Bushong People
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 160,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Languages | |
| Bushong language; Shuwa language; French | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Kasai Twa, Ngombe people, and other Bantu peoples. |
The Bushong (or Bushongo) people are a Bantu ethnic group in Central Africa, located within Kasai Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. They were the historical rulers of the Kuba Kingdom.
History
The Bushong migrated to the Kuba region from north around the Mongo people in the 15th-16th century, where they encountered the Kasai and Kete people[2]. The Kingdom of Kuba was centralised by Bushong king Shyaam a-Mbul a Ngoong in around 1625 where he implemented substantial political and economic reform[3].
The Kuban Kingdom remained relatively isolated from the coastal slave trade of the Kongo and Ndongo kingdoms, yet benefited similarly from new world crops and trade. By the 1890's the kingdom fell under the control of the Congo Free State. Under the Belgian Congo, the territory of the Bushong was within the province of Kasai, before the 1966 partitioning which split the province between Kasai-Occidental and Kasai-Oriental. Following the 2015 repartitioning, the Bushong have been part of the province of Kasai. The current king of Kuba is Kot-a-Mbweeky III, who has reigned since 1968.
Language
The Bushong speak the Bantu language of Bushong, within Bushoong group, it has roughly 160,000 native speakers[1].
Religion
Art
The Bushong are regarded as some of the most skilled carvers in Africa[2], their designs are known for their emulation of textile patterns on wood carving. Their decorations often feature designs inspired by animals such as Antelope, Tortoise and Iguana. They also create high-quality character masks, a process they inherited from the Kuba Kingdom.
References
Bibliography
- Scott Bobb. Historical Dictionary of Zaire. 1988; Jan Vansina. The Children of Woot: A History of the Kuba People. 1978.
- Congo (Kinshasa) Traditional States
- Anthony Appiah. Encyclopedia of Africa. 2010.
This article "Bushong People" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Bushong People. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
