The Kikuyu are the largest ethnic group in Kenya, making up 17.13% of the country's total population. Their language is most closely related to that of the Embu and Kamba people, and geographically, they are concentrated in the highland area of south-central Kenya near Mount Kenya. The Kikuyu name for themselves is Gikuyu or Agikuyu, and they are Bantu-speaking people. The Kikuyu moved into their modern territory from the northeast in the 17th–19th century, and they have a rich history. Before British colonization, the Kikuyu preserved their geographic and political power from almost all external influences for many generations. Their marriage customs involved land purchases and blood-brotherhood. The Kikuyu believe in an omnipotent creator whom they refer to as Ngai, and they practice monotheism. Additionally, they were the first native ethnic group in Kenya to undertake anticolonial agitation in the 1920s and '30s and staged the Mau Mau uprising against British rule in 1952. Ultimately, the Kikuyu are a dynamic and important cultural group in Kenya, with a deep history, rich traditions, and a powerful impact on the nation's history and future.