Kingdom of Burundi – House of Ntwero

Royaume du Burundi

House of Ntwero

The Kingdom of Burundi existed according to the traditional account from the 16th century until 1966, but it is now thought that the first king began to reign in 1680. Like the monarchy in neighbouring Rwanda it was led by Tutsi kings. The last mwami (ruler) of Burundi was King Ntare V, who was either (according to some reports) murdered at the Ibwami royal palace in Gitega in 1972, or (according to others) fled to exile in West Germany.

Most members of the royal house live in exile in France today. In the 2005 elections, Princess Esther Kamatari ran for president for the Abahuza party (“Party for the Restoration of Monarchy and Dialogue in Burundi”). Supporters argue that a restoration of a constitutional monarchy could help to ease the tensions between the ethnic groups and become a symbol of unity. The flag of the kingdom contained a karyenda in the center as a symbol of royal authority.

List of Kings of Burundi

• The list contains two versions of the list of Kings of Burundi, the traditional
• version before 1680 and the modern genealogy. The regnal names of Burundian
• sovereigns, titled Mwami, followed a cycle: Ntare (meaning ‘lion’), Mwezi
• (meaning ‘moon’), Mutaga, and Mwambutsa. Traditionally, it was thought that
• there had been four complete cycles but the modern genealogy indicates that
• there were only two complete cycles, starting with Ntare III Rushatsi.

• In the 16th century, Burundi was a kingdom characterized by a hierarchical
• political authority and tributary economic exchange. A king (mwami) headed
• a princely aristocracy (ganwa) which owned most of the land governing its
• subjects with superiority and required a tribute, or tax, from local farmers
• and herders who lived in forests. The Tutsi monarchy ruled the nation for
• centuries, but became largely ceremonial with the colonization of the nation
• by the German Empire in 1899. The kings continued through the colonial period,
• but each of the last kings was deposed in a coup d’état. Burundi ceased to
• be a monarchy when king Ntare V Ndizeye was deposed by his Prime Minister
• and Chief of Staff, Capt. Michel Micombero, who abolished the monarchy and
• declared a republic in 1966.

Kings of Burundi

The traditional list of Kings of Burundi. The dates before 1900 are estimates.

• Ntare I Rushatsi Cambarantama: c.1530-c.1550
• Mwezi I Baridamunka: c.1550-c.1580
• Mutaga I Mutabazi: c.1580-c.1600
• Mwambutsa I Nkomati: c.1600-c.1620
• Ntare II Kibogora: c.1620-c.1650
• Mwezi II Nyaburunga: c.1650-c.1680
• Mutaga II Senyamwiza Mutamo: c.1680-c.1700
• Mwambutsa II Nyarushamba: c.1700-c.1720
• Ntare III Kivimira Semuganzashamba: c.1720-c.1750
• Mwezi III Kavuyimbo (Ndagushimiye): c.1750-c.1780
• Mutaga III Sebitungwa: c.1780-c.1800
• Mwambutsa III Mbonyuburundi (Mbariza): c.1800-c.1830
• Ntare IV Runzi (Rutaganzwa Rugamba): c.1830-c.1850
• Mwezi IV Gisabo Bikata-Bijoga: c.1850-1908
• Mutaga IV Mbikije: c.1908-1915
• Mwambutsa IV Bangiricenge Rubangishamiheto: 1915-1966
• Ntare V Ndizeye: 1966-[1972]

Kings of Burundi – c.1680-1966

This is the modern genealogy:

• Ntare III Rushatsi: c.1680-c.1709
• Mwezi III Ndagushimiye: c.1709-c.1739
• Mutaga III Senyamwiza Mutamo: c.1739-c.1767
• Mwambutsa III Serushambo Butama: c.1767-c.1796 (also known as Mwambutsa III Mbariza)
• Ntare IV Rutaganzwa Rugamba: c.1796-c.1850
• Mwezi IV Gisabo: c.1850-21 August 1908
• Mutaga IV Mbikije: 1908-30 November 1915
• Mwambutsa IV Bangiriceng: 16 December 1915-8 July 1966
• Ntare V Ndizeye: 1 September-28 November 1966