QN. Discuss principles of political organization based on age grades Nandi of East Africa.
QN. Discuss principles of political organization based on age
grades Nandi of East Africa.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Historical back ground of Nandi Society
Definition of key terms
·
Political organization
·
Age grades
Principle of political organization of Nandi society
CRITICS
CONCLUSION
REFERENCE.
THE HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND OF NANDI SOCIETY
The Nandi are one of the East African people of western Kenya.
According to census of 1948 the estimated population was 50000. Nandi are
pastoralist who also practiced agriculture. The land of Nandi
are divided into six territory EMET, also are sixteen pororisiek which are made
up of Koret (Koret is the smallest territory unity).
A Koret is made up of (20-100) scattered home steady, A home
steady consists of simple and compound family, cattle-fold, A granary and
living hut. The Koret and pororisiek are both territory and political unity.
Hunting ford. G.W.B (1993).
DEFINITIONS OF KEY
TERMS.
Political organization
a government claiming authority over a definite territory.(Maine and Morgan,( 1975).
Age-Grades; is a group
of person of the same sex and approximately the same age having a certain definite
duties and privilege in common constituting a division of tribe or society (http:
//www.merium-website.com/dictionaty/age-grades)
Age-Grades is in
contrasts of an age set, to which individuals remain permanent attached as the
set useful becomes progressively more serious (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/age
grade).
Age-Grades is a
stage (as boyhood adolescences or manhood) through which an age –Grades passes.
PRINCIPLE OF POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF NANDI BASED ON AGE
GRADE
According to Anguru Onwuejeogwu (1975) he explained
principles of political organization of Nandi society basing on age grades as
follows
Kokwet is the council made by old men of the Koret, an
old man is defined as a person who has the warrior’s grades, the leader of
council is not elected by any formal methods, but the most influential,
respectable and wealth man will be accepted (social process of natural
selections). Once the leader will die another potential, respectable and wealth
will be indisputable.
A councilor meets daily under a suitable tree preferable a
Fig, A leader sit under it with the other old men sitting around him while
young men sitting behind them observing the discussion and woman will be there
only when they called to give evidence.
The council deals with matters concerning with Koret like
disputes of cattle’s, composition cases, crèmes against tribes, drought and cattle’s
diseases. ornwejeogwa (1975).
Pororiet Is the largest political units and it considers
with the territory division called the pororisiek. The pororisiek is made up of
four two thirty Koret (4-30) A poriet comprises a leader of its compound Kokwet,
two senior military commanders of Pororiet and to representative of Orkoiyot. The
council is presided over by two active old men called councilors.
The councilor is made up of representative whose duties are
purely Civil, military and rituals, each has its own specialist, the councils
discuss matters of pororisiek as a whole such as going to war or raids,
concussions, agriculture and rituals.
A porosiek is not a higher authority than the Kokwet or a
court of appeal, although it can settle disputes between Kokwet, all internal
affairs of Koret are made by Kokwet and external affairs of Koret are made by Pororiet.
Military councilor Is the next councilor organized at
the level of porosiek; the warriors build them selves huts in the bush where
they take decision about raiding. These are place before Pororiet councilor by
two senior commanders; this military council receives order from Orkoiyot after
being informed by the two representatives, Orkoiyot gives his assent, ritual
blessing and war medicine to the warriors. The porosiek army is made up of warriors
from different Koret (http:// archive.hb.msu.edu/Dmc/Africa.)
The Orkoiyot is an intermediary between the God, Asis
and Man in Nandi land, his person is sacred and several taboos and avoidance
associated with his person, all decision of Pororiet council’s are referred to
him for super natural suction.
His power is to sanction war, Circumcision and planting and
in this way he coordinated several activities of Nandi nation. Military had all
power in the Pororiet councils but Orkoiyot acts as check to their power
because no any military expedition can be taken without his assent. The office
of Orkoiyot seems to be centered on a particular line age.
Ipinda Is every male in the tribe belongs from birth ,
there are a seven grades, the first grade consist warriors in power other are
those of the small boys and initiates and the other four are of old men, The
age of being warriors are between twenty two and thirty two(22-32)
The age grade is subdivided into four groups called “FIRE”
each of these four groups and these groups is for balance of power, the warrior
grade is allowed free access to girls. (http://www.Jounals/pdfs/PULA/Pula
001002/Pula001002005.pdf).
CRITICS
According to Onwuejeogwu he classify Principle of Political
organization of Nandi into five age groups but according to us we put those
five age groups into three the fist group is military age group which consist
young man and all commander, Old age group consist of Kokwet and Pororiet and other
other elders. And the last group is a traditional ritual age group which
consist of Orkoiyot who deals with rituals matters, each perform special function
in Nandi nations
CONCLUSION
Nandi society has a system of centralized authority based on
a civil administration centered on the Kokwet and Pororiet council. And a
military administration controlled by the military council. And some activities
of Pororiet and military councils have to be sanctioned by the Orkoiyot, whose
position is through ritual has significant political implications.
REFERENCE
Onwuejengwu.M.A. (1975) the
social Anthropology of Africa .cox&wyman ltd, London.
Hunting Ford, G.W.B. (1953) The Nandi of Kenya,
Tribal a control in Pastoral Society, London,
Rutledge
Http//archve.hb.msu.edu.DMC/Africa/18-04-2012/11:30Am.
Aud=3739224&uid=2129&uid=2134&uid=2&wid=70&wid=/18-04-2012/12:01pm
Http://www.answer.co/topic/Age-grades/19-04-2012/01:08pm.
Written by LUGOME JAROME TEKU university June, 2012 and Powered by CHIWAMBO AUSI CHIWAMBO -BASO BLOG
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