World History
History of Burundi. This essay provides a good overview to the history of the African nation of Burundi.
From the site:
In the 16th century, Burundi was a kingdom characterized by a hierarchical political authority and tributary economic exchange. A king (mwani) headed a princely aristocracy (ganwa) which owned most of the land and required a tribute, or tax, from local farmers and herders. In the mid-18th century, this Tutsi royalty consolidated authority over land, production, and distribution with the development of the ubugabire--a patron-client relationship in which the populace received royal protection in exchange for tribute and land tenure.
Although European explorers and missionaries made brief visits to the area as early as 1856, it was not until 1899 that Burundi came under German East African administration. In 1916 Belgian troops occupied the area. In 1923, the League of Nations mandated to Belgium the territory of Ruanda-Urundi, encompassing modern-day Rwanda and Burundi. The Belgians administered the territory through indirect rule, building on the Tutsi-dominated aristocratic hierarchy. Following World War II, Ruanda-Urundi became a United Nations Trust Territory under Belgian administrative authority. After 1948, Belgium permitted the emergence of competing political parties. Two political parties emerged: the Union for National Progress (UPRONA), a multi-ethnic party led by Tutsi Prince Louis Rwagasore and the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) supported by Belgium. In 1961, Prince Rwagasore was assassinated following an UPRONA victory in legislative elections.
Full independence was achieved on July 1, 1962. In the context of weak democratic institutions at independence, Tutsi King Mwambutsa IV established a constitutional monarchy comprising equal numbers of Hutus and Tutsis. The 1965 assassination of the Hutu prime minister set in motion a series of destabilizing Hutu revolts and subsequent governmental repression. In 1966, King Mwambutsa was deposed by his son, Prince Ntare IV, who himself was deposed the same year by a military coup lead by Capt. Michel Micombero. Micombero abolished the monarchy and declared a republic, although a de facto military regime emerged. In 1972, an aborted Hutu rebellion triggered the flight of hundreds of thousands of Burundians. Civil unrest continued throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.
- History Of Nations - Africa
The History of Nations has a nice collection of African national histories up at History of Nations - Africa. A few of these are out-of-date by a few years. Others concentrate too much on recent history while neglecting most of the past. As a whole though,...
- History Of Tanzania
History of Tanzania. This is a short but useful essay on the history of the African nation of Tanzania. Wikipedia notes, "The United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania in Swahili), or Tanzania, is a country on the east coast of east...
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History of Democratic Republic of Congo. This is a short but helpful history to the African nation formerly known as Zaire. From the site: The area known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was populated as early as 10,000 years ago and settled in...
- History Of Burkina Faso
History of Burkina Faso. Offers an interesting but still short essay on the history of the African nation of Burkina Faso. From the site: Until the end of the 19th century, the history of Burkina Faso was dominated by the empire-building Mossi....
- History Of Benin
History of Benin. This is a short but interesting history of Benin. From the site: Benin was the seat of one of the great medieval African kingdoms called Dahomey. Europeans began arriving in the area in the 18th century, as the kingdom of Dahomey...
World History
History of Burundi
History of Burundi. This essay provides a good overview to the history of the African nation of Burundi.
From the site:
In the 16th century, Burundi was a kingdom characterized by a hierarchical political authority and tributary economic exchange. A king (mwani) headed a princely aristocracy (ganwa) which owned most of the land and required a tribute, or tax, from local farmers and herders. In the mid-18th century, this Tutsi royalty consolidated authority over land, production, and distribution with the development of the ubugabire--a patron-client relationship in which the populace received royal protection in exchange for tribute and land tenure.
Although European explorers and missionaries made brief visits to the area as early as 1856, it was not until 1899 that Burundi came under German East African administration. In 1916 Belgian troops occupied the area. In 1923, the League of Nations mandated to Belgium the territory of Ruanda-Urundi, encompassing modern-day Rwanda and Burundi. The Belgians administered the territory through indirect rule, building on the Tutsi-dominated aristocratic hierarchy. Following World War II, Ruanda-Urundi became a United Nations Trust Territory under Belgian administrative authority. After 1948, Belgium permitted the emergence of competing political parties. Two political parties emerged: the Union for National Progress (UPRONA), a multi-ethnic party led by Tutsi Prince Louis Rwagasore and the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) supported by Belgium. In 1961, Prince Rwagasore was assassinated following an UPRONA victory in legislative elections.
Full independence was achieved on July 1, 1962. In the context of weak democratic institutions at independence, Tutsi King Mwambutsa IV established a constitutional monarchy comprising equal numbers of Hutus and Tutsis. The 1965 assassination of the Hutu prime minister set in motion a series of destabilizing Hutu revolts and subsequent governmental repression. In 1966, King Mwambutsa was deposed by his son, Prince Ntare IV, who himself was deposed the same year by a military coup lead by Capt. Michel Micombero. Micombero abolished the monarchy and declared a republic, although a de facto military regime emerged. In 1972, an aborted Hutu rebellion triggered the flight of hundreds of thousands of Burundians. Civil unrest continued throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s.
- History Of Nations - Africa
The History of Nations has a nice collection of African national histories up at History of Nations - Africa. A few of these are out-of-date by a few years. Others concentrate too much on recent history while neglecting most of the past. As a whole though,...
- History Of Tanzania
History of Tanzania. This is a short but useful essay on the history of the African nation of Tanzania. Wikipedia notes, "The United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania in Swahili), or Tanzania, is a country on the east coast of east...
- History Of Democratic Republic Of Congo
History of Democratic Republic of Congo. This is a short but helpful history to the African nation formerly known as Zaire. From the site: The area known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was populated as early as 10,000 years ago and settled in...
- History Of Burkina Faso
History of Burkina Faso. Offers an interesting but still short essay on the history of the African nation of Burkina Faso. From the site: Until the end of the 19th century, the history of Burkina Faso was dominated by the empire-building Mossi....
- History Of Benin
History of Benin. This is a short but interesting history of Benin. From the site: Benin was the seat of one of the great medieval African kingdoms called Dahomey. Europeans began arriving in the area in the 18th century, as the kingdom of Dahomey...