Many pre-colonial African societies did not adhere to the gender roles that Europeans
brought with them during colonization. Buganda was no exception to this, as women played a crucial role in the political structure of the Ganda kingdom, most notably through the politically powerful position of queen mother. British colonizers enforced Victorian gender roles upon Ganda society that greatly contributed to the downfall of the queen mother.
During the 1860s, when Europeans first arrived in Buganda to begin the process of colonization, Buganda was ruled by a secular king known as the kabaka. The king directly appointed his administration of chiefs who answered solely to him. This administration was organized in an intricate hierarchal system based on individual status, which resulted in a competitive society as men worked for a higher rank (Schiller 456). Generally, men were considered the superior sex, and women remained primarily in the domestic sphere. Women were required to have a male family member serve as their “guardian” and hold responsibility for their actions. However, not all women were regarded as equal in Ganda society. Similar to the ranking of male chiefs, women were ranked by status as well. Women with a high ranking were the wives of chiefs appointed by the king, while peasant women were considered to be of a lesser status. Many chiefs were involved in polygamous marriages, in which case individual wives each had a rank accompanied by specific duties to their husband. Additionally, the paternal aunt played a
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significant role in the lives of children in Buganda. She was held at the same level of esteem as the father and could even be referred to as “sir.” A man’s sister also played an important role, particularly spiritually. Upon her death, the man would fear her spirit, as it was believed that she could incite wrath upon his children from beyond the grave if she was not properly appeased (Schiller 457-458). Clearly, the Ganda kingdom was a patriarchal society, but it would be negligent to overlook the significant power positions that women had within the societal hierarchy. The system of ranking allowed some women to exercise power over other women, and sometimes over men as well. However, the most notable example of women’s political power in Buganda rested in the hands of the royal women, primarily the powerful role of the queen mother.
The most important woman in Buganda was the queen mother, or the namasole (Schiller 458). This position was held by the mother of the king who held both direct and indirect power over her son. Upon the death of a king, the position of queen mother was earned when a wife of the late king organized her kin to support her own son as the next king rather than one from another wife (Hanson 222). The mere process of mobilizing men in favor of her lineage achieving the throne is a compelling example of the political power that a woman was able to exercise in Buganda. Once the role of queen mother was achieved, her power and resources paralleled that of the king in many ways. According to Ganda customs, she could be referred to as kabaka as well (Schiller 455). It is highly significant that the queen mother could be addressed with the same title the king used, as this contrasted starkly to western norms. She also had her own palace on a hill separate from the king’s palace, as Ganda tradition forbade two kings from residing on the same hill (Schiller 458). She governed her own people who were loyal only to
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her, collected taxes, and appointed her own bureaucracy of chiefs for her own land (Hanson 221). Aside from direct rule of her people, she also demonstrated a great deal of indirect power over the king. The chiefs she appointed were the ones responsible for bringing the king to power, which meant the queen mother held considerable political authority simply by overseeing these chiefs. The origin of the queen mother is disputed, as it is exceedingly difficult to trace the changes that occurred between generations (Hanson 224). However, it is certain that the position was a crucial political role in Buganda throughout the nineteenth century.
The political roles of women in Britain during the nineteenth century offer a stark contrast to the politically powerful queen mother in Buganda. Although Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch during this time period, her time as queen marked the turning point of the British monarchy to a figurehead rather than a politically powerful institution (Williams and Veldman). Women’s very nature during this time period was characterized by traits such as domesticity, lack of self-control, and sensitivity. They were viewed as intellectually inferior to men and where therefore usually left out of any political discourse (Burstyn 71). The concept of “separate spheres,” in which women were confined to the domestic, or private, sphere and men occupied the public sphere was an important aspect of Victorian society. When women did participate in politics, they were not viewed as equal to men. This was particularly evident during a campaign against the Contagious Diseases Act, a law that required medical examination of prostitutes in specific towns in the late nineteenth century. Women and men met separately about this issue which was viewed as sensitive. This separation resulted in even further limitation of women’s political participation, as they had little or no say in the matter, since men were in the forefront of the campaign (Digby 200). Clearly, the role of women in politics in Britain during
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the nineteenth century varied greatly from that of the Ganda society. Although both societies viewed women as inferior to men, the role of queen mother in Buganda defied British standards by allowing a woman to wield political power rather than to simply be a symbolic figurehead. This contrast caused significant changes to the political system in Buganda during the initial phases of British colonization.
As Buganda began to come under the control of the British in the 1990s, the trade of slaves, ivory, and guns led to a great deal of social unrest. The Ganda political systems remained, but their significance declined. The Ganda king became a mere figurehead rather than a strong leader in conjunction with the transition of the British monarchy to a political symbol. The king’s loss of power inevitably led to the downfall of the queen mother, as her power was significant primarily in relation to that of the king. The British furthered her fall from power by labeling her power as “traditional,” and therefore was perceived as useless to achieve their goals: labor, profit, and resources. At the turn of the century, the queen mother owned private land (a concept brought to Buganda by the British) but she no longer held any authority over the king, and had ultimately lost all power that she once held over the Ganda society (Hanson 228-230).
It is clear that multiple factors contributed to the downfall of the queen mother and the resultant decrease in women’s political power in Buganda, including social unrest and the fall of the king. However, the most notable factor is perhaps the gender roles that the British brought with them during colonization. The role of queen mother did not adhere to Victorian gender roles, which kept women in the private sphere. Colonizers did not consider that perhaps a politically powerful woman had something to offer to society, somewhat ironically, as Britain itself was under the reign of Queen Victoria at the time. However, as previously mentioned, her
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reign was more symbolic than politically powerful. The British therefore quickly undermined the power of the queen mother under the assumption that the western political structure was the only right way to govern. Exceptions to the male-dominated political system only made Buganda seem more “backward” to the British, which further encouraged the removal of the queen mother from power.
In conclusion, the power of the queen mother was a significant political role for women in Buganda during the nineteenth century. With the arrival of British colonizers, this role was stripped of its power and authority, as the British were unfamiliar with the concept of a woman in a position of political authority. The British enforced western gender roles on the Ganda society, which resulted in the downfall of the queen mother, costing Buganda an important political role in their society.