Tutsi people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 2.5 million (Rwanda and Burundi) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Languages | |
| Rwanda-Rundi, French, English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Hutu |
The Tutsi (/ˈtʊtsi/;Rwanda-Rundi pronunciation: [tūtsī]), or Abatutsi, are a social class inhabiting the African Great Lakes region. A specific social order considered the highest of society status that also involved feudal or legal privileges within the Great Lakes region and beyond. In many provinces, likened to an it included the lords of the land or aristocrats who typically possessed a hereditary rank and specific titles. Abatutsi or Wahima status could derive membership from landownership, military caste, chieftainship and priesthoods. They are usually below only the monarch of a kingdom or nation in its social hierarchy. Historically, they were often referred to as the Watutsi,Watusi,Wahuma, Wahima or the Wahinda. The Tutsi form a subgroup of the Banyarwanda and the Barundi peoples, who reside primarily in Rwanda and Burundi, but with significant populations also found in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. They speak Rwanda-Rundi, a group of Bantu languages.
The Tutsi are the second largest population division among the three largest groups in Rwanda and Burundi; the other two being the Hutu (largest) and the Twa (smallest). Small numbers of Hema, Kiga and Furiiru people also live near the Tutsi in Rwanda. The Northern Tutsi who reside in Rwanda are called Ruguru (Banyaruguru), while southern Tutsi that live in Burundi are known as Hima, and the Tutsi that inhabit the Kivu plateau in the Congo go by Banyamulenge.
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Wikipedia