Editing Kikuyu people (section)

====Political structures and generational change====
[[File:A Gikuyu man and his wife.jpg|thumb|A Gikuyu man and his wife in 2020 in Kenya]]
The Agĩkũyũ had four seasons and two harvests in one year.<ref>{{harvnb|Muriuki|1974|page=25}}</ref>
# ''Mbura ya njahĩ'' (the season of big rain) from March to July;
# ''Magetha ma njahĩ'' (''njahĩ'' being [[Lablab purpureus]]) (the season of the black bean harvest) between July and early October;
# ''Mbura ya Mwere'' (short rain season) from October to January;
# ''Magetha ma Mwere'' (the season of harvesting) ''milletà'';
# ''Mbura ya Kĩmera''.

Further, time was recorded through the initiation by [[circumcision]]. Each initiation group was given a special name.<ref name="Godfrey 1974 page=110">{{harvnb|Muriuki|1974|page=110}}</ref> According to Professor Godfrey Mũriũki, the individual initiation sets are then grouped into a regiment every nine calendar years. Before a regiment or army was set, there was a period in which no initiation of boys took place. This period lasted a total of four and a half calendar years (nine seasons in Gĩkũyũ land, each season referred to as ''imera'') and is referred to as ''mũhingo'',<ref name="Godfrey 1974 page=110"/> with initiation taking place at the start of the fifth year and going on annually for the next nine calendar years. This was the system adopted in Metumi [[Muranga|Murang'a]]. The regiment or army sets also get special names, some of which seem to have ended up as popular male names. In Gaki [[Nyeri]] the system was inversed with initiation taking place annually for four calendar years, which would be followed by a period of nine calendar years in which no initiation of boys took place (''mũhingo'').<ref name="Godfrey 1974 page=110"/> Girls, on the other hand, were initiated every year. Several regiments then make up a ruling generation. It was estimated that ruling generations lasted an average of 35 years. The names of the initiation and regiment sets vary within Gĩkũyũ land. The ruling generations are however uniform and provide very important chronological data. On top of that, the initiation sets were a way of documenting events within the Gĩkũyũ nation, so, for example, were the occurrence of smallpox and syphilis recorded.<ref name="Godfrey 1974 page=110"/> Girls' initiation sets were also accorded special names, although there has been little research in this area. Mũriũki only unearths three sets, whose names are, ''Rũharo'' [1894], ''Kibiri/Ndũrĩrĩ'' [1895], ''Kagica'' [1896], ''Ndutu/Nuthi'' [1897].<ref name="Godfrey 1974 page=110"/> All these names are taken from Metumi (Mũrang'a) and Kabete [[Kiambu|Kĩambu]].

* ''Manjiri'' 1512 – 1546 ± 55
* ''Mamba'' 1547 – 1581 ± 50
* ''Tene'' 1582 – 1616 ± 45
* ''Aagu'' 1617 – 1651 ± 40
* ''Manduti'' 1652 – 1686 ± 35
* ''Cuma'' 1687 – 1721 ± 30
* ''Ciira'' 1722 – 1756 ± 25
* ''Mathathi'' 1757 – 1791 ± 20
* ''Ndemi'' 1792 – 1826 ± 15
* ''Iregi'' 1827 – 1861 ± 10
* ''Maina'' 1862 – 1897 ± 5
* ''Mwangi'' 1898?

Mathew Njoroge Kabetũ's list reads, ''Tene'', ''Kĩyĩ'', ''Aagu'', ''Ciĩra'', ''Mathathi'', ''Ndemi'', ''Iregi'', ''Maina'' (''Ngotho''), ''Mwangi''. Gakaara wa Wanjaũ's list reads ''Tene'', ''Nema Thĩ'', ''Kariraũ'', ''Aagu'', ''Tiru'', ''Cuma'', ''Ciira'', ''Ndemi'', ''Mathathi'', ''Iregi'', ''Maina'', ''Mwangi'', ''Irũngũ'', ''Mwangi wa Mandũti''.<ref name="Mathew 1997">{{harvnb|Kabetũ|1966}}</ref> The last two generations came after 1900. One of the earliest recorded lists by McGregor reads (list taken from a history of unchanged) ''Manjiri'', ''Mandũti'', ''Chiera'', ''Masai'', ''Mathathi'', ''Ndemi'', ''Iregi'', ''Maina'', ''Mwangi'', ''Mũirũngũ''. According to Hobley (a historian) each initiation generation, ''riika'', extended over two years. The ruling generation at the arrival of the Europeans was called ''Maina''. It is said that ''Maina'' handed over to ''Mwangi'' in 1898.<ref name="Mathew 1997"/> Hobley asserts that the following sets were grouped under ''Maina'' – ''Kĩnũthia'', ''Karanja'', ''Njũgũna'', ''Kĩnyanjui'', ''Gathuru'' and ''Ng'ang'a''. Professor Mũriũki<ref name="Godfrey 1974">{{harvnb|Muriuki|1974}}</ref> however puts these sets much earlier, namely ''Karanja'' and ''Kĩnũthia'' belong to the ''Ciira'' ruling generation which ruled from the year 1722 to 1756, give or take 25 years, according to ''Mũriũki''. ''Njũgũna'', ''Kĩnyanjui'', ''Ng'ang'a'' belong to the ''Mathathi'' ruling generation that ruled from 1757 to 1791, give or take 20 years, according to Mũriũki.<ref name="Godfrey 1974"/>

Professor Mũriũki's list must be given precedence in this area as he conducted extensive research in this area starting 1969, and had the benefit of all earlier literature on the subject as well as doing extensive field work in the areas of Gaki (Nyeri), Metumi (Mũrang'a) and Kabete (Kĩambu). On top of the ruling generations, he also gives names of the regiments or army sets from 1659 [within a margin of error] and the names of annual initiation sets beginning 1864. The list from Metumi (Mũrang'a) is most complete and differentiated.<ref name="Godfrey 1974"/>

Mũriũki's is also the most systematically defined list so far. Most of the most popular male names in Gĩkũyũ land were names of ''riikas'' (initiation sets).<ref name="Godfrey 1974"/> Here is Mũriũki's list of the names of regiment sets in Metumi (Mũrang'a): ''Kiariĩ'' (1665–1673), ''Cege'' (1678–1678), ''Kamau'' (1704–1712), ''Kĩmani'' (1717–1725), ''Karanja'' (1730–1738), ''Kĩnũthia'' (1743–1751), ''Njũgũna'' (1756–1764), ''Kĩnyanjui'' (1769–1777), ''Ng'ang'a'' (1781–1789), ''Njoroge'' (1794–1802), ''Wainaina'' (1807–1815), ''Kang'ethe'' (1820–1828), ''Mbũgua'' (1859–1867), ''Njenga'' or ''Mbĩra Itimũ'' (1872–1880), ''Mũtũng'ũ'' or ''Mbũrũ'' (1885–1893).<ref name="Godfrey 1974"/>

H.E. Lambert, who dealt with the ''riikas'' extensively, has the following list of regiment sets from Gichũgũ and Ndia.<ref name="Harold E 1956">{{harvnb|Lambert|1956}}</ref> (It should be remembered that this names were unlike ruling generations not uniform in Gĩkũyũ land. It should also be noted that Ndia and Gachũgũ followed a system where initiation took place every annually for four years and then a period of nine calendar years followed where no initiation of boys took place. This period was referred to as ''mũhingo''.<ref name="Harold E 1956"/>) ''Karanja'' (1759–1762), ''Kĩnũthia'' (1772–1775), ''Ndũrĩrĩ'' (1785–1788), ''Mũgacho'' (1798–1801), ''Njoroge'' (1811–1814), ''Kang'ethe'' (1824–1827), ''Gitaũ'' (1837–1840), ''Manyaki'' (1850–1853), ''Kiambũthi'' (1863–1866), ''Watuke'' (1876–1879), ''Ngũgĩ'' (1889–1892), ''Wakanene'' (1902–1905).<ref name="Harold E 1956"/>

The remarkable thing in this list in comparison to the Metumi one is how some of the same names are used, if a bit offset. Ndia and Gachũgũ are extremely far from Metumi. Gaki on the other hand, as far as my geographical understanding of Gĩkũyũ land is concerned should be much closer to Metumi, yet virtually no names of regiment sets are shared. It should however be noted that Gaki had a strong connection to the Maasai living nearby.<ref name="Harold E 1956"/>

The ruling generation names of Maina and Mwangi are also very popular male Gĩkũyũ names. The theory is also that ''Waciira'' is also derived from ''ciira'' (case), which is also a very popular masculine name among the Agĩkũyũ. This would call into question, when it was exactly that children started being named after the parents of one's parents. Had that system, of naming one's children after one's parents been there from the beginning, there would be very few male names in circulation. This is however not the case, as there are very many Gĩkũyũ male names. One theory is that the female names are much less, with the names of the full-nine daughters of Mũmbi being most prevalent.<ref name="Godfrey 1974"/>

Gakaara wa Wanjaũ supports this view when he writes in his book, ''Mĩhĩrĩga ya Aagĩkũyũ'',<ref name="Gakaara wa 1980 page=25">{{harvnb|Wanjau|1967|page=25}}</ref>

''Hingo ĩyo ciana cia arũme ciatuagwo marĩĩtwa ma mariika ta Watene, Cuma, Iregi kana Ciira. Nao airĩĩtu magatuuo marĩĩtwa ma mĩhĩrĩga tauria hagwetetwo nah au kabere, o nginya hingo iria maundu maatabariirwo thuuthaini ati ciana ituagwo aciari a mwanake na a muirĩĩtu.''<ref name="Gakaara wa 1980 page=25"/>

Freely translated it means "In those days the male children were given the names of the riika (initiation set) like Watene, Cuma, Iregi, or Ciira. Girls were on the other hand named after the clans that were named earlier until such a time as it was decided to name the children after the parents of the man and the woman." From this statement it is not clear whether the girls were named ad hoc after any clan, no matter what clan the parents belonged to. Naming them after the specific clan that the parents belonged to would have severely restricted naming options.

This would strangely mean that the female names are the oldest in Gĩkũyũ land, further confirming its matrilineal descent. As far as male names are concerned, there is of course the chicken and the egg question, of when a name specifically appeared but some names are tied to events that happened during the initiation. For example, Wainaina refers to those who shivered during circumcision. Kũinaina (to shake or to shiver).

There was a very important ceremony known as Ituĩka in which the old guard would hand over the reins of government to the next generation.<ref name="Godfrey 1974"/> This was to avoid dictatorship. Kenyatta<ref name="Kenyatta 1938">{{harvnb|Kenyatta|1938}}</ref> related how once, in the land of the Agĩkũyũ, there ruled a despotic King called Gĩkũyũ, grandson of the elder daughter (Wanjirũ according to Leakey) of the original Gĩkũyũ of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi fame. After he was deposed, it was decided that the government should be democratic, which is how the Ituĩka came to be. This legend of course calls into question exactly when it was that the matrilineal rule set in. The last Ituĩka ceremony, where the riika of Maina handed over power to the Mwangi generation, took place in 1898–9.<ref name="Charles William 1922">{{harvnb|Hobley|1922}}</ref> The next one was supposed to be held in 1925–1928 [Kenyatta] but was thwarted by the colonial imperialist government and one by one Gĩkũyũ institutions crumbled.<ref name="Godfrey 1974"/>