This article contains a list of kings of Rwanda. The

Kingdom of Rwanda The Kingdom of Rwanda was a kingdom in East Africa which grew to be ruled by a Tutsi monarchy. It was later annexed under German and Belgian colonial rule while retaining some of its autonomy. The Tutsi monarchy was abolished in 1961 after ...

was ruled by sovereigns titled '' mwami'' (plural ''abami''), and was one of the oldest and the most centralized kingdoms in the history of

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historica ...

. Its state and affairs before King

Gihanga Gihanga I ("Creator", "Founder") is a Rwandan cultural hero described in oral histories as an ancient king popularly credited with establishing the ancient Kingdom of Rwanda. Oral legends relate that Gihanga descended from a line of 12 gods heade ...

is largely unconfirmed and highly shrouded in mythical tales.

Kings of Rwanda

;Abami b'imishumi (descendants of Ibimanuka gods) – B.C.E * Gihanga I *

Kanyarwanda I Gahima I Gahima I (also known as Kanyarwanda I, Kayima I, Ghem, Khem, Kakama, Khm among East Africans is recited by the Rwandan "Abiru" (cultural historians and griots) as one of the primal Mwami, or King of Rwanda supposedly after Gihanga's long reign arou ...

* Ndahiro I Bamara (Wamala) * Ruganzu I * Nyarume * Ntarama * Rubanda (Lugalbanda) * Rumeza I *

Yuhi I Musindi Yuhi may refer to: People Japan *, Japanese long-distance runner * Yuhi Sano (born 1965), Japanese professional wrestler * Yuhi Sekiguchi (born 1987), Japanese racing driver * Yuhi (wrestler) (born 1995), Japanese professional wrestler Rwanda ...

* Rumeza IILeon Delmas * Ndahiro II Ruyange * Ndahiro III Ndoba *

Ndahiro IV Samembe Ndahiro is a Rwandan name. Notable people by that name include: * Emmanuel Ndahiro, chief of the intelligence agency of Rwanda until 2011. * Ndahiro II Cyamatare Ndahiro II Cyamatare was Mwami, or king, of the Kingdom of Rwanda at the end of the ...

* Nsoro I Samukondo * Nsoro II Byinshi * Ruganzu II Bwimba * Cyilima I Rugwe ;1st Abami Bibitekerezo (1st Common Era Kings) * Kigeli I Mukobanya * Mibambwe I Sekarongoro I Mutabazi * Yuhi II Gahima II * Ndahiro V Cyamatare ;2nd Abami Bibitekerezo (2nd Common Era Kings) Tutsi king Mutara

* Ruganzu III Ndoli * Kalemera Rwaka * Mutara I Nsoro III Semugeshi * Kigeli II Nyamuheshera (1576–1609) * Mibamwe II Sekarongoro II Gisanura (1609–1642) * Yuhi III Mazimpaka (1642–1675) * Cyilima II Rujugira (1675–1708) * Kigeli III Ndabarasa (1708–1741) * Mibambwe III Mutabazi II Sentabyo (1741–1746) * Yuhi IV Gahindiro (1746–1802) *

Mutara II Rwogera Mutara II Rwogera was the King of Rwanda from 1830 to his death in June 1853. Under his rule and that of his successor Kigeli IV Rwabugiri, the kingdom reached its pinnacle of power. After 1 June 1853, King Mutara II Rwogera died of an illness ...

(1802–1853) *

Kigeli IV Rwabugiri Kigeli IV Rwabugiri (1840? - November 1895) was the king ('' mwami'') of the Kingdom of Rwanda in the mid-nineteenth century. He was among the last Nyiginya kings in a ruling dynasty that had traced their lineage back four centuries to Gihanga, ...

(1853 – November 1895) *

Mibambwe IV Rutarindwa Mibambwe IV Rutarindwa (?? – December 1896, Marangara province, Nyanza, German East Africa) was Mwami of Rwanda between November 1895 and December 1896, having been made co-ruler by his father Kigeli IV Rwabugiri in 1889. Rutarindwa is sometime ...

(November 1895 – December 1896) *

Yuhi V Musinga Yuhi Musinga (Yuhi V of Rwanda, 1883 – 13 January 1944) was a king of Rwanda who came to power in 1896 and collaborated with the German government to strengthen his own kingship. In 1931 he was deposed by the Belgian administration because of h ...

(1883 – 13 January 1944; ) *

Mutara III Rudahigwa Mutara III Rudahigwa (March 1911 – 25 July 1959) was King ('' umwami'') of Rwanda between 1931 and 1959. He was the first Rwandan king to be baptised, and Roman Catholicism took hold in Rwanda during his reign. His Christian names were Cha ...

(March 1911 – 25 July 1959; ) * Kigeli V Ndahindurwa (29 June 1936 – 16 October 2016; )

Reigning in exile since 1961

On 28 January 1961, during the Rwandan Revolution, the country abolished its monarchy and became a republic (retroactively approved by a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a Representative democr ...

held on 25 September of the same year). Afterwards, Kigeli V Ndahindurwa continued to maintain his claim to the throne until his death on 16 October 2016 in Washington, D.C. On 9 January 2017, the Royal Council of Abiru announced Prince

Emmanuel Bushayija Emmanuel Bushayija (born 20 December 1960) is the titular King of Rwanda. He was proclaimed the ceremonial successor to the royal title ('' Mwami'') on 9 January 2017 under the reign name Yuhi VI. He succeeded his late uncle King Kigeli V and is ...

as the new heir to the throne. Prince Emmanuel adopted the

regnal name A regnal name, or regnant name or reign name, is the name used by monarchs and popes during their reigns and, subsequently, historically. Since ancient times, some monarchs have chosen to use a different name from their original name when they ...

Yuhi VI.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Kings Of Rwanda

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

Rwandan monarchy

Kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

Kings of Rwanda

Reigning in exile since 1961

See also

References