History and Tradition of the Kingdoms of Bunyoro and Toro in the Light of Jan Czekanowski’s Research

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the history of the Bunyoro and Toro Kingdoms in the light of research of the eminent Polish anthropologist, Jan Czekanowski. Czekanowski conducted field research in the kingdom of Toro in 1908, when both Bunyoro and Toro were part of the Uganda Protectorate. Bunyoro and Toro ceased to exist as political entities in 1966, after Uganda gained independence. They recovered their position in 1993 and today their kings try again to combine their old tradition with modernity and to define their place in the contemporary political, social, cultural and economic country life. Jan Czekanowski’s research, though not well-known outside of Poland, is a valuable contribution to the studies of their pre-colonial history.