Everything about Caste System In Africa totally explained
Countries in
Africa who have societies with
caste systems within their borders include
Mali,
Mauritania,
Senegal,
Gambia,
Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau,
Ivory Coast,
Niger,
Burkina Faso,
Cameroon,
Ghana,
Liberia,
Sierra Leone,
Algeria,
Nigeria,
Chad,
Ethiopia, and
Somalia.
The Osu caste system in
Nigeria and southern
Cameroon, can be traced back to an indigenous religious belief system, practiced within the
Igbo nation. It is the belief of many Igbo traditionalists that the Osus are people historically owned by deities, and are therefore considered to be a 'living sacrifice', an outcaste, untouchable and sub-human (similar to the Roman practice of
homo sacer); this system received literary attention when it became a key plot point in
No Longer At Ease by
Chinua Achebe.
Caste systems in
Somali outcaste Midgan-Madhiban, Yibir, Tumal and other groups deemed to be impure. The outcaste clans don't descend from the Arabic-origin ancestors of the political powerful noble caste, such as the Darood, Hawiye and Isaak clans, and are traditionally forbidden to socialize with others in Somali society, have no access to public wells and other water sources, can't own land and are not allowed to live in villages.
Among the
Mande societies in
Senegal,
Gambia,
Guinea,
Sierra Leone,
Liberia,
Ivory Coast, and
Ghana people are divided by occupation and ethnic ties. The highest hierarchy in the Mande caste system, the Horon (nobles/freeborn), are traditionally farmers, fisherman, warriors and animal breeders, the lowest caste are the Jonow, a "slave" caste, made up of people whose ancestors were enslaved by other Africans during tribal wars. An important feature of this system are castes based on trade, such as
blacksmiths and
griots.
The
Wolof hierarchical caste system in Senegal is divided into three main groups, the Geer (freeborn/nobles), jaam (slaves and slave descendants) and the outcasted neeno (people of caste). In various parts of
West Africa,
Fula(ni) societies also have caste divisions; in
Mali, non-noble/freeborn people (those not technically
Fulɓe) are called
yimɓe pulaaku (people in the Fula culture).
The caste system found amongst the
Borana in North Eastern
Kenya is divided into four distinct castes. At the top, there are Borana Gutu (Pure), followed by
Gabra, then
Sakuye, and
Watta, a traditional hunter-gatherer caste, being the last. The Watta are condemned to life-long servitude for members of the higher castes. Among the
Tuareg societies found in
Burkina Faso,
Mali and
Niger, exists a similar caste system, where the Bellah slave caste is treated as slaves to other castes.
In
Rwanda,
Burundi and eastern
Congo it's known as
ubuhake. The
Tutsi, who comprise about 15% of the population of these areas, were the ruling, Cattle-owning caste - corresponding to the "Kshatriyas" in the Vedic system. Below them were the
Hutu, the farmers - corresponding with the Vedic
Sudras; about 80% of the population. Fewer than 3% of the population are
Twa or
Pygmies, who occupy a position similar to that of 'tribals' in the Indian system.
During the
German suzerainty over Rwanda and Burundi, the authorities reinforced the system by employing Tutsis in hegemonic roles. The
Belgian colonialists who succeeded them after
World War I continued this policy, instituting 'ethnic' identity cards. They also incorporated subsidiary populations, such as the
Hima and the
Baganwa, into the Tutsi.
After independence, tensions intensified. In
1972, Tutsis were responsible for a wholesale massacre of Hutus. In the
1990s, Hutus responded with counter-massacres.
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