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Nkole people


FieldValue
native_nameBanyankole
native_name_langOrunyoro
flagFlag of Ankole.svg
flag_captionFlag of the Ankole Kingdom.
imageDancers(Ankole).jpg
total3,216,332
regionsUganda
languagesRunyankoleSwahiliEnglish
religionsPredominantly
Christianity and Ankole Religion
Minority
Islam
related_groupsother Rutara people (Bakiga, Batooro, Banyoro, Bahema, Bahaya and Baruuli)

Christianity and Ankole Religion Minority Islam

The Nkole people, also known as the Banyankole, are a Bantu ethnic group native to the Ankole region of Uganda. They are primarily found in the southwestern part of the country, in what was historically known as the Ankole Kingdom. The Banyankole are known for their rich cultural heritage and traditional cattle-keeping practices. They are closely related to other Bantu peoples of the region, namely the Nyoro, Kiga, Toro and Hema people.

History

Origins and early history

The Banyankole are part of the larger Bantu-speaking peoples who migrated from Central and West Africa to the Great Lakes region of East Africa over a millennium ago.

Archaeological evidence and oral traditions suggest that the Banyankole settled in the Ankole region between the 10th and 15th centuries. Their early history is characterized by the establishment of the Ankole Kingdom, a centralized monarchy that played a significant role in the region's politics and culture.

Culture

Language

The Banyankole speak Runyankole, a Bantu language closely related to other languages in the region such as Rukiga, Runyoro, and Rutooro. Runyankole serves as a vital part of these people's identity used in everyday communication and cultural ceremonies and it is widely spoken in southwestern part of the country.

Social structure

Traditional Banyankole society is divided into two main social classes: the Bahima and the Bairu. The Bahima are primarily cattle herders, known for their long-horned Ankole cattle, while the Bairu are primarily agriculturalists. This division has historically influenced social roles and interactions within Banyankole communities.

Religion

The Banyankole tribe in Uganda is predominantly Christian, with a significant majority of its members practicing Christianity. The Banyankole people are primarily adherents of the Roman Catholic and Anglican (Church of Uganda) denominations. According to the 2002 Census of Uganda 52.6% of Banyankole are Anglican and 34.8% are Roman Catholic. A minority at 5.2% are Muslim and 4.6% Pentecostal.

Names

There are several names they are referred to as. These include the following ones: Ankole, Ankori, Banyankole, Banyankore, Nkoles, Nkore, Nyankole, Nyankore, Ouanyankori, Runyankole, Runyankore, Uluyankole, Uluyankore.

References

Other sources

  • John Roscoe, The Banyankole: the second part of the report of the Mackie Ethnological Expedition to Central Africa, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1923, 176 p.

References

  1. (2 November 2023). "Uganda".
  2. "National Population and Housing Census 2014 - Main Report".
  3. (2023-10-03). "Ankole sub-region". Wikipedia.
  4. Roscoe, John. (September 2011). "The Northern Bantu". Cambridge University Press.
  5. "Population Composition".
  6. Source [[Library of Congress Subject Headings. LCSH]], [[Bibliothèque nationale de France. BnF]] [http://data.bnf.fr/12488303/nkole__peuple_d_afrique_/]
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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