Bamiléké is a collective term referring to the people of some 100 chiefdoms in the Western Province of Cameroon, and their descendants now living throughout the country and overseas. Bamiléké often use this collective term to refer to themselves, but also use the names of their specific chiefdoms. In these names, the prefix “ba” means “the people of.”
Scholarly literature often refers to the culture using the names of specific Bamiléké chiefdoms or locales. These include Aghem, Babadjou, Bafang, Bafou, Bafoussam, Bagam, Baloum, Bamaha, Bamendjina, Bamendjou, Bamenkoumbit, Bamenyam, Bana, Bandjou, Bangangté, Bangoua, Bangwa, Bangwa-Fontem, Bapi, Batcham, Batchingou, Bati, Batié, Dschang, Fe’e Fe’e, Fomopea, Fongondeng, Foto, Fotouni, and Mbouda.
They speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo family. Most Bamiléké historical narratives detail an origin along the Nile River in what is now Sudan. A survey examining the methods and instruments of communication among the Bamileke show a common origin with populations along the Nile.
Unlike most Cameroonians who identify with a primary language, the Bamileke usually identify with a chieftaincy or a village of origin, which may not always correspond with a distinctive language. This situation has led the police to hold a map of chieftaincies during registration in order to assist the self-identification of those whose declared place of origin is located in the former Bamileke Region.
The earliest Bamiléké kingdoms were formed during the sixteenth century, a result of a complex dynamic of conquest, ruse, and shifting allegiance when population movements in Adamoua pushed the “pre-Tikar” Ndobo into the Bamiléké plateau. Succession disputes, the search for new hunting grounds, and demographic pressure led to the emergence of new kingdoms from the first core polities.
The settlements are organized as chiefdoms. The chief, or fon or fong is considered as the spiritual, political, judicial and military leader. The chief is also considered as the ‘father’ of the chiefdom. He thus has great respect from the population. The successor of the ‘father’ is chosen among his children. The successor’s identity is typically kept secret until the fon’s death. The Bamileke are known for elaborate elephant masks used in dance ceremonies or funerals to show the importance of the deceased person.
The number, size, and shape of Bamiléké kingdoms continued to change until European colonization, when interkingdom warfare was curtailed and the limits of territories were frozen at borders partly determined by the colonizers. This history of shifting borders, alliances, and the influx of refugees from neighboring kingdoms makes each Bamiléké kingdom a political composite of diverse peoples owing allegiance to the king and to established royal institutions.
During the precolonial era, the Bamiléké fought wars among their constituent kingdoms as well as with the neighboring Nso and Bamoun. Relations among kingdoms included economic exchange and cooperation as well as territorial belligerence. German expeditions into Bamiléké territory in 1902 and 1904 found a rich and cultivated territory, maintaining multiple commercial relations, as evinced by paths and markers.
The colonial era began on 12 July 1884, when coastal Duala chiefs signed a treaty with the German Empire. Colonial German penetration into the Bamiléké highlands began in the 1890s and became increasingly important over the next decade. Between 1914 and 1916, Cameroon was conquered by French and British forces. Nearly all Bamiléké kingdoms were subsequently governed by France under League of Nations mandate and, following World War II, under United Nations Trusteeship. Independence was achieved in 1960.
Political steps toward independence, especially the outlawing of the trade union-based Union des Populations Camerounaises (UPC), led to civil war in the Bamiléké region from 1958 through 1972. Bamiléké refer to this as a time of troubles; others refer to it as the Bamiléké rebellion. Both personal and political scars remain. The region continues under a nominal state of emergency. Popular discourse surrounding more recent political and economic turmoil in Cameroon makes reference to this history of civil and interethnic strife.
Polygyny is practiced, marriage often involving a substantial bride-price. The Bamileke practice sedentary farming. Their staple crops include corn (maize), taro, and groundnuts (peanuts). Men clear the fields, build houses, and engage in crafts, while women do most of the cultivating. They have little livestock.
Likewise, the Bamileke are an enterprising people who have eagerly adapted to a cash economy. They have played an important role in the economic development of Cameroon as professionals, traders, artisans, and labourers. In the late 20th century, they numbered about 2,120,000.
Beadwork is an essential element of Bamileke art and distinguishes it from other regions of Africa. It is an art form that is highly personal in that no two pieces are alike and are often used in dazzling colors that catch the eye. They may be an indication of status based on what kinds of beads are used. Beadwork utilized all over on wooden sculptures is a technique that is unique only to the Cameroon grasslands.
The Bamileke created a lot of art for royal rituals. The chief is typically depicted in Bamileke sculptures. Objects of art were used to symbolize a person’s social standing. The materials used and the quantity of pieces varied as one moved down or up the social ladder. Ancestral figures and masks, headdresses, bracelets, beaded thrones, flutes, necklaces, swords, horns, fans, elephant tusks, leopard skins, terracotta pots, and dishware can all be found at the home of a chief. The chief utilized all of this to demonstrate his authority.
Ancestor worship is the dominant form of religion; the lineage head preserves the ancestral skulls and offers sacrifices to them. Charms and medicines are prepared by doctors, who also practice divination by interpreting an earth spider’s manipulation of marked blades of grass. Some Bamileke have adopted Islām, especially in the north; and others have been converted to Christianity.
