List of kings of Burundi

This article contains two versions of the list of kings of Burundi, the traditional version before 1680 and the modern genealogy. The Kingdom of Burundi was ruled by sovereigns, titled mwami (plural abami), whose regnal names followed a cycle: Ntare (meaning 'lion'), Mwezi (meaning 'moon'), Mutaga, and Mwambutsa. Traditionally, it was thought that there had been four complete cycles but the modern genealogy indicates that there were only two complete cycles, starting with Ntare III Rushatsi.

In the 16th century, Burundi was a kingdom characterized by a hierarchical political authority and tributary economic exchange. A mwami headed a princely aristocracy (ganwa) which owned most of the land governing its subjects with superiority and required a tribute, or tax, from local farmers and herders who lived in forests. The Tutsi monarchy ruled the nation for centuries, but became largely ceremonial with the colonization of the nation by the German Empire in 1899. The kings continued to nominally rule through German and Belgian colonial periods, and the monarchy continued after the nation gained independence from Belgium in 1962. Burundi ceased to be a monarchy when King Ntare V Ndizeye was deposed by Prime Minister and Chief of Staff, Colonel Michel Micombero, who abolished the monarchy and declared a republic following the November 1966 coup d'état.<ref name=29Nov>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Kings of Burundi

Traditional list

The dates before 1900 are estimates.

Portrait	Name	Reign	Ikigabiro
	Ntare I Rushatsi Cambarantama	Template:Circa 1530–Template:Circa 1550
	Mwezi I Baridamunka	Template:Circa 1550–Template:Circa 1580
	Mutaga I Mutabazi	Template:Circa 1580–Template:Circa 1600
	Mwambutsa I Nkomati	Template:Circa 1600–Template:Circa 1620
	Ntare II Kibogora	Template:Circa 1620–Template:Circa 1650
	Mwezi II Nyaburunga	Template:Circa 1650–Template:Circa 1680
	Mutaga II Senyamwiza Mutamo	Template:Circa 1680–Template:Circa 1700
	Mwambutsa II Nyarushamba	Template:Circa 1700–Template:Circa 1720
	Ntare III Kivimira Semuganzashamba	Template:Circa 1720–Template:Circa 1750
	Mwezi III Kavuyimbo (Ndagushimiye)	Template:Circa 1750–Template:Circa 1780
	Mutaga III Sebitungwa	Template:Circa 1780–Template:Circa 1800
	Mwambutsa III Mbonyuburundi (Mbariza)	Template:Circa 1800–Template:Circa 1830
	Ntare IV Runzi (Rutaganzwa Rugamba)	Template:Circa 1830–Template:Circa 1850
	Mwezi IV Gisabo Bikata-Bijoga	Template:Circa 1850–1908
	Mutaga IV Mbikije	Template:Circa 1908–1915
	Mwambutsa IV Bangiricenge Rubangishamiheto	1915–1966
	Ntare V Ndizeye	1966

Modern list

Portrait	Name Template:Small	Reign	Notes
	Ntare III Rushatsi	Template:Circa 1680–Template:Circa 1709
	Mwezi III Ndagushimiye	Template:Circa 1709–Template:Circa 1739
	Mutaga III Senyamwiza Mutamo	Template:Circa 1739–Template:Circa 1767
	Mwambutsa III Serushambo Butama	Template:Circa 1767–Template:Circa 1796	Also known as Mwambutsa III Mbariza.
	Ntare IV Rutaganzwa Rugamba Template:Small	Template:Circa 1796–Template:Circa 1850
	Mwezi IV Gisabo Template:Small	Template:Circa 1850 – 21 August 1908
	Mutaga IV Mbikije Template:Small	21 August 1908 – 30 November 1915
	Mwambutsa IV Bangiriceng Template:Small	16 December 1915 – 8 July 1966	Left the country following the 1965 coup attempt;<ref name=20Oct>Template:Cite news</ref> deposed in the July 1966 coup d'état.<ref name=9Jul>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Ntare V Ndizeye Template:Small	8 July 1966 – 28 November 1966	Deposed in the November 1966 coup d'état.<ref name=29Nov/>

Timeline

(Based on the modern list)

<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:35 PlotArea = top:20 bottom:30 right:150 left:30 AlignBars = justify

DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1680 till:1966 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:20 start:1680 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:5 start:1680

Colors =

 id:canvas value:rgb(1,1,1)
 id:m      value:blue
 id:r      value:green
 id:eon  value:blue

Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas

BarData =

 barset:Rulers
 bar:eon

PlotData =

 align:center textcolor:black fontsize:40 mark:(line,black) width:45 shift:(0,-5)
 bar:eon color:eon

 width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
 barset:Rulers

 from: 1680 till: 1709 color:m text:"Ntare III Rushatsi"
 from: 1709 till: 1739 color:m text:"Mwezi III Ndagushimiye"
 from: 1739 till: 1767 color:m text:"Mutaga III Senyamwiza Mutamo"
 from: 1767 till: 1796 color:m text:"Mwambutsa III Serushambo Butama (Mwambutsa III Mbariza)"
 from: 1796 till: 1850 color:m text:"Ntare IV Rutaganzwa Rugamba"
 from: 1850 till: 1908 color:m text:"Mwezi IV Gisabo"
 from: 1908 till: 1915 color:m text:"Mutaga IV Mbikije"
 from: 1915 till: 1966 color:m text:"Mwambutsa IV Bangiriceng"
 from: 1966 till: 1966 color:m text:"Ntare V Ndizeye"

</timeline> Template:-

Royal Standard

• 
  Royal Standard of Burundi (1962–1966).

See also

• History of Burundi
• Kingdom of Burundi
• Ruanda-Urundi
  • List of colonial residents of Burundi
• President of Burundi
  • List of presidents of Burundi
• Vice-President of Burundi
• Prime Minister of Burundi