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Bunyoro

historical kingdom, East Africa
Also known as: Bunyoro-Kitara

Bunyoro, East African kingdom that flourished from the 16th to the 19th century west of Lake Victoria, in present-day Uganda. Bunyoro was established by invaders from the north; as cattle keepers, the immigrants constituted a privileged social group that ruled over the Bantu-speaking agriculturalists. The kingdom continued to expand under its priest-kings until about 1800, when it started to lose territory to its neighbour, Buganda. Bunyoro’s last ruler, Kabarega, was deposed in 1894 by the British, who favoured Buganda; the kingdom was absorbed into the British protectorate in 1896.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Laura Etheredge.
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