RULERS OF BAROTSELAND OVER LAST 400 YEARS 1. Queen Mwambwa 2. Queen Mbuywamwambwa (daughter of Mwambwa) The mother of the Barotse Kingship is Mbuywamwambwa. The Barotse kings over the last four hundred years and up to date, are each directly linked to the blood line of her womb. She ruled for many decades, and in old age either proposed or consented to the introduction of Barotseland’s male line of rulers, which continues up to date. For the first King she appointed her son Muyunda, who was accordingly but with resistance put on the Barotse throne as Litunga Mboo, even though he had at least three elder brothers, Inyambo, Yeta and Mwanambinji, a factor cause disquiet from the begin of male governance. Hence, from the very beginning, there has been no “crown prince” or “personal entitlement” culture in the Barotse system of Kingship, since the kingship, itself, does not belong to the Royal family but to the people who are ever free to a person of their choice from among members of the Royal family but without interference or solicitation from any member of the Royal family. 3. Mboo (Muyunda Mwanasulundu) (son of Mbuywamwambwa) (Ngambela Ing’uwa) The bringing together of the nucleus communities that begun the process of towards national composition and integration were already taking place during the reign of Mboo, with the inclusion of Mulinga, Ipangoma, Mishulundu, Namatle, Muenyi and Mbowe communities, while fending the Kingdom from outside aggression, such as from the Maandonyi people. 4. Inyambo (Elder brother of Mboo. The name Inyambo means suffering. It is given as a lamentation of a parent implying that during suffering, one may only depend on one’s own child.) (Ngambela Imandi) 5. Yeta the First (Namanda –Mwambwa Son of Mbuywamwambwa, who has eft a reputation for kindness to vulnerable people, animals and natural environment, although at the end of his reign he had an offending Ngambela put to death!) Ngambela Yalenga) 6. Ngalama (Son of Mbuywamwambwa) (Ngambela Iwaka) The father of the Barotse Kingship is Ngalama. After his reign and up to date, all Barotse kings are each directly linked to his male blood line, starting with his son, Nalutu, who was enthroned as Yeta the Second. 7. Yeta the Second (Nalutu son of Ngalama) (Ngambela Nakukwa) 8. Ngombala (Son of Ngalama) (Ngambela Namunda) 9. Yubya (Namunda) 10. Mwanawina the First (Wa Lienono) (Ngambela Namunda) 11. Mwananyanda (Liwale) ( Ngambela Maboshe) 12. Mulambwa (Notulu Maimbolwa Santulu) (Ngambela Muswa) The pillars and nature of the Barotse Constitutional monarch and Barotseland’s multi-ethnic nationality nature was established during the reign of King Mulambwa. He reigned for more than thirty years. He is credited with five main contributions to nation building. (1) the legal foundation for the Barotse constitutional monarch and Barotse principles of the rule of lay. (2) Resistance and campaign against involvement in European slave trade. (3) Economics of specialization and exchange between and among different communities and a mechanism of national integration. (4) establishing Barotseland firmly as a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation, through welcoming and integrating Mbunda people and others from territories that now are part of Angola, where the Portugues and other Europeans had been causing havoc for centuries. . 13. Silumelume (Son of Mulambwa) (Ngambela Muswa) 14. Mubukwanu (Son of Mulambwa) (Ngambela Muswa) Conflict between Induna’s and citizens who begun fighting for or against Mubukwana or Silumelume as their preferred king placed Barotseland in a state of civil wars and vulnerability to hostile external forces, which opened the opportunity for a predominantly Basotho group under Sebitwane to conquer much of Barotseland. This continues to be a lesson crying out as a warning to Barotse people against the curse of in-fighting and failure to extend solidarity to a national rather than sectional and personal interests. During the about 35 year of Sotho (Makololo) Interregnum a) In Conquered Southern Barotseland 15. Sebitwane 16. Ma-Muchisane (Likuku) (Daughter of Sebitwane) 17. Sekeletu 18. Litali ( a baby with Mbololo as the Regent) b) Unconquered Northern Barotseland 19. Imasiku (Son of Mulambwa) 20. Imbuwa (Son of Mulambwa) 21. Meebelo (Anang’anga son of Mulambwa) 22. Sipopa (Son of Mulambwa) After the 1864 overthrowing of the Sotho (Makololo) regime, the nation was reunited and self governance re-established, with Sipopa continuing as King, until he was shot dead while he was out hunting on one of islands that are now part of territories ceded our international neighbors across the Zambezi River. 23. Mwanawina the Second (Son of Sibeso the son of Mulambwa was enthroned as King after Sipopa, only to be ousted in 1878,. He was not captured or killed and he managed to go as far as territories that are now part of Mozambique, from where he mobilized half cast Portugues and African Kunda troop in an unsuccessful attempt to recapture the throne. His attempt faltered as his army was defeated by Barotse force somewhere in the vicinity of present day Kalomo.) 24. Lubosi (Mawaniketwa son of Litia son of Mulambwa and Inonge son of Akashambatwa) 25. Tatila ( Akufuna a descendant of Namiluku son of Mulambwa, brought in a King after a short lived coup d’etat in 1884) 26. Lewanika the First (Lubosi was brought back to the thrown in 1885, and given the praise name Liwanika-lya-Mafuchi – the unify and protector of diverse territories and communities, and reigned until 1916) King Lewanika the First, like King Moshoeshoe and Khama of Lesotho and the Mangwato in Botswana, managed to navigate and save his people, country and state from the threatening waters of ravaging European colonialism, so that at the end of his reign, it has been recorded that no African King or Kingdom achieved more to save what they could of their African lands and governments, by placing Barotseland under a British protectorate arrangement that internationally left mush of the land i9n African native hands up o Independence, and domestically he left a Barotse National Government secure enough for him to be succeeded by four of his sons, starting with his first born Litia 27. Yeta the Third (Litia son of Lewanika the First. He reigned from 1916 to 1945) 28. Imwiko the First (Mwann’ono Imasiku Kufekisa son of Lewanika the First. He reigned from 1945 to 1948) 29. Mwanawina the Third (Mwanawina son of Lewanika the First> he reigned from 1948 to 1968) 30. Lewanika the Second (Mbikusita Akabiwa Sandi son of Lewanika the First. He reigned from 1968 to 1977) Litunga Lewanika the Second, like his brothers who became Kings as well as the other who held other positions in the Barotse Government after their father, never ceased to seek diplomatic and civil ways of saving Barotse people, country and state from, first, the risks of being ill-cast in the uncharted winds of departing European colonialism and, later, incoming governance under hostile and disrespectful African governance after Independence. At the end of the reign of the sons of King Lewanika the First, the fundamentals of Barotseland remained, even though much tormented and wounded. Every peaceful, friendly and civil approach has been applied to get Zambian government authorities to respect the letter and spirit of the Barotseland Agreement, and have it restored, as it is the only negotiated and agreed basis for making Barotseland an integral part of Zambia. This has not born positive fruit, particularly on account of a minority of Barotse people who have been nothing short of treacherous.. Meanwhile, of the Zambian Government side, false promises, political tricks and mockery of Barotseland as well as the use of tear gas, guns, jails and all manner of threats and terror tactics, have been brought to bear against the Barotse Government and people over the Barotseland Agreement. This has continued, and even escalated, as the grandsons of King Lewanika the First have taken over the throne. However, the fundamental of Barotseland have remained in tact, and the consciousness and we are witnessing that the general commitment of Barotse people is even becoming more formidable, as these suppressive measures escalate. 31. Yeta the Fourth ( Ilute son of Yeta the Third, grandson of Lewanika the First. He reigned from 1977 to 2000) 32. Imwiko the Second (Lubosi son of Imwiko the First, grandson of Lewanika the First. He is the reigning King
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 13:26:36 +0000
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