V 
UGANDA 
57 
was cruel. The Arabs who were settled in the country 
as ivory merchants had introduced Mahornedanism, and 
the religious question was complicated by the Roman 
Catholics who founded the Mission of the White Fathers. 
Eventually the Protestant and Roman Catholic sections 
of the Church found themselves, not only in rivalry, but 
in actual strife. 
Mutesa (or M’tesa as his name is often written) died 
in 1884 : he remained a pagan to the end in spite of 
the proselytising efforts of Protestants, Roman Catholics, 
and Mahomedans. He was succeeded by his son 
Mwanga, a violent and vicious man, who soon came 
into collision with the religious factions. For this 
there was some excuse, as the religious bodies were 
quarrelling with each other, and each trying to impose 
its religion on the Kabaka. Cunningham neatly ex¬ 
presses the position in this way :—‘‘ The Arabs dosed 
liim with Mahornedanism, the White Fathers dosed him 
with Catholicity, and the English missionaries dosed him 
with Protestantism.” 
Mwanga cruelly persecuted the Christians and 
Mahomedans. His corrupt and vicious ways led to his 
deposition in 1888, and he died an exile in the 
Seychelles, 1893. It is a fact of some importance in 
connection with the religious struggles which took place 
in Uganda from 1884 to 1898, that the natives are not 
circumcised unless they become Mahomedans: they 
have a great dislike to this rite, and this may 
have had some influence in preventing the spread of 
Mahornedanism. 
When the Mahomedans for a time obtained the upper 
hand in Uganda, they wished to make Kiwewa, the 
eldest brother of Mwanga, Kabaka, and attempted to 
force on him the rite of circumcision, but he refused, 
and killed some of the high functionaries who had come 
to his enclosure for the purpose of performing the 
rite. 
