THE HISTORY OF THE THUR PEOPLE IN ABIM DISTRICT, NORTHERN UGANDA: 1885 - 2025

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dc.contributor.authorOKENGO, LAZAROUS
dc.date.accessioned2026-10-30T06:38:00Z
dc.date.available2026-10-30T06:38:00Z
dc.date.issued2026-05
dc.description.abstractThis study examined the history of the Thur (Ethur/Jo’Abwor) people in Abim District, Northern Uganda, from 1885 to 2025, addressing a critical gap in Ugandan historiography where this minority community has remained largely undocumented. Guided by three objectives, the study traced Thur origins, migration, and settlement; examined their social, political, and economic organization; and analyzed their historical interactions with neighboring communities. Grounded in Jan Vansina’s oral tradition theory, Cheikh Anta Diop’s multidisciplinary framework, and Ali Mazrui’s Afrocentric perspective, the study adopted a qualitative historical design. Data were collected from 79 purposively sampled participants in Abim District comprising 39 elders and male clan leaders, 17 women, 13 educated youth, 7 local government officials, and 3 ritual specialists to achieve saturation. Primary data from semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation were triangulated with documentary analysis and analyzed thematically. Key findings establish the Thur as a Western Nilotic Luo group that migrated from Bahr-el-Ghazal and Ethiopia, settling in the Labwor Hills around the 15th century, with their name derived from Thur ("hill"). The community developed a sophisticated socio-political structure anchored in a patrilineal clan system and an Age Set system (Othem) that regulated governance, defense, and social cohesion. Economically, the Thur maintained a regional monopoly on iron smelting, supplying tools and weaponry to the neighboring Jie, Acholi, Lango, and Bokora. Inter-community interactions featured trade alliances and conflict, regulated via indigenous conflict-resolution mechanisms such as Ekithil peace talks, ritual oaths, curses, and cultural songs. The study concludes that the Thur served as both the technological engine and diplomatic pivot of northeastern Uganda.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14270/1069
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherGULU UNIVERSITY
dc.titleTHE HISTORY OF THE THUR PEOPLE IN ABIM DISTRICT, NORTHERN UGANDA: 1885 - 2025
dc.typeThesis

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