Kingdom of Bamum

The Kingdom of Bamum (also spelled Bamoum, Bamun, Bamoun, or Mum) (1394–1884) was a pre-colonial West African state in what is now northwest Cameroon. It was founded by the Mbum, a Bantu ethnic group from northeast Cameroon. Its capital was the ancient walled city of Fumban.

The Mbum of the Grassfields, with several other peoples, claim descent from the Tikar of the Cameroon highlands, who are derived from the Mbum of Delbe (Ngaundere).

The Bamum kingdom was founded by emigrants related to the Tikar royal dynasty of Nsaw. The founding king (called a “fon” or “mfon”) was Nchare, a conqueror reputed to have crushed some 18 rulers. King Nchare founded the capital Foumban, then called Mfomben. This first group of Tikar emigrants conquerors absorbed the language and customs of their new subjects and were from then on known as Mbum. Later, all peoples falling under their influence would take this name. It is believed that Chamba migrations from the Tikar plain in the southern part of the western Adamawa Plateau resulted in the kingdom’s foundation.

Although earlier dates have been suggested, it is clear that the Tikar were not yet in the region until the late 1700s when they were first invited by the Twumwu in alliance against the Kwanja Chief Ngwiwa.

The founding king organized his realm around political institutions originating among the Tikar. There were titled or noblemen called the kom ngu (counselors of the kingdom) with whom he divided the land.

The Bamum kingdom’s population used secret societies. One society, the ngiri, was for princes. Another, the mitngu, was for the general populace regardless of social status. The mfon recruited most of his retainers from twins and the sons of princesses.

The king of Bamum was known as the mfon, a title shared by Tikar rulers. The mfon engaged in large-scale polygamy giving rise to a proliferation of royal lineages. This led to the palace nobility growing rapidly.

Little is known about the kingdom’s material and social culture during this time. Originally, the language of state in the Bamum kingdom was that of the Tikar. This apparently did not last long, and the language of the conquered Mben was adopted. The economy was largely agricultural, and slave owning was practiced on a small scale. The Bamum kingdom traded with neighboring populations. They imported salt, iron, beads, cotton goods and copper objects.

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