Basimba people
History
The Basimba (also called 'Bashimba' or 'Abashimba' in the past) belong to a Leopard royal Clan group of Bantu peoples , mainly in the Northern, Luapula Valley and Copper Belt Provinces of Zambia, northern Tanzania, northern Zimbabwe , Haiti and eastern Uganda who trace their origins to the Luba and Lunda kingdoms of the upper Congo basin, in what is now Katanga Province of the DR Congo according to History of Africa. They are a minority ethnic group in Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe , Haiti and Uganda. Basimba history is a major historical phenomenon in the a large and culturally homogeneous region former Kingdom of Kongo.
Countries Basimba People Exist
In Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda,Haiti and Tanzania, the word "Basimba" or “Bashimba” actually has several meanings. It may designate people of Basimba origin, regardless of where they live, e.g. whether they live in urban areas or in the original rural Basimba areas of Mpogo, Sironko and Lupada, Naboa all in Budaka District in Uganda,Luapula Valley in Zambia and Busere Island in Eastern parts of Lake Victoria, The original language of these four Basimba people groups is unknown.
The Bashimba people groups existing in Zambia's Northern province, among the Lungu and Bemba tribes speak languages which are most closely related to the Bantu languages the Lungu and ChiBemba (in Zambia and the DRC), Haya (in Tanzania) and Luganda of the Baganda and Lugwere of the Gwere people (in Uganda). In Uganda, Luganda is mainly spoken in the central and eastern parts of Uganda, and has become the most widely spoken language in the country, although not always as a first language.
The Basimba people of Uganda maintaining their Basimba Spiritual stone, this stone represents the Chishimba spirit and is related to the institution of kingship. Its absence constitutes the absence of political power. According to Traditional African religions,the Chishimba spirit is synonymous to kingship. Its importance in the institution of kingship. The Chishimba is kept in a specially prepared basket called ichipe ca calo—the basket of the nation or land. It is wrapped with bark cloth and kept in a specifically prepared shrine (ing’anda yaba Ba Chishimba or esawo lye ejjembe lya Basimba) dedicated to the spirit.
The Basimba people Clan names of Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia are named after their lineal ancestors.
Culture
The Basimba practice the culture of performing Rituals and Ceremony of the Chishimba spirit similar to the Loa or kongo loa culture practiced by the Basimba people of Haiti who were sold in slavery from Congo.
Beliefs
Nowadays, between 40% to 50% of the Basimba people are Christians and 50% are Muslim. Besides that, traditional beliefs are very vivid among them. Therefore, some people consider the Christian model split as low as 45%. The most important features are ancestor-worship (the term is called inappropriate by some authors) and totemism.
Ancestors
According to Basimba tradition, after life does happen in another world , it is another form of existence in another world. The Basimba attitude towards dead ancestor is very similar to that towards living parents and grandparents.
There is a famous ritual to contact the dead ancestors that is practiced by the Basimba people. It is similar to Loa practiced by the Basimba people of Haiti and often lasts all a night.
Totems
Basimba totems (muziro) have been in use among the Basimba people since the initial development of their culture. Totems identify the different clans among the Basimba people that historically made up the dynasties of their ancient civilization. Today, up to 4 different totems can be identified among the Basimba and similar totems exist among other Zimbabwe, Haiti, Angola, Congo, Zambia and Uganda groups, such as the Basimba among the Haya Tribe.
People of the same clan use a common set of totems. Totems are usually animals or birds. Examples of animals’ totems include ngo/mbwili (Leopard), Mbwa (Dog), Kikere (Frog) and Nkoko (Rooster). People of the same totem are the descendants of one common ancestor (the founder of that totem) and thus are not allowed to marry or have an intimate relationship. The totems cross regional groupings and therefore provide a wall for development of ethnicism among the Basimba groups.
Basimba chiefs are required to be able to recite the history of their totem group right from the initial founder before they can be sworn in as chiefs.
Orphans
The totem system is a severe problem for many orphans, especially for dumped babies. The Basimba people are afraid of being punished by ghosts, if they violate rules connected with the unknown totem of a foundling. Therefore, it is very difficult to find adoptive parents for such children. And if the foundlings have grown up, they have problems getting married.
Burials
The identification by totem has very important ramifications at traditional ceremonies such as the Basimba burial ceremony. A person with a different totem cannot initiate burial of the deceased. A person of the same totem, even when coming from a different tribe, can initiate burial of the deceased. For example, a Muganda of the ngo totem can initiate burial of a Musimba of the Leopard totem and that is perfectly acceptable in Basimba tradition. But a Musimba of a different totem cannot perform the ritual functions required to initiate burial of the deceased.
If a person initiates the burial of a person of a different totem, he runs the risk of being asked to pay a fine to the family of the deceased. Such fines traditionally were paid with cattle or goats but nowadays substantial amounts of money can be asked for. If they bury their dead family members, they would come back at some point to cleanse the stone of the burial.
Basimba Clan groups
The Basimba are those who consider themselves subjects of the Chishimba, the Basimba's single paramount chief. They lived in villages of 50 to 100 people and numbered 100,000 strong in 2016. There are over 4 Basimba Clans named after animals , these are the royal Leopard ,Clan ,the Frog Clan, the Dog Clan and the Rooster Clan. Some of the Basimba people migrated northwards from Luapula valley after the disintegration of the Shila states and other went South wards to Northern Zimbabwe known as Bashimba of the Leopard Clan. The royal Bashimba Leopard Clan is a ruling Clan among the Lungu and Bemba.
Legacy
The history of the Basimba people has given rise to numerous debates amongst historians. For one thing, specialists are undecided on the number of Basimba people taken from their homes in Congo and sold in slavery and now living in Haiti.
There was no census system in medieval Africa and this is difficult to resolve because of a lack of reliable statistics. Although Luiz Felipe de Alencastro states that there were 8 million slaves taken from Africa between the 8th and 19th centuries along the Oriental and the Trans-Saharan trade routes.
Olivier Pétré-Grenouilleau has put forward a figure of 17 million Ethnic groups of Africa people enslaved (in the same period and from the same area) on the basis of Ralph Austen's work.
Ronald Segal estimates between 11.5 and 14 million were enslaved by the Arab slave trade. Archival material for the Trans-Atlantic trade in the 16th to 18th centuries may seem useful as a source, yet these record books were often falsified.
Some Historians have written books about Basimba people but have not stated the names of the Basimba ancestors who left Congo and migrated to places like Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Tanzania and Uganda. Historians have to use imprecise narrative documents to make estimates which must be treated with caution.
References
- The book,Knowledge and Confidence,by Esomba Dr, page 122
- Customary Law of the Haya Tribe, Tanganyika Territory, by Hans Cory, M.M Hartnoll 1945, page 246
- Tanzanian Notes and Records-issues 38-50, 1955, page 167
- Tanzanian Notes and Records-issues 42-45, 1956, page 54
- The Luapula Peoples of Northern Rhodesia, by Ian George Cunnison 1959, page 63, 64
- History of the Bukoba District, by Hans Cory 1959, Page 101
- Church, Clan, and the World, by Josiah Kibira 1974, Page 22
- Ethnographic Survey of Africa - Volume 2, Issue 13, 1962, Page 137
- Ethnographic survey of Africa; East Central Africa, by Cyril Daryll Forde , 1953
- The History of the Development of Nkuba’s Shila State to 1740 by Mwelwa Chambika Musambachime, University of Wisconsin 1976, page 28, 50
- The Bush Burnt, the Stones Remain: Female Initiation Rites in Urban Zambia, by Thera Rasing , page 253
- Some Spirits Heal, Others Only Dance: A Journey into Human Self hood, by Roy G. Willis 1999, page 63
- Invisible Agents: Spirits in a Central African History, by David M. Gordon, page 37
- Bemba Speaking Women of Zambia in a Century of Religious Change: 1892 – 1992, by Hugo F. Hinfelaar , page 141
- Some Wemba Words: Some Meanings and Explanations, by Edward Basil Herbert Goodall, H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1921, page 20
External Links
THE BOOK OF LIFE, KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1471734633 STEVE ESOMBA, Dr.
Customary Law of the Haya Tribe, Tanganyika Territory - Page 287 https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0714624764 Hans Cory, M. M. Hartnoll - 1945
Tanzania Notes and Records - Issues 42-45 - Page 54 https://books.google.com/books?id=xxIOAQAAMAAJ 1956
Tanganyika Notes and Records - Issues 38-50 - Page 167 https://books.google.com/books?id=rKsaAQAAMAAJ 1955
Origins of Kingship Traditions and Symbolism in the Great Lakes ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=9155472958 Birgitta Farelius - 2008
History of the Bukoba District - Page 101 https://books.google.com/books?id=PZcMAQAAIAAJ Hans Cory - 1959
Die Rückkehr der Könige von Uganda: Politische Kultur und Moderne in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn... Raphaela von Weichs - 2014
Insurance Against Poverty - Page 201 https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0199276838
Stefan Dercon, World Institute for Development Economics Research - 2005 Histoire sociale de l'Afrique de l'Est (XIXe-XXe siècle): actes du ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn
Church, Clan, and the World - Page 22 https://books.google.com/books?id=SsEOAQAAIAAJ Josiah Kibira - 1974
A Colonial Lexicon: Of Birth Ritual, Medicalization, and Mobility in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0822323664 Nancy Rose Hunt - 1999
Ethnographic survey of Africa; East Central Africa https://books.google.com/books?id=gtaAAAAAMAAJ Cyril Daryll Forde - 1953
Ethnographic Survey of Africa - Volume 2, Issue 13 - Page 137 https://books.google.com/books?id=IYZRAQAAIAAJ 1962
Parcours d'un noir africain - Page 63 https://books.google.com/books?isbn...
Sukuma Labor Songs from Western Tanzania: We Never Sleep, We Dream ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=9004184686 Frank D. Gunderson - 2010
Peuples et rois de l'Afrique des lacs: le Burundi et les royaumes ... https://books.google.com/books?id... Émile Mworoha - 1977
"Nisiilano"; "Tales of Some Northeastern Rhodesian Tribes" (Annis S ... ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00005490/00001
Lake Kashiba - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Kashiba
Banditry, Rebellion and Social Protest in Africa https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0852550057 Donald Crummey - 1986
Improbable Journeys - Google Books Result https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0810160927 Robin Magowan - 2002
The Book of History: Unites States - Page 6543 https://books.google.com/books?id=aHImAQAAIAAJ Viscount James Bryce Bryce, Holland Thompson, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie - 1915
The Earth and Its Inhabitants: The Universal Geography https://books.google.com/books?id=TTEMAAAAIAAJ Elisée Reclus, Ernst Georg Ravenstein, Augustus Henry Keane
Harmsworth History of the World: America. The triumph of the mind of ... https://books.google.com/books?id=_P9LAQAAMAAJ 1909
The Earth and Its Inhabitants ...: South and east Africa - Page 447 https://books.google.com/books?id=JGdGAQAAMAAJ Elisée Reclus, Ernest George Ravenstein, Augustus Henry Keane - 1895
South & East Africa p. 289-496, Australasia p. 1-32 - Page 447 https://books.google.com/books?id=Xh9GAQAAMAAJ Elise e Reclus, Ernest George Ravenstein, Augustus Henry Keane - 1882
The Luapula Peoples of Northern Rhodesia: Custom and History in ... https://books.google.com/books?id=eXi7AAAAIAAJ Ian George Cunnison - 1959
history of the shila people - Mabila Ceremony mabilaceremonyzambia.com/Files/History%20Detailed
Bushimba, North-Western | Zambia Geographic Names Database zmb.geonamebase.com/node/28210
A Colonial Lexicon: Of Birth Ritual, Medicalization, and Mobility in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0822381362 Nancy Rose Hunt - 1999
Allegorical Speculation in an Oral Society: The Tabwa Narrative ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0520097394 Robert Cancel - 1989
Customary Law of the Haya Tribe, Tanganyika Territory - Page 287 https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0714624764 Hans Cory, M. M. Hartnoll - 1945
Tanzania Notes and Records - Issues 42-45 - Page 54 https://books.google.com/books?id=xxIOAQAAMAAJ 1956
Tanganyika Notes and Records - Issues 38-50 - Page 167 https://books.google.com/books?id=rKsaAQAAMAAJ 1955
Origins of Kingship Traditions and Symbolism in the Great Lakes ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=9155472958 Birgitta Farelius - 2008
History of the Bukoba District - Page 101 https://books.google.com/books?id=PZcMAQAAIAAJ Hans Cory - 1959
Die Rückkehr der Könige von Uganda: Politische Kultur und Moderne in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn... Raphaela von Weichs - 2014
Insurance Against Poverty - Page 201 https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0199276838 Stefan Dercon, World Institute for Development Economics Research - 2005
Histoire sociale de l'Afrique de l'Est (XIXe-XXe siècle): actes du ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn
Church, Clan, and the World - Page 22 https://books.google.com/books?id=SsEOAQAAIAAJ Josiah Kibira - 1974
A Colonial Lexicon: Of Birth Ritual, Medicalization, and Mobility in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0822323664 Nancy Rose Hunt - 1999
Ethnographic survey of Africa; East Central Africa https://books.google.com/books?id=gtaAAAAAMAAJ Cyril Daryll Forde - 1953
Ethnographic Survey of Africa - Volume 2, Issue 13 - Page 137 https://books.google.com/books?id=IYZRAQAAIAAJ 1962
Parcours d'un noir africain - Page 63 https://books.google.com/books?isbn... Sukuma Labor Songs from Western Tanzania: We Never Sleep, We Dream ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=9004184686 Frank D. Gunderson - 2010
Peuples et rois de l'Afrique des lacs: le Burundi et les royaumes ... https://books.google.com/books?id... Émile Mworoha - 1977
"Nisiilano"; "Tales of Some Northeastern Rhodesian Tribes" (Annis S ... ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00005490/00001 Lake Kashiba - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Kashiba
Banditry, Rebellion and Social Protest in Africa https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0852550057 Donald Crummey - 1986
Improbable Journeys - Google Books Result https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0810160927 Robin Magowan - 2002
The Book of History: Unites States - Page 6543 https://books.google.com/books?id=aHImAQAAIAAJ
Viscount James Bryce Bryce, Holland Thompson, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie - 1915
The Earth and Its Inhabitants: The Universal Geography https://books.google.com/books?id=TTEMAAAAIAAJ Elisée Reclus, Ernst Georg Ravenstein, Augustus Henry Keane
Harmsworth History of the World: America. The triumph of the mind of ... https://books.google.com/books?id=_P9LAQAAMAAJ 1909
The Earth and Its Inhabitants ...: South and east Africa - Page 447 https://books.google.com/books?id=JGdGAQAAMAAJ Elisée Reclus, Ernest George Ravenstein, Augustus Henry Keane - 1895
South & East Africa p. 289-496, Australasia p. 1-32 - Page 447 https://books.google.com/books?id=Xh9GAQAAMAAJ Elise e Reclus, Ernest George Ravenstein, Augustus Henry Keane - 1882
The Luapula Peoples of Northern Rhodesia: Custom and History in ... https://books.google.com/books?id=eXi7AAAAIAAJ Ian George Cunnison - 1959
history of the shila people - Mabila Ceremony mabilaceremonyzambia.com/Files/History%20Detailed
Bushimba, North-Western | Zambia Geographic Names Database zmb.geonamebase.com/node/28210
A Colonial Lexicon: Of Birth Ritual, Medicalization, and Mobility in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0822381362 Nancy Rose Hunt - 1999
Allegorical Speculation in an Oral Society: The Tabwa Narrative ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0520097394 Robert Cancel - 1989
Customary Law of the Haya Tribe, Tanganyika Territory - Page 287 https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0714624764 Hans Cory, M. M. Hartnoll - 1945
Tanzania Notes and Records - Issues 42-45 - Page 54 https://books.google.com/books?id=xxIOAQAAMAAJ 1956
Tanganyika Notes and Records - Issues 38-50 - Page 167 https://books.google.com/books?id=rKsaAQAAMAAJ 1955
Origins of Kingship Traditions and Symbolism in the Great Lakes ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=9155472958 Birgitta Farelius - 2008
History of the Bukoba District - Page 101 https://books.google.com/books?id=PZcMAQAAIAAJ Hans Cory - 1959
Die Rückkehr der Könige von Uganda: Politische Kultur und Moderne in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn... Raphaela von Weichs - 2014
Insurance Against Poverty - Page 201 https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0199276838 Stefan Dercon, World Institute for Development Economics Research - 2005 Histoire sociale de l'Afrique de l'Est (XIXe-XXe siècle): actes du ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn
Church, Clan, and the World - Page 22 https://books.google.com/books?id=SsEOAQAAIAAJ Josiah Kibira - 1974
A Colonial Lexicon: Of Birth Ritual, Medicalization, and Mobility in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0822323664 Nancy Rose Hunt - 1999
Ethnographic survey of Africa; East Central Africa https://books.google.com/books?id=gtaAAAAAMAAJ Cyril Daryll Forde - 1953
Ethnographic Survey of Africa - Volume 2, Issue 13 - Page 137 https://books.google.com/books?id=IYZRAQAAIAAJ 1962 Parcours d'un noir africain - Page 63
The Luapula Peoples of Northern Rhodesia: Custom and History in ... https://books.google.com/books?id=eXi7AAAAIAAJ Ian George Cunnison - 1959
Zaire Church News - Volumes 1-60 https://books.google.com/books?id=BrATAAAAIAAJ 1912
A Colonial Lexicon: Of Birth Ritual, Medicalization, and Mobility in ... https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0822323664 Nancy Rose Hunt - 1999
Harmsworth History of the World: Man and the universe. Japan. ... https://books.google.com/books?id=cdBLAQAAMAAJ 1907
The Book of History: Man and universe - Page 322 https://books.google.com/books?id=_DkQAAAAYAAJ Viscount James Bryce Bryce, Holland Thompson, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie - 1915
Man and the universe. Japan. Siberia. China - Page 322
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Africa - Volume 2 - Page 151 https://books.google.com/books?id=VZZIAQAAMAAJ Augustus Henry Keane - 1904
... Africa... - Page 151 https://books.google.com/books?id=lewxAQAAMAAJ 1895 The New Werner Twentieth Century Edition of the Encyclopaedia ... https://books.google.com/books?id=xkw_AQAAMAAJ 1906
Harmsworth History of the World: America. The triumph of the mind of ... https://books.google.com/books?id=_P9LAQAAMAAJ 1909
As colonias Portuguezas: geographia physica, politica e economica https://books.google.com/books?id... - Translate this page Ernesto Julio de Carvalho Vasconcellos - 1896
Annalen: Zoologische wetenschappen - Page 315 https://books.google.com/books?id=7LwIAAAAIAAJ 1970