Traditional Kingships of Meritah

The importance of maintaining a societal structure that is clearly defined is a vital aspect of determining the role each individual will play and how efficient the society will function as a whole. Every family, group, community, tribe, province, city, state, country etc. follows a power structure that enables its members to share in the responsibilities, victories or failures, as a result of their active or passive participation. If there is no power structure to observe, there will be no order. If there is no order, all that is left is chaos. Until now, there is no tangible evidence of any society throughout history that was able to have a favorable impact on the lives of its people while operating under the guise of chaos, albeit many modern systems of government are vainly attempting to do just that, and the outcome will always be the same, destruction of morals and values which will ultimately lead to the destruction of life as we know it.

Every system of government we can observe in the world today has a model from which it was built. It is a known fact that Merita (pre-colonial Africa) is the birthplace and cradle of all world civilizations. It should then come as no surprise that the first model or blueprint of how to structure a productive society also has its roots there. But there are many variables involved that clearly show many distinct differences and contrasts between the ancient structures and the modern structures of authority and power. As we explore these differences, we will notice that there are two main themes that dictate the direction of all societies: the interest and ambition of its leaders.

Traditional Africa

Traditionally, the structure of Merita is based on three ranking levels of kingships: small kingships, big kingships and the Pharaoh, the King of all Kings. Contrary to popular belief, the Pharaoh's authority stretched much further beyond the confines of any specific territory. The position of a Pharaoh meant being responsible for the spiritual and cultural growth, stability, harmony and security of all people and places on Earth. All people in the world pay respect to him as well as honor the power that comes with his position. There was and is no greater title for a human to carry that was beyond this level.

Before any existing borders, the African continent, Merita (our beloved land) or Kemet was divided into two parts known as the Upper and Lower lands. Originally, there were two Pharaohs. One ruled over the Upper lands (Resuture) who wore the White Crown, and the other ruled over the Lower lands (Meture) that wore the Red Crown. In some way, the lower level kings also represented one of the two crowns by wearing either red or white colors underneath their standard gold crowns. But history took a turn about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago when the civilization collectively decided to unify the two crowns and have just one Pharaoh. It was then decided that the seat or throne of the Pharaoh would be Itoure, the area that we now know as Egypt, near the banks of the Nile. It was this original model that the modern world, specefically America, used to create its version of government, small kingships i.e. Mayor (which in the Kemetic language is pronounced Merr - meaning “overseeer”), big kingships (Governor) and Pharaoh (President). A major difference that must be pointed out is that in Kemet the society ruled itself and the sacrifices of all the people within the society were valued equally. A blacksmith was given the same consideration as a farmer or a healer. Without everyone's active participation, the whole would fail to function properly.

The King is more than just a figurehead of the society, the kingship is a position which comes as an obligation, not a position of luxury as shown by the modern societal structure has proven itself to be. The same day a traditional King or Pharaoh is elected he also organizes his own funeral. This is symbolic of the newly appointed King totally letting go of his former personal life and acknowledging that he will not see his successor because his term will only last as long as his legitimacy is validated by the World of the Gods, and when it runs out so will his term and his life. There are families within the society whose job it is raise their children just for that reason alone, to monitor the kings ability to fulfill his obligations, this is the original system of checks and balances. Even if a King is seen or heard coughing or showing any signs of weakness, he puts himself at risk of being tried. In addition, he can no longer have any close family ties. He can no longer pick up his own kids because now the entire society becomes his children and he cannot show any special treatment to one without showing it for the whole. His wife and children must then address him as "your majesty". If a King is married to a woman before he takes the throne and she belongs to the family selected to watch for his weaknesses, he must divorce her because she would be considered a spy. The bloodlines of those raised to kill the King are still alive today, but they are kept secret to protect the task they must carry out. A traditional King is considered to be the spirit of his nation, and he must guarantee spiritual honesty to perfection. Where is the luxury in his responsibilities?

Unlike the modern structure, the Pharaoh (King of Kings) is not chosen based on his popularity. One could not rise from being a lower level King to the position of Pharaoh in the same way a Mayor or Governor can become President. The Pharaoh is elected based on spiritual and traditional values. He is seen as a Godhead figure or the closest representation of a God. It is through his bloodline that he is given the divine legitimacy to be Pharaoh. This is why attacking a Pharaoh in hopes of becoming one will not work. It is a position that is guaranteed by Gods. This reality created a problem among the Greeks and Persians because they wanted to somehow be included in providing a Pharaoh to the world. The fact that they did not possess the necessary bloodlines that would give them the rights to rule the world, led to the numerous invasions of Itoure and the surpation of the throne of the Pharaoh. This method of force still cid not work because every invader who took the throne mysteriously died within months of their occupation. It was this excusion from the Pharaohship that led to the formation of what we know as democratic societies today. From an ancient perspective, democracy is seen as an anti-divine system and a chanel through which a con man can achieve higher status in society without having the moral and spiritual qualities to match. Nowadays it is easy to vote a thief, drug addict or liar into position of presidency. If an entire nation can be built on lies and deception, why would thieves want an honest and enlightened person to become president?

It should also be pointed out that every four years of a Pharaoh’s reign, he must prove to the people that he is the strongest and most fitted for the job, just as every President must do within the same time frame as well. Historically, a Pharaoh would prove his strength by performing incredible feats of magic. A President’s seng is proven by how well he defends the interest of those who put him in power, even if that means killing, looting or oppressing entire nations. This is a stark contrast, to say the least.

The traditional kingships of Merita are still thriving today. Unfortunately, the spread of modern religions plays a vital role in determining how close a King sticks to tradition. Tribes such as the Tem and the Mossi of West Africa now ommit some of their ancient practices as a result of being converted by Islam. But interestingly, after fulfilling their religious obligations, they still observe some of the practices associated with their tradition, which is really a contradiction of the kingship itself. The kingships of the Gourmanche, Fulani, Hausa and Dogon people of Burkina Faso will serve as good examples of stability and the preservation of customs and traditions that has allowed them to maintain their culture for thousands of years. For instance, within the  Gourmanche kingships specifically, it is forbidden for a King to adopt any other systems outside of what has been passed down to them since the time of the Pharaohs. All of their ceremonies and rituals have been kept intact for millennia without disturbance. The current Gourmanche King, his majesty Kupiendieli, even carries the same septor that once belonged to the Pharaoh Ramses, which has been passed down from previous successors of the throne. The families that carry the royal bloodline of the Pharaoh still exist in Merita, but their identity is kept secret for protective purposes. If the world of today returned to the original societal structure, it will already be known who the Pharaoh would be.

The kingship comes with a huge responsibility. He has to represent the highest levels of stability, strength and wisdom. A King's only interest is what is best for the people. Although he carries the title of King, he remains a servant of the people, not the other way around as we can clearly observe within the European royal hierarchy. One of the reasons why the biblical culture depicts Pharaohs as being bad or evil is because its religious agendas could not be effective if they didn't destroy everything a Pharaoh stood for. In ancient times, the entire world wouldn't do anything unless the Pharaoh said so. This created problems for the birth of modern religions because it allocated too much power to one individual who had the support of all of the people. A nation is only as strong as its King. To ensure his power, he has many priests that work with him to assist in solving any problems that may arise. A King's life is enhanced and made strong by many magic spells that he gathers from the priests that he is able to access in any given situation. The name of a King is also an important aspect worth mentioning. A King's name represents not only his character, but also his personality, purpose and the obligation he aims to uphold.

There is a lot to be learned from the traditional kingships and their structures. There is much more that is not mentioned in this article that can shed more light on the benefits of these structures and how they allow a society of people to function in harmony and grow spiritually with everyone's best interest being the focal point. History holds all of the answers the modern world needs to build a valued society, but obviously and unfortunately, that is not the goal.

Mottos of the Last 8

Gourmantché Kingships

1. Purify the Gourma.

Restore the royal power. - Bancandi (1892-1911)

2. Acid Destroys Iron. - Siadoali (1911-1953) 

3. Perfect Lion. - Hanmicuuli ( 1954-1961)

4. Gods' Destiny cannot be violence. - Yenmiama (1973-1974)

5. Nobody can destroy Gods' rock. - Yentangu (1975-1990)

6. May Gourma people rest under Gods' shade. - Yensangu (1990-1992)

7. Him who has saved shall benefit. - Yoabili (1992-2002)

8. The house with the silver reflection is very imposing.Kupiendieli (2002-present)