History of Rwanda: From the Beginning to the End of the Twentieth Century
History of Rwanda: From the Beginning to the End of the Twentieth Century is a comprehensive historical reference book written by Rwandan historians and published in 2016 under the supervision of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) in collaboration with the National University of Rwanda (NUR) and the Ministry of Education.
Coordinated by lead authors Déo Byanafashe and Paul Rutayisire, alongside a team of specialist historians and researchers (including Célestin Kanimba Misago, Gamaliel Mbonimana, Joseph Jyoni wa Karega, Faustin Rutembesa, and Charles Kabwete), the work was produced to address a critical post-genocide social demand for an objective, research-based national history.
1. Purpose and Rationale
Correcting Historical Manipulation: Previous history taught during the colonial era and under the First and Second Republics was heavily criticized for distorting facts to serve political propaganda. Colonizers and previous regimes propagated racial theories like the “Bantu-Hamitic myth,” falsely framing clans and social groups as rigid, hostile races to justify divisive policies.
Building a Post-Genocide National Memory: Following the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, Rwandans sought an unbiased, rigorous historical account that transcended emotional partialities, debunked divisive stereotypes, and provided an accurate educational foundation for national unity and reconciliation.
2. Structure and Scope
The book covers the trajectory of the Rwandan nation across seven detailed chapters spanning from prehistoric times to 2003:
Sources of Rwanda’s History: A critical inventory and methodology for analyzing four primary types of evidence: material/archaeological, oral traditions, written records, and audiovisual archives.
Prehistory and Settlements (1000 BC – 700/800 BC): Archaeological and environmental examination of early human settlements, stone/iron age technologies, and foundational clan origin myths.
The Kingdom of Rwanda (Beginning to 1900): The emergence of the original state nucleus at Gasabo Hill, its expansion under Nyiginya monarchs, and its political, military, economic, and social institutions.
Rwanda Under German and Belgian Colonization: The arrival of European explorers, the protectorate, indirect rule, administrative reforms, forced labor (Akazi/Uburetwa), and the introduction of institutionalized ethnic divisions.
The First and Second Republics (1962–1994): The decolonization process, the 1959 crisis, political power under Grégoire Kayibanda and Juvénal Habyarimana, regional/ethnic quotas, and the escalation of state-sponsored exclusion.
The Genocide Perpetrated Against the Tutsi (April–July 1994): The planning, media propaganda (e.g., RTLM, Kangura), and execution of the genocide, international complicity/passivity, and the military intervention by the RPF to stop the killings.
The Transitional Period (July 1994–September 2003): The establishment of the Government of National Unity, post-genocide justice mechanisms (such as Gacaca courts), the restoration of security, economic emergency rehabilitation, and the creation of new democratic structures.
3. Key Insights and Historiographical Contributions
Deconstructing Colonial Myths: The book demonstrates through multidisciplinary research (archaeology, linguistics, oral traditions) that pre-colonial Rwandan clans were inclusive, multi-ethnic social institutions (comprising Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa) rather than hostile racial units.
Critical Distance on Traditional Sources: It applies a rigorous critique to royal oral traditions (such as Ubwiru codes and dynastic genealogies), noting where royal court memorialists or early colonial transcribers interpolated or altered facts to legitimize dynastic power.
