SOAS Research Online

Abstract

In committing Buganda's oral traditions to writing, Kaggwa did not consciously set out to write a history of Buganda. Consequently, some of these traditions are mere legends, though they are being increasingly used by the historians as historical sources. Such interest, has demonstrated the need for a critical study of these traditions so as to disentangle history from mythology. And in order to make Kaggwa's work available to the world of learning, an English translation has been made with annotations. But although we have found the Kiganda traditions largely reliable some of the conclusions drawn from them are by no means definitive. One learns from these traditions, something about the settlement and the expansion of Buganda, and the growth of her political institutions. Buganda's early history is that of a struggling small kingdom surrounded by a powerful neighbour, Bunyoro. But the picture changes during the 17th century when Buganda begins to expand at Bunyoro's expense, and by the beginning of the 19th century, she had already become the dominant power. This expansion, created administrative and military problems. Hence new chieftainships were established and through them, Buganda developed an efficient system of local government dominated by the King. But originally the king was more or less equal to the Bataka. Buganda's isolation from the outside world, was broken during the reign of Suna II by the visits of the Arabs. They were followed by the European explorers and missionaries during the reign of Mutesa I. Their existence in Buganda, the introduction of firearms and other trade goods, the teachings of Christianity and Islam; combined to accelerate the political and social revolution which had begun two centuries before.