- Before the coming of Islam in Uganda, people believed African Traditional Religion.
- It was African Traditional Religion which shaped people’s thinking and organization.
- African Traditional Religion did not have founders like in the case of Islam and Christianity.
- It began slowly as people responded to situations of life and reflected upon their experiences.
- Life experiences that formed African Traditional Religion included things like change in seasons, misfortunes like drought, epidemics e.t.c
- It also included things like powers of nature e.g earthquake, lightening e.t.c, geographical surroundings like mountains, rivers, lakes, valleys, forests, deserts and others.
- It was people’s deep thinking about such issues that resulted into religious ideas which shaped their way of life.
- African Traditional Religion did not have holy books like the Qur’an but it was just written in history, hearts and experiences of the people.
- In African Traditional Religion, Ugandans had beliefs about God, spirits and life after death.
- Ugandans carried a number of ceremonies and festivals through which they expressed their beliefs about God, man and life after death.
- Important ceremonies and festivals were harvest time, childbirth, victory in war, burial ceremonies e.t.c
- In pre-Islamic Uganda, people prayed and offered sacrifices to their gods and goddesses.
- African Traditional Religion had worshipping places like mountains, hills, rivers, lakes, caves and forests where people could go for worshipping.
- African Traditional Religion could also be expressed in art pieces and symbols like sticks, pots, wood, calabashes e.t.c
- Religious feelings of the people could also be expressed in music and dance using drums, flute, whistles and others.
- Some people’s names also meant religious feelings e.g Mwanga, Byakatonda, Byalimaana, Byarugaba e.t.c
- African Traditional Religion was taught through proverbs, legends, stories and rituals.
- People believed in spirits that they had powers to do good or harm to man.
- African Traditional Religion had leaders like rain makers, diviners, witchdoctors e.t.c who were thought to have more religious knowledge than others.
- People believed in God and gave Him various names e.g Katonda, Ruhanga, Imaana e.t.c
Social life
- Before the coming of Islam in Uganda, people practised different customs and attached a lot of meaning to them.
- Every person was supposed to obey the rules and regulations of the society.
- In centralized societies like Buganda and Bunyoro, people were divided into classes like royals, chiefs and commoners.
- In decentralized societies, all people were considered equal although this was theoretical.
- Every society had taboos which controlled one’s behaviours in society e.g among the Baganda one could not mix freely with in-laws.
- Circumcision was practised by some societies like the Gisu, and Sabins to upgrade young boys into adulthood.
- All societies carried out ceremonies like marriage, childbirth, harvesting, burial e.t.c but they were performed differently.
- Some societies like Baganda practised excessive polygamy.
- Wine drinking was a common practice in almost all societies.
- Each society had tribes and each tribe was divided into clans.
- People lived in extended families which composed of parents, children, grand fathers and mothers, uncles, aunts and sometimes friends and in-laws.
- Extended families were linked together by marriage ties or blood relations.
- The parents looked after the children and shaped them as the environment and society needed.
- It was the responsibility of children to obey their parents and other elder members of the society.
- It was every member’s responsibility to ensure discipline in society especially among the young ones.
Economic life
- Land ownership was the basis of the economic life of the Ugandans before the coming of Islam.
- In areas ruled by kings like Buganda and Bunyoro, land belonged to the king while in areas without kings like Iteso and Gisu, land was communally owned.
- People practised different economic activities like agriculture in Buganda and Bunyoro and pastoralism in Ankole.
- Raids for food and animals were also carried in some areas like Teso, Bunyoro and Buganda.
- Some people along rivers and lakes like Kyoga and Victoria carried out fishing.
- Hunting was also a common practice in many societies.
- Iron-working was carried out by some tribes like Buganda and Bunyoro.
- They made iron implements like hoes, spears, arrows, which they exchanged in trade.
- Many communities involved in both local and long distance trade.
- They dealt in items like bark cloth, handcrafts, beads, firearms e.t.c
francis1897 answered the question on March 2, 2023 at 12:13