Buganda was a reflection of the rivalry between France and England for spheres of influence where they could obtain cheap raw materials.
“Suspicious of their motives, Mutesa had confined the missionaries at the court and hence, the conversions started with royal chiefs and pages. As the two religious sects started advancing their agendas, they started conflicting with each other,†it stated.
They had many disputes and failed to provide arms to Mutesa.
The Arabs took advantage of these conflicts to spread Islam, improve trade and discredit the Christian factions, thus gaining ground in Buganda.
Enteruganda.com explains that the traditional political leaders, who had lost ground with the arrival of the new religions, came back and gained momentum.
“Mutesa lost confidence in missionaries and, consequently, the Catholics decided to remove themselves and establish a station at Kagei, south of L. Victoria in 1882. They remained there until Mwanga summoned them back to Rubaga in 1885,†it adds.
Mutesa died in 1884 and was succeeded by Mwanga, who was threatened by events like the news of Karl Peters signing treaties with leaders in Tanzania.
Then there was the coming of Bishop James Hannington from the east, a route believed to cause trouble to the kingdom, says. “Mwanga ordered the arrest of the bishop, his detention and later execution.â€
“Religion started spreading to the entire kingdom; the pages started giving respect to the preachers; they started questioning the Kabaka, denouncing authoritarian rule and preaching what they regarded as ‘democracy’. This marked the decline in the traditional system of governance.â€
Increasingly seeing his authority being undermined, in 1885, Kabaka Mwanga ordered the execution of three converts to re-assert his authority.
By 1886, Mwanga who was ill-advised by traditionalists ordered the denunciation of religion by every Muganda.
“Those who refused to denounce were burnt alive at Namugongo. This changed the pace of events, for Christians were determined to have a political platform,†it adds. This perturbed Mwanga so much that he was determined to get rid of the preachers and their followers. He planned to maroon them on an island on L. Victoria and starve them to death. “The plot didn’t succeed as the people who were supposed to implement it leaked it to the concerned parties.â€