Originally published in 1961, this study of the indigenous system of government in Ruanda-Urundi until the beginning of the 20th century, describes the complex relationship between the Tutsi and the Hutu and shows how the Tutsi succeeded in maintaining their political dominance without endangering the unity and efficient working of Ruanda society. It analyses the political organization of Ruanda and the position of the Tutsi, prior to the civil war of the 1990s.