Kibosho or Kingdom of Kibosho Schanz, Johannes. "Mitteilungen über Die Besiedelung Des Kilimandscharo Durch Die Dschagga Und Deren Geschichte." Baessler-Archiv, 1913. also sometimes referred to as Old Kibosho (Isarile la Kibosho in Kikibosho), (Ufalme wa Kibosho in Swahili) was a historic sovereign Chagga state located in modern-day Kibosho ward in Moshi Rural District of Kilimanjaro Region in Tanzania. Kibosho was situated on Mount Kilimanjaro to the west of the Karanga River. The word Mangi means king in the Chagga languages. Kibosho country's inhabitants spoke Kikibosho, one of seven dialects of the Chagga language groups' West Kilimanjaro language.
Overview All of Kibosho Kingdom was situated in the Karanga river basin, which is situated between the Rau and Weru rivers. This area was the first to be inhabited and has long been the kingdom's main core. The oldest clans and important settlements, Kirima Chini and Kirima Juu, which became well-known outside of Kilimanjaro in the early 19th century, are located in this hilly region, which is typified by at least thirteen rivers, including the Umbwe and Ngomberi.
A royal clan's migration from the west is a significant event in the Kingdom's history, impacting both local and wider events on Kilimanjaro. Ancient roads and streams connect the surrounding communities of Kindi, Narumu, Kombo, and Lyamungo, which are located along the eastern bank of the Weru Weru River. Historical occurrences have influenced these settlements, such as the arrival of Chagga refugees from Kilema in the late 18th or early 19th century as a result of raids by Mangi Horombo (Orombo) of Keni. A French missionary named Accoridngto Alexandre Le Roy visited Kibosho in 1890 and reported that the area had a number of small hills that formed several valleys and plateaus. The landscape of Kibosho is primarily south-facing and well irrigated, in contrast to the rough terrain of Moshi or the unique unitary structure of Machame. It is carefully cultivated in the area thanks to a system of irrigation channels.
The presence of blacksmiths' forges, women-tended fields, and kids herding sheep and cattle are characteristics of the area. Notably, Kibosho is distinguished by its artistically kept banana plantations, which are fostered using manure from cowsheds, a process that is somewhat uncommon in the African environment.
Early history The entrance of Yansanya, a member of the Kibosho ruling house, most likely in the 18th century, is when Kibosho's influence in Kilimajaro began. Three clans—the Msele-Kiwoso, Masawe, and Kulaya—are acknowledged as the oldest settled clans in Kibosho.
Having existed for five generations before the royal Orio clan arrived, the Msele-Kiwoso clan is thought to be the oldest. The Msele-Kiwoso are revered as a result of their long-time presence. Oral traditions of the clan trace their nine-generational genealogy back to Musie, their first progenitor. Notable early personalities include Kiwoso, who is linked to more thorough historical sources, and Ngiai, who was present when the royal clan arrived.
It is thought that Kiwoso came from Ukuni, which is situated in the upper Karanga river system, high in the forests above the ancient Mount Aura. He brought guns and livestock down the mountain, but noticeably without bows and arrows. Kiwoso first established the clan's permanent home in Uri, where he found no previous occupants, and then he moved close to the Isie river, a tributary of the Karanga.
Prior to the royal clan, the Masawe and Kulaya clans established themselves in Kibosho; the Masawe arrived later than the Msele-Kiwoso clan. Masawe, the first progenitor of the Masawe clan, came from Kibo and resided near Mount Maua at Mashe, near the Kyumbura River, seven generations ago. He first relied on hunting and wild crops, but he also brought cattle, goats, bananas, and yams. Eventually, his descendants relocated to the lower region of Mount Maua, down the mountainside.
According to the Kulaya clan, Kulaya, their first ancestor, came down from the sky in Mkola, Mtaa Uchau, west of the Isie River, and was followed by five generations. Kulaya opened the first market in Uchau, selling vegetables and eleusine with his wife and animals. Interestingly, Kulaya's son Mono-o-Ruwa, who subsequently became friends with the first progenitor of the royal clan, did not inherit his diminutive tail.Silayo, Valence Valerian. "Pre-colonial ethnic wars and the colonization of Northern Tanzania from 1800 to 1950 CE: The case of Chagga of Kilimanjaro." Archaeologies 12 (2016): 163-181.
Unlike other clans in Kibosho that trace their beginnings from the east and west, the three oldest clans in Kibosho—the Msele-Kiwoso, Masawe, and Kulaya—do not mention a specific direction from where they originated, a detail that has been forgotten over time. Since the time of its ancestor, Kiwoso, from whom the chiefdom gets its name, the Msele-Kiwoso clan in particular has been notably present in its original site in old Mtaa Uri, close to the Isie river.
Due to its proximity to caravan routes or its affiliation with the royal Orio clan, who lived in the western part of the chiefdom before relocating to the centre, European travellers in the middle of the 19th century called the entire chiefdom Lambongo or Lambungu (anglicised to Lyamungo).The name Kibosho, derived from Kiwoso,Fisher, Thomas James. Chagga elites and the politics of ethnicity in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Edinburgh University thesis (2012). was widely recognized in the central region and symbolized the historical significance of the Msele-Kiwoso clan.
In the early 1890s, Mangi Marealle of Marangu noted to German explorer Karl Peters that while other clans migrated to Kilimanjaro from areas such as Ukamba and Usambara, the Wakibosho had always inhabited the mountain. A significant turning point in Kibosho's history was the arrival of the Orio clan. The Orio clan, who came from the far west, moved slowly up Kilimanjaro and settled in Kibosho. Because of their resources and affluence, they soon became known as the royal ruling clan.
Origins and succession of the ruling clan of Kibosho The Orio clan's entry in Kibosho was significant because, because to their wealth, they were soon acknowledged as the royal governing clan. Starting from Olmulelia in east Arusha along the Mbatian path, the clan moved across Kilimanjaro from the far west under the leadership of their first ancestor, Yansanya. Before continuing eastward along the high top track, Yansanya first established temporary settlements at Siha, Kinduchi, Owaa, Marawa, and Nchona, all of which developed into important shrines. Mono-o-Ruwa greeted him when he arrived at Uchau and met the Kulaya tribe.
Yansanya's riches and resources allowed him to be accepted as the leader of the surrounding tribes, and he was accompanied by several women, children, and livestock. Thanks to his ability to negotiate and the availability of land, his leadership encountered no resistance. Two settlement groups were beyond Yansanya's direct sphere of influence during this time: the Masawe and Kwai clans in the upper Lyamungo region, and the Kindi, Kombo, and Narumu clans to the west. The oldest chiefdom, Mweka, was located to the east and was governed by the Tarimo clan.
Later settlers from both the east and the west embraced Yansanya's leadership, which resulted in the founding of the Orio dynasty of Kibosho, which has lasted through seventeen reigns from the 18th century to the present.
Kings of Kibosho The succession of the Orio dynasty and Kings of Kibosho; Yasanya (founder of the ruling dynasty); established the kingdom in the early 18th century Orio (son of Yansanya); Rules in the mid 18th century. Kimboka (son of Yansanya); rules in the late 18th century Iringo (son of Orio); rules in the late 18th century Iweri (son of Kimboka) rules in the late 18th century Kirenga (son of Iweri); rules in the early 19th century during Mangi Rengua's reign in Machame. He establishes another settlement called Kirima Juu west of Karanga River. Kashenge (son of Irenga); rules in the early 19th century considered as one of the greatest kings in Kibosho.He also rules during Mangi Rengua's reign in Machame when Rengua slaughters the young initiates at Kinduchi. Tatua (son of Kashenge); rules in 1861 as recorded by von der Dicken, he is considered a warrior King. He sacked Uru amongst many Chagga countries and was also feared by Mangi Ndesserua of Machame.He retires in 1862 to his son Ngaluma. Ngaluma (Son of Tatuta); rules in 1862 for a few years. He is remembered for being in ill-health and not sacking any other settlements. Lokila (son of Tatuta); also considered one of the greatest kings in Kibosho. He rules during the late 1860s to early 1870s. He is one of the few kings that physically went on raids. He sacked Uru and created the tradition of sacking Uru for slaves to work in Kibosho and also to sell to the Arab and Swahili caravans. He made Mwika and Uru his vassal states with annual tributes from them. He deposed existing chiefs in raided areas with his own Orio clan members. He is remembered for defeating Mangi Rindi of Moshi and became the most power king in Kilimajaro. Mamka (wife of Lokila); first female ruler and regent of Kibosho. remembered as competent head of state due to her remembered and respected intelligence. She was from the oldest clan in Kibosho, the Msele-Kiwoso. She is said to have ruled for three years. Sina (son of Kisaro); considered the greatest ruler of Kibosho, ruled from 1870s to 1897 Molelia (son of Sina); ruled 1897–1900, hanged by the German authority at the Great Hanging at Old Moshi in 1900. Sianga (son of Kisaro); ruled 1900-ca.1911 Malamya (son of Sianga); ruled 1911-197 and deported to Kisamayo by the British colonizers in 1917 and then returned and reinstated as mangi of Siha in 1927. Barnabas Ngowi (Moshi Boma clerk); ruled Kibosho for a few months under British instructions. Ngulisho (Son of Sina); ruled 1917–1946 Alex (Son of Ngulisho); last Kibosho King, ruled from 1946 to 1962.
Kibosho chiefdoms and colonies A centralised administrative structure relied heavily on the king-appointed chiefs of the mitaa. Although these chiefs reported to the king, their positions were shaped by their connections to regional families, which occasionally resulted in political rivalry. The royal family responded by taking action to resolve these conflicts.Moore, Sally Falk, and Paul Puritt. The Chagga and Meru of Tanzania: East Central Africa, Part XVIII. Routledge, 2017. ISBN 978-1-315-30949-1.
The chiefs' duties included overseeing corvée labour, managing local tribunals, and collecting local taxes. This arrangement preserved allegiance to the king's central authority while facilitating efficient local control.Moore, Sally Falk, and Paul Puritt. The Chagga and Meru of Tanzania: East Central Africa, Part XVIII. Routledge, 2017. ISBN 978-1-315-30949-1.
The following is a list of Kibosho colonial possessions over its 300-year history, along with major chiefdoms (Mitaa). The communities are grouped between the Rau River to the east and the Weru Weru River to the west. Chiefdom of Lyamungo; also known as Lambungu or Lyamungo, is named after its western area near Weru Weru. This name likely reflects its position on a caravan route or its historical connection to the royal Orio clan of Kibosho, which previously lived there before moving to the chiefdom's center in Owoo. When Mangi Horombo began to raid in the late 1700s, it served as a haven for a significant number of immigrants from the Kingdom of Kilema. After staying for a while, they returned home. Chiefdom of Narumu; despite being under the Kingdom of Kibosho. The dialects and traditions of the chiefdom are more similar to those of the western Kingdom of Machame. The pottery produced in the chiefdom is well-known.