The histories of pre-colonial states in the Great Lakes region of Central
Africa have engaged scholars for more than a century. First encountered by
Europeans in the 1860s during the search for the source of the Nile, these
states and their rulers inspired both admiration and frustration in their
visitors. On the one hand, explorers were impressed by the power of the
rulers and the complexities of their bureaucracies, but on the other, they
were annoyed by the apparent vacillation of the monarchs in responding to
their demands. From the historian's perspective, these initial encounters
soon led to questions about the origins and longevity of these states. Stories
of origins were encapsulated in myths and legends that missionaries began to
record around the turn of the twentieth century, while efforts to elicit lists
of kings who had ruled each state introduced African leaders to European-style historiography.
Climate Change Impacts on Nutrient Losses of Two Watersheds in the Great Lakes Region