Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Rwanda does not have a long history of written literature, but there is a strong oral tradition ranging from poetry to folk stories. In particular the pre-colonial royal court developed traditions of ibitekerezo (epic musical poetry), ubucurabwenge (royal genealogies typically recited at coronation ceremonies), and ibisigo (royal poems). [ 16 ]
Human occupation of Rwanda is thought to have begun shortly after the last ice age.By the 11th century, [1] the inhabitants had organized into a number of kingdoms. In the 19th century, Mwami Rwabugiri of the Kingdom of Rwanda conducted a decades-long process of military conquest and administrative consolidation that resulted in the kingdom coming to control most of what is now Rwanda.
Belgian relations with Rwanda started under the League of Nations mandate when the modern-day countries of Rwanda and Burundi were governed as Ruanda-Urundi. As the colonial power, Rwanda's relationship with Belgium has been significant throughout the country's history, even after independence.
Prior to the arrival of colonists, Rwanda had been ruled by a Tutsi-dominated monarchy since the 15th century. In 1897, Germany established a presence in Rwanda with the formation of an alliance with the king, beginning the colonial era. [13] Later, Belgium took control in 1916 during World War I.
The largest ethnic groups in Rwanda are the Hutus, which make up about 85% of Rwanda's population; the Tutsis, which are 14%; and the Twa, which are around 1%. [1] Starting with the Tutsi feudal monarchy rule of the 10th century, the Hutus were a subjugated social group. Belgian colonization also contributed to the tensions between the Hutus ...
After independence from Belgium in 1962, effort were made to revive and preserve traditional arts and cultural practices. [1] Intore inyanza. The 1994 genocide against Tutsi was a tragic event that profoundly affected Rwandan society including its cultural and artistic expressions. In the post genocide period, Rwanda has experienced a cultural ...
The origins of the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa peoples is a major issue of controversy in the histories of Rwanda and Burundi, as well as the Great Lakes region of Africa.The relationship among the three modern populations is thus, in many ways, derived from the perceived origins and claim to "Rwandan-ness".
Rwanda is occupied by Belgian forces. 1922: 20 July: Rwanda-Urundi are joined as a League of Nations mandate, governed by Belgium. [1] 1933: All citizens in Rwanda-Urundi are issued with an identity card defining their ethnicity. 1943: Famine affects the region. 1945: Rwanda-Urundi becomes a United Nations Trust Territory. 1957: The Hutu ...