Kingdom of Rwanda

Kingdom of Rwanda was a state in Great Lakes (Central and Southern Africa) that lasted from c. 1500 to 1961 CE, about 461 years. Its people spoke Bantu languages (Kongo, Shona, Zulu, Swahili, Luba, Ganda).

The Nyiginya dynasty built a centralised monarchy with a Tutsi aristocracy, expanding under Kigeli IV Rwabugiri in the late 19th century. German and Belgian rule hardened ethnic divisions, and the monarchy was abolished in 1961.

See Kingdom of Rwanda on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

c. 1500 to 1961 CE

Duration

461 years

Type

State

Region

Great Lakes, Central and Southern Africa

Language family

Bantu

Capital

Nyanza

Became

• Rwanda 1962 CE to the present

Events in Central and Southern Africa during its time

• 1505 Portuguese sack Kilwa and Mombasa
• 1652 Founding of Cape Town
• 1665 Battle of Mbwila
• 1698 Omanis take Fort Jesus
• 1816 Shaka becomes Zulu king
• 1836 The Great Trek begins
• 1879 Battle of Isandlwana
• 1885 Berlin Conference ends

Neighbours in Central and Southern Africa

• Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1700 CE
• Kingdom of Kongo c. 1390 to 1914 CE
• Zulu Kingdom 1816 to 1897 CE
• Republic of South Africa (apartheid era) 1961 to 1994 CE
• Congo Free State 1885 to 1908 CE
• Kingdom of Buganda c. 1300 to 1966 CE
• Kilwa Sultanate c. 957 to 1513 CE
• Bunyoro-Kitara c. 1400 to 1899 CE
• Portuguese Mozambique 1505 to 1975 CE
• Portuguese Angola 1575 to 1975 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE, Europe
• Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE, North and West Africa
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Europe
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Middle East
• Portuguese Empire 1415 to 1999 CE, Europe
• Mali Empire c. 1235 to 1670 CE, North and West Africa
• Ayutthaya Kingdom 1351 to 1767 CE, Southeast Asia
• Mughal Empire 1526 to 1857 CE, South Asia
• Portuguese Brazil 1500 to 1815 CE, South America

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