I am currently finalizing an article on flags, ideologies of colours and political thought in twentieth-century Buganda. Here we see the flag of Kabaka Muteesa I, which Kabaka Mwanga hoisted to challenge the authority of numerous flags being raised by Frederick Lugard. 1/4 Image
The flag itself was approximately twelve feet square. The colour of the background of the flag was red, four years prior to the creation of Zanzibar’s red flag (I believe). A large shield was sewn on the left side. To its right, two crossing spears formed an x-shaped pattern. 2/4
Both emblems were white in colour. By the mid-1890s, Catholics too had created a flag to represent their interests, a replication of the national flag of France. It was only after the religious wars of Mmengo 3/4
that Catholics in Buddu were willing, reluctantly, to recognise the authority of the British flag, although they refused to hoist the flag of the Imperial British East Africa Company. Nor did Baganda in Buddu offer Lugard food during his march into their ssaza. 4/4

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Jonathon L. Earle

Jonathon L. Earle Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @JonathonLEarle

17 Sep
On Uganda and WWII. No fewer than 77,000 Ugandans were enlisted during WWII. According to Timothy Parsons' study, approximately 465,572 eastern Africans were enlisted during the war. The Imperial War Museum houses a number of eastern African sources. 1/10 Image
In the opening propaganda poster, we see strategists suggesting that Uganda had too many local car drivers and that they would soon be required to perform in the War to help the country. 2/10
This photograph was taken shortly after the war. It captures a conversation between A.J. Cox, then Resident of Buganda, and Goswa Kasaja of Bugwere. In the conversation, Kasaja recounted the air battles in which he participated. 3/10 Image
Read 10 tweets
17 Sep
The HMS Uganda was a Fiji-class light cruiser during the Second World War. According to declassified records, at 248pm on 13 September 1943, HMS Uganda was in Salerno Bay, Italy, about 1.5 miles off the shoreline. 1/8 Image
While anchored, a bomb descended vertically and entered the ship just abaft the mainmast. It then penetrated all decks and exploded near the After Engine Room, Starboard side. A diver was deployed to assess the damage underneath the ship. 2/8 Image
The ship was relocated but faced additional fire throughout the night, including 3 light-scale air attacks. Intelligence reports suggest that the ship had been struck by a heavy armour-piercing bomb, 3/8 Image
Read 8 tweets
7 Sep
It is very sad to hear about the loss of Jonah Lwanga, the Archb. of @Orthodox_ug. May he RIP. The UOC has a long, rich history. Its founder, Father Reuben Spartas Mukasa (seen here, credit: UOC Archives), was one of the leading critics of the British empire in Africa. 1/6
Revd RS Mukasa first launched his movement in Bulemeezi. The earliest members of the movement were involved in Abazzukulu ba Kintu, an organisation that criticised Mailo Land & inspired Uganda's first trade unions. Spartas began his formal education 2/6
at the Anglican school in Nakanyonyi. He was 8. From Nakanyonyi, Mukasa studied at Bishop Tucker's College (@UCUniversity) & Kings's College, Budo. But during his studies, he concluded that Anglicanism was only a branch of the true Church, divided in CE 1054 and 1534. 3/6
Read 6 tweets
12 Aug
We don’t talk enough about Daudi Ocheng. His political biography complicates much of what we think about Uganda’s late colonial moment. Some of the most articulate defenders of Buganda in the 1950s-60s were not Baganda. In this case, Ocheng was a son of Gulu. 1/11
Ocheng, unlike Okot p’Bitek, was one of the most articulate defenders of Buganda's political priorities. In my thinking, he was the most consequential Acholi activist in the late 1950s. Without his diplomatic work, KY & UPC would not have partnered to marginalize DP. 2/11
Ocheng was born in a Protestant home in Gulu. After attending Gulu Primary he joined Budo Junior School before matriculating at King’s College, Budo, where he and Kabaka Muteesa II began what would become a lifelong friendship. 3/11
Read 12 tweets
11 Aug
Here we have a delegation of Baganda diplomats and activists in 1955 greeting His Majesty Kabaka Edward Muteesa II. For Hamu Mukasa, kneeling before the Kabaka could be traced to the earliest beginnings of the kingdom, a time when it was said of the Kabaka, "Segulu ligamba 1/4
enjuba tegana munyazi," or "Kyukyu olusubi olusaja nantasimbwa muge." Baganda diplomatic historians in the early 1900s reflected at length on how the politics of kneeling worked in the art of diplomacy—not only for the Kabaka, but his representatives as well. 2/4
B. Musoke Zimbe offered the following account in Buganda ne Kabaka: "When general Mandwambi came back from the war, Kabaka Mwanga sent Andereya Kiwanuka ex-Omulamuzi who died some time back at that time Omumyuka of Kigalagala to go and distribute the booty. 3/4
Read 4 tweets
10 Aug
I've been thinking lately about the ways in which Kentucky's past intersects w/ African politics. One example in the nineteenth century includes the invention of "Kentucky in Africa," what is now Montserrado County, Liberia. 1/9
Kentucky diplomats, notably the statesman and slaver Henry Clay, were at the forefront of creating the American Colonization Society. The KY chapter of the ACS was established in the 1820s, after which they purchased 40-square miles in Liberia, renamed "Kentucky in Africa." 2/9
The area was soon populated by freeborn Kentuckians and enslaved Africans from throughout the Caribbean world. Enslaved Kentuckians were granted emancipation contingent upon relocating to Liberia. 3/9
Read 9 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

:(