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Describe the political organization of the Maasai in the pre-colonial period.

Describe the political organization of the Maasai in the pre-colonial period.

Answers

gideon
Describe the political organization of the Maasai during the pre-colonial period

i) The council of elders ruled the Maasai

The council consisted of ritual leaders, clan heads and family heads among others

ii) The council of elders was responsible for maintaining law and order, making decisions about ceremonies, declaring war and settling disputes

iii) The age set system was an important institution among the Maasai

There were several age sets and each had leadership roles in turns

iv) The existed a class of warriors, the Morans, who used to preside over religious functions and advise the community during crises

v) There were ritual leaders among the Maasai

Their function was to preside over religious functions and advise the community during crises

vi) The most important ritual head was the Oloiboni

By the mid 19th Century the institution of the Oloiboni had become more influential

Some outstanding were Mbatiani and Lenana

OR

-Had a decentralized system of government.
-Clan was the basic political unit.
-Clans were administered by council of elders.
-The council administered justice and acted as the final court of appeal.
-Had warriors who defended the community.
-Had age set system.
-Laibon was consulted by warriors before war.
gideon1 answered the question on November 6, 2017 at 15:59

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