The Kingdom of Banyarwanda or Rwanda was founded in the 15th century by a pastoral tribe, the Tutsi. It was coopted by the Belgian colonial authorities, with the kings losing real power and becoming ceremonial figureheads. In 1961, following a referendum in which the majority (the Hutu), voted to abolish the monarchy, a republic came into being. That year, the last mwami (king) Kigeri V Ndahindurwa was deposed and went into exile. Titians The Pastoral Concert Pastoral refers to the lifestyle of shepherds. ... The Tutsi are one of three native peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa: the other two being the Twa and the Hutu. ... In general, the word colonial means of or relating to a colony. In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period before US independence. ... The word king can mean: For the head of state, see Monarch. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Hutu is the name given to one of the three ethnic groups occupying Burundi and Rwanda. ... For related meanings see also Monarch (disambiguation) A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people who do not base their political power on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... title for the King of Rwanda or the King of Burundi This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The word king can mean: For the head of state, see Monarch. ... HM Kigeri V Ndahindurwa was King (Mwami) of Rwanda from 1959-1961. ... Exile is a form of punishment. ...

The 1994 genocide left the country deeply traumatised, and has given rise to renewed calls for a restoration of a constitutional monarchy, as a unifying symbol for both Hutus and Tutsis. HM King Kigeri V resides at the moment in Washington DC, has however voiced his wish to return to his ancestral homeland. In 1999 President Paul Kagame stated that the King may return as a private citizen, but any efforts to restore him to the throne will be crushed. The skulls of victims show gashes and signs of violence The Rwandan genocide was the organized murder of up to one million Rwandans in 1994. ... Heard Island, from NASA World Wind Heard Island and the McDonald Islands are uninhabited, barren islands located in the Southern Ocean at 53°6S, 72°31E, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. ... ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. ... Paul Kagame Paul Kagame (born October 23, 1957) is the president of Rwanda, and was a founder of the Rwandese Patriotic Front and its military commander during the Rwandan Civil War and Rwandan Genocide. ...

For further history of Rwanda see History of Rwanda. This article discusses the history of Rwanda. ...

For the Royal Lineage of the Banyarwanda dynasty (Mwami/s of Rwanda) see List of Kings of Rwanda. A dynasty is a family or extended family which retains political power across generations, or more generally, any organization which extends dominance in its field even as its particular members change. ... This page contains a list of Kings (Mwami, singular Aba) of Rwanda. ...

External links

• Human Rights Watch: The "Ingabo Z'umwami" or Army of the King (http://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/rwanda/Rwan004-03.htm)