ABSTRACT
Kingship referred to the widest political unit the Tio knew: the realm. Whenever a king was installed, he had to go through a long ritual called lisee by which he became 'master' of Nkwe Mbali. It might be argued that the extent of the kingdom can be traced by the extent of the belief in Nkwe Mbali. Etiquette and court behaviour were much less typical of the king alone. As a secular ruler the king was clearly the first of the lords, but not the mightiest. The status and institution of kingship forms, with those of squire and lord, the focal institutions of the political structure. The formal political structure was visible in the collection of ingkura or tribute from the nkani. The king ruled by messenger and the messages were concerned with averting clashes between lords, or other such threats to peace.
