Figure 1.--This photograph shows the chief of Bameka, a large Cameroonian village. The photo reveals some clothing trends. The chief is wearing a costume made with printed cotton cloth. That suggests that the shot was taken after World war II, probably in the 1950s. In the backgroud we can see that some of the children are wearing dresses and that also suggests that the photo was taken in 1950s. The chief is depicted with two of his wives, probably the two younger ones. They seem to be still teenagers. The wives are completely unclothed, that was not unusual in some Cameroonian regions, although becoming less common by the 1950s. It looks strange that they are unclothed while the chief is clothed and even some children wear dresses. It seems to me that the chief is showing off his wives as aatter of prestige. Some expressions of traditional African culture were not respectfull of the women's dignity. For a chief the large number and the young age of his wives were important status symbols.

African royalty is a complicated question. This is the case partly because the modern map of Agrica is largely a colonial creation which has not relationship to orecolonial kinngdoms and ethnic/tribal populations. Thus the territory of African kinngdoms commonly were cut up by the colonial powers and thus had represented territory that now consist of land that were in two or more modern countries. We have been able to find very little informtion about royalty in Cameroon. The Kingdom of Bamoun (variously spelled Bamun, Bamoun, or Mum) was a Central African state in what is now northwest Cameroon. It was based on the Bamun, an ethnic group dominating northeast Cameroon. The founder was the older brother of the Tikar royal dynasty (late-14th century). The capital was the ancient walled city of Fumban. There are historical records for modern times. We do note a book about the royal sucession in the Nso Kingdom. 【Chem-Langhee and Fanso】 There are chapters on the royal prerogative, the leopard pelt principle, and succession council membership. Kesu-Wum and Eyang-Atem-Ako are other kingdoms. We also note a discussion of the Scultor Kings. This focuses on Babungo, formerly the most important iron-working center in Cameroon. Sculptor kings and artists used coded motifs to express ideas, beliefs, mythical scenes and historic events. 【Notue】 We also notice a book about Kingdom on Mount Cameroon. It includes essays about the history of Cameroon from 1500 to 1960. We are not sure about the role of royalty in modern Cameroon, but these tribal chiefs often have influence even if they have no formal political role.

Bamoum (c1394–1923)

The Kingdom of Bamoun (variously spelled Bamun, Bamoun, or Mum) was a Central African state in what is now northwest Cameroon. It was based on the Bamun, an ethnic group dominating northeast Cameroon. The founder was the older brother of the Tikar royal dynasty (late-14th century). The capital was the ancient walled city of Fumban. There are historical records for modern times. The primary security threat was from the Fulani and Chamba to the north (18th century). The population was about 10,000-12,000 people. The most notable king was Mbum Mbuembue (early-19th century). 【Ogot】 King Mbuembue was the first ruler to significantly expand the Bamun Kingdom. He boasted that he would mark his borders 'with blood and black iron'. 【Njeuma, p. 118.】  He was notable for repelling an attack launched by the Fulani leader Hamman Sambo (1820s). A trench protecting the capital reportedly stopped the attacking Fulani horsemen. 【Yakan, p. 207.】 He devised the emblem of the Bamoum people, a snake with two heads known as 'Ngnwe peh tu'. This reprtedly reflected the ability to fight on two fronts at the same time. The Europeans had appeared of the coast of Africa (15th century). They did not, however, penetrate into the interior even in the early-19th century. It is only with the advent of modern weaponry that his be gan leading to the Scramble for Africa (1870s). Bamoun came under German control (late-19th century). The Germans did not dismantle the Kingsom and the Bamoum, understanding that they did not have the ability to reist the Germans militarily decided not to resist German colonization (1884). German control was not overwheaklmng. The king was Mfon Nsangou. The Nso invaded and killed Nsangou. His head became a war trophy. His senior wufe, Njapdunke, took control. After a series of ineffective kings, King Njoya. He was one of Bamoum's most imprtant rulers (1883-1931). 【Polakoff, p. 51.】 He did not resist German colonizationm and Bamoum became part of the German cilony of Kamerun. Njoya was responsible for many modernizing steps. He was influenced by German missiionaries to convert to Christianity, but eventually chose Islam. Among his innovations was a written script for the Bamoum language. Marriage was not one of the areas h odernized. His wives, cioncybunes, and chikldren are aWith the advent of World War I (1914), the Allies invaded German Kamerun as part of the West African campaign. Brutish Colonel Gorges captured Fumban (December 1915). 【Gorges】 Gorges described Njoya as being 'a trifle nervous' when they met but accepted had no problem with British rule once he was assured that the Briutish were mostly concerned with the Germans and had no issue with him or his people. After the war, Germany's colonies were divided by the Allies. The Bamoun Kingdom came under French rule. The French deposed him (1923). The French also banned his script. 【Yakan, p. 207.】

Nso Kingdom

We do note a book about the royal sucession in the Nso Kingdom. 【Chem-Langhee and Fanso】 There are chapters on the royal prerogative, the leopard pelt principle, and succession council membership.

Others

Kesu-Wum and Eyang-Atem-Ako are other kingdoms. We also note a discussion of the Scultor Kings. This focuses on Babungo, formerly the most important iron-working center in Cameroon. Sculptor kings and artists used coded motifs to express ideas, beliefs, mythical scenes and historic events. 【Notue】 We also notice a book about Kingdom on Mount Cameroon. It includes essays about the history of Cameroon from 1500 to 1960.

Modern Cameroon

We are not sure about the role of royalty in modern Cameroon, but these tribal chiefs often have influence even if they have no formal political role.

Sources

Ardener, Edwin. Kingdom on Mount Cameroon.

Chem-Langhee, Bongfen and Verkijika G. Fanso. Royal Succession in the African Kingdom of NSO': A Study in Oral Historiography.

Gorges, E.H. The Great War in West Africa (Hutchinson & Co. Ltd., London, 1930).

Njeuma, Martin Zachary. (1969). The Rise and fall of Fulani Rule in Adamawa, 1809-1901 (University of London, 1969).

Notue, Jean-Paul. Treasures of the Sculptor Kings: Memory, Arts and Techniques.

Ogot, Bethwell A. General History of Africa V: Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999), 512p.

Polakoff, Claire (1982). African Textiles and Dying Techniques (Garden City: Routledge, 1982), 256p..

Yakan, Mohamad Z. (1999). Almanac of African Peoples & Nations (Edison: Transaction Publishers, 1999), pp. 847p.

Created: 1:19 AM 3/7/2013
Last updated: 6:34 AM 10/19/2024