The Survival of Ganda Traditional Religion Before And After the Coming Of Foreign Religions
Date
1998-02-01
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
The purpose of this essay is to search into the factors responsible for the survival of the
Ganda traditional religion, despite all efforts from external agents to stamp it out.
Importantly, among the external agents - enemies of this indigenous religion, we shall
consider the influence of the outside missionaries. These may range from western
missionaries from Europe to Arabs from the East coast of Africa. The European
missionaries are the main agents of both Christianity and western culture or influences.
The Arabs are responsible for Islamic influences and the practice of slave trade. The
Baganda were confused as to whether the missionaries were agents of Christianity and
Islam or western and Arab cultures respectively.
The two above mentioned influences were and still are regarded the traditional enemies
of Ganda religion. For these foreign religions have abused Ganda religion as satanic and
mere superstition. The missionaries worked hand in hand with the British colonial
government in 1929 and passed a law banning all traditional religions in Uganda.
Unfortunately, they never succeeded in stamping out the Ganda traditional religion and
other respective indigenous religions country wide.
With such concrete manifestations of the strength, presence and influence the Ganda
religion has on both the converts and non-converts, one cannot but ask for the reason
accounting for its survival to date. For it still plays a strong influence on a sizeable number of the Ganda population. The questioning mind becomes even determined to
search for answers, learning that most foreign religions have celebrated hundred years
of their presence in the land. How is such hostility being resisted? Or better, why have
the foreign influences of Christianity and Islam remained ineffective in stamping out
traditional beliefs and practice and replacing the with new ones?
We need to search for factors accounting for this compound phenomenon, of resistance
and survival the Ganda religion has been able to sustain for over one hundred year of
open confrontations.
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Keywords
Foreign Religions, Buganda, Ganda People