Buganda
until 1889 		1918-1939







Uganda 1890-1918



A.) Buganda under the I.B.E.A.

In 1889 German colonial politician CARL PETERS obtained a Treaty from the Bugandan king MWANGA, asking for German protection. Yet the same king previously had agreed to accept the B.E.A. company flag sent to him by Mr. Frederick Jackson, with the understanding that the acceptance meant placing his kingdom under British protection. In the Treaty of 1890, Germany ceded it's claims to Uganda in return for Heligoland, a small island located in the North Sea.
Now British colonial politician FREDERICK LUGARD, acting as an agent of the IBEA (Imperial British East Africa Company) entered the kingdom of Buganda and established a Fort at KAMPALA. In Jan. 1892 fighting broke out between the Protestant and Catholic factions; the Catholics, on the losing side, fled, Mwanga with them. A peace was negotiated and he was restored to the throne (Feb. 1892). The 'administration' of Uganda turned out to be too burdensome for the B.E.A. and the latter announced her intention to withdraw.


B.) British Protectorate

In 1893, the IBEA transferred it's rights to the British Government, and a PROTECTORATE was proclaimed, to what effect a treaty was signed in 1893. The British established Kampala as their capital and extended the protectorate, now called UGANDA, beyond the borders of the Bugandan kingdom (1894). Certain areas, especially the Rudolph Province, effectively escaped British control until 1918. The Mwanga, in 1897, accused of plotting, was deported to the Seychelles, and succeeded by his infant son Daudi Chwa. Also in 1897 the Sudanese troops at Busogo mutinied; troops from India were brought in which restored British control (1898). Special Commissioner SIR HARRY JOHNSTON in 1900 signed an agreement with the Kabaka of Buganda, which regulated the relations between Buganda and the British administration, and guaranteed the Bugandan claims on land. From then on, Uganda experienced a long period of internal peace.
In 1903, Uganda's eastern highlands and Kavirondo Country were ceded to Kenya - to unify the area crossed by the railway line (Kenya and Uganda's eastern province) under one administration. The railway beginning at Mombasa had reached Kisumu on Lake Victoria at Christmas 1901.

In 1890 Britain leased the LADO ENCLAVE (Sudan) to King Leopold of Belgium, in return for a corridor between Lake Albert Edward and Lake Tanganyika), in the so-called MACKINNON TREATY - in an attempt to link up the Cape to Cairo railway (connected by steamer across Lake Tanganyika). Germany protested against this arrangement; the treaty never was ratified.
In 1908, the Lado Enclave, which in fact never before had been under British administration, but as forming part of the Nile Basin was within British territorial claim, "reverted" to British rule and was, for the most part, administratively incorporated into the Sudan (1910), as were parts of Ugandan territory (Gondokoro); only the southern tip of the Lado Enclave was integrated into Uganda.


The British established the seat of their administration at KAMPALA, capital of Buganda, which constituted the most valuable part of the colony. After an insurrection, the kings of Buganda and Unyoro were deported to the Seychelles (1897). In 1900 the Kingdom of Buganda was granted political autonomy; it was also turned into a constitutional monarchy.
The British relied on Bagandas as administrators and tax collectors in the outlying areas. The British have shown little interest in some of these outlying areas, especially the Rudolf Province, focussing instead heavily on the economically promising tracts, i.e. Buganda and Bunyoro.


Revenue and Expenditure Trade
Year


1906-07
1908-09
1909-10
1910-11
1911-12
1913-13
1913-14
1914-15
1915-16
1916-17
1917-18 		REVENUE


L 96,772
102,572
165,145
191,094
203,492
238,655
256,559
282,831
287,025
315,458
390,076 		GRANTS IN AID


L 112,000
95,000
103,262
96,000
65,000
45,000
35,000
10,000
dispensed with
dispensed with
dispensed with 		EXPENDITURE


L 191,502
256,337
240,240
252,374
283,689
292,147
290,180
289,213
285,072
297,575
292,913 		IMPORTS
Private Merchandise

L 222,588
281,254
288,876
347,823
428,199
535,891
754,754
483,144
609,823
948,895
EXPORTS
Domestic Produce

L 116,001
127,175
175,934
306,609
367,575
436,902
511,679
506,878
503,681
637,793
source : South and East African Year Book and Guide, 26th edition 1920 (scroll down)

Under British rule, COTTON was introduced as an export crop (1904), mostly planted by indigenous farmers on small farms, as were COFFEE and sugar cane later on. The main food crop grown by the Baganda was the banana. Uganda was connected by railway with Mombasa (Kenya) in 1901. Immigrants from British India came in, many of them merchants; the country attracted few white immigrants, as there was little farmland open for settlement. In 1915, the British government ceased to subsidize the protectorate, as revenue from increasing exports of cotton and coffee made Uganda economically independent. The economic development of the country, nevertheless, was handicapped by poor transportation facilities (few railroads).


The British respected the natives' claim to lands they cultivated (agreement of 1900); the British Crown claimed all lands not under cultivation. The British administration also respected native law and left the traditional political institutions intact.
Yet the Baganda and Banyoro revolted in 1897; the revolt was crushed and the kings were deported to the Seychelles. The Banyoro revolted again in 1907, this time against the Baganda tax collectors, who were recalled from their area.
The Buganda kingdom had preserved a considerable degree of political autonomy; the British administration attempted to focus settlement on the Toro Province instead.


C.) World War I

World War I broke out in 1914, and Uganda found itself with a stretch of the frontier to German East Africa. In 1916, German East Africa was occupied by the British and South Africans. Fighting ceased only in 1918, as the commander of the German colonial troops continued to fight a guerilla war until Germany surrendered. Uganda's economic development suffered due to the war.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Articles from Infoplease : Uganda
History of Buganda, from Buganda Homepage
Library of Congress, Country Study : Uganda
The MacKinnon Treaty, from Hugh Fergusson
DOCUMENTS List of Bugandan Kings, from Buganda Homepage
Flags from FOTWBugandan flag of 1892, Ugandan flags
Map of Buganda, from Buganda Homepage
The Kingdom of Buganda, illustrations ca. 1900 from uganda.co
Uganda Protectorate, from South and East African Year Book and Guide, 26th ed., 1920, Part 1, Part 2, posted at this site
REFERENCE South and East African Year Book and Guide, 49th edition, 1949, pp.758-760, 809-823 [G]
Michael Twaddle, The Settlement of South Asians in East Africa, pp.74-76 in : Robin Cohen, The Cambridge Survey of World Migration, Cambridge : UP 1995, KMLA Lib.Sign. 304.809 C678c
Article : Uganda, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1913 pp.644-645 [G]
Article : Uganda Protectorate, in : Statesman's Year Book 1901 pp.196-198, 1905 pp.212-214, 1910 pp.173-175 [G]
Article : Uganda, in : International Year Book 1898 pp.789-790 [G]
Article : East Africa - Uganda, in : Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events 1894 pp.246-247 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on September 6th 2007

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