what is Ugandan literature?
Pre-colonial Uganda was home to diverse kingdoms and chiefdoms, including the Buganda Kingdom, Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, and others, each with its own political systems and cultures. The European expansion started in the 1860s–1870s; explorers like John Hanning Speke and Henry Morton Stanley arrived, mapping the region and seeking the source of the Nile. Another important timeline point is 1877–1879: Christian missionaries from the Church Missionary Society (Protestant) and the White Fathers (Catholic) began evangelizing in Uganda, leading to religious conflicts in the Buganda Kingdom. In 1888, the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) was chartered to administer the region, yet it was only in 1894 that Uganda officially became a British Protectorate after the British government assumed control following the IBEAC's financial struggles. The British initially used the Buganda Kingdom's administrative structures to establish indirect rule, granting significant power to Buganda chiefs. The introduction of Christianity led to conflicts between Protestant, Catholic, and traditional factions in the Buganda Kingdom, known as the Religious Wars (1888–1892). The 1894 Anglo-Ganda Agreement solidified the alliance between the British and the Buganda Kingdom, creating divisions between Buganda and other regions.
Early resistance came from kingdoms like Bunyoro, led by King Kabalega, who fought British colonization until his defeat in 1899. In the 20th century, nationalist movements emerged, advocating for independence: the Uganda National Congress (UNC), founded in 1952, and later the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), led efforts toward self-governance. Uganda gained independence in 1962, with Milton Obote becoming the first Prime Minister. The Buganda Kingdom retained semi-autonomy under the federal arrangement. The post-independence decades were tragically shaped by Idi Amin's regime and civil wars involving the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
At the beginning, naturally, there were oral traditions, performed in native languages such as Luganda, Luo, Runyankore, and others. Ugandan written literature appeared in the 20th century and exploited, in many ways, that background. There are several names to retain: Okot p’Bitek (1931–1982), best known for Song of Lawino (1966) and Song of Ocol, which blend traditional Acholi oral poetry with modern themes, Barbara Kimenye (1929–2012), renowned for her children’s literature, particularly the Moses series, which humorously depicts life in a Ugandan boarding school, Peter Nazareth, the author of In a Brown Mantle, John Nagenda, known for his poetry and novels like The Seasons of Thomas Tebo, and a contemporary poet and short-story writer, Mildred Barya. Among the emerging voices of the 21st century, there are Doreen Baingana (Tropical Fish), Monica Arac de Nyeko (winner of the 2007 Caine Prize for Jambula Tree), and Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Kintu, The First Woman).
Early resistance came from kingdoms like Bunyoro, led by King Kabalega, who fought British colonization until his defeat in 1899. In the 20th century, nationalist movements emerged, advocating for independence: the Uganda National Congress (UNC), founded in 1952, and later the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), led efforts toward self-governance. Uganda gained independence in 1962, with Milton Obote becoming the first Prime Minister. The Buganda Kingdom retained semi-autonomy under the federal arrangement. The post-independence decades were tragically shaped by Idi Amin's regime and civil wars involving the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
At the beginning, naturally, there were oral traditions, performed in native languages such as Luganda, Luo, Runyankore, and others. Ugandan written literature appeared in the 20th century and exploited, in many ways, that background. There are several names to retain: Okot p’Bitek (1931–1982), best known for Song of Lawino (1966) and Song of Ocol, which blend traditional Acholi oral poetry with modern themes, Barbara Kimenye (1929–2012), renowned for her children’s literature, particularly the Moses series, which humorously depicts life in a Ugandan boarding school, Peter Nazareth, the author of In a Brown Mantle, John Nagenda, known for his poetry and novels like The Seasons of Thomas Tebo, and a contemporary poet and short-story writer, Mildred Barya. Among the emerging voices of the 21st century, there are Doreen Baingana (Tropical Fish), Monica Arac de Nyeko (winner of the 2007 Caine Prize for Jambula Tree), and Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Kintu, The First Woman).
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Moses Isegawa and the Dutch
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| literatury_mniejsze_w_perspektywie.pdf |
