Mwanga II of Buganda
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mwanga II Basammula Ekkere (1868 - 1903) was the last Kabaka (King) of independent Buganda. He succeeded his father, Mutesa I, in 1884. Mwanga saw the greatest threat to his rule coming from the Christian missionaries that had gradually been penetrating Buganda. His father had tried to play-off Catholics against Protestants to thus balance the influence of the colonial powers that were backing each group. Mwanga took a much more aggressive approach, expelling missionaries and insisting Christian converts abandon their faith on pain of torture or death.
A number of young pages killed, who became known as the Uganda Martyrs, were canonised in 1964. In 1885 he had the incoming archbishop James Hannington murdered on the border of his kingdom. Among the executed in 1885 and 1886 were two Christian men who held the court position of Master of the Pages, Joseph Msaka Balikuddembe and Charles Lwanga, who repeatedly defied the king by rescuing the young royal pages in their care from Mwanga's pedophilic sexual exploitation because of their moral and religious beliefs.[1]
These murders and Mwanga's continued resistance raised the ire of the British, however, who backed a rebellion by Christian and Muslim groups that backed Mwanga's half brother and defeated Mwanga at Mengo in 1888. Mwanga's brother was elevated to the throne, but Mwanga escaped and negotiated with the British. In exchange for handing over some of his sovereignty to the British East Africa Company, the British changed their backing to Mwanga, who swiftly deposed his usurping brother in 1889. In 1894 he accepted that Buganda would be a British protectorate.
He soon chafed under British control and in 1897 revolted against the colonizers, fleeing to the hills. On January 15, 1898 he was defeated at Kislaira by British-backed forces. He was captured in 1899 and exiled to the Seychelles, where he spent the rest of his life in exile. He was replaced on the Bugandan throne by his young son Daudi Cwa II.
[edit] References
- ^ Hamilton, Kenneth (2002-11-22), “The Flames of Namugongo: Postcoloniality Meets Queer on African Soil?”, The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry, <http://clgs.org/5/postcolonial_queer_african.html>. Retrieved on 2007-10-09
| Preceded by Mutesa I |
King of Buganda 1884 – 1888 |
Succeeded by Kiwewa Mutebi II |
| Preceded by Kalema |
King of Buganda 1889 – 1897 |
Succeeded by Daudi Cwa II |
