The ndebele state by julian cobbing the ndebele state. Because the mutapa state has a documentary record going back to i502, it is the prime testingground in southern africa for theories concerning economic, social, political and religious development within a state formation over a long period. In this process, changamire state developed a professional standing army. Aims and methods used by tshaka to build the zulu state. The ndebele fought to achieve domination, material security, political autonomy, cultural and political independence, social justice, human dignity, and tolerant governance even within their state in the face of a hegemonic ndebele ruling elite that sought to maintain its political dominance and material privileges through a delicate. The rival rozwi line began to dominate the south and old mutapa state was spilt in two. Towards a historical archaeology of the rozvi in southwestern. Mutapas court dzimbahwe during state ceremonies and festivals, an many of them sent. Political organisation of the mutapa state free zimsec. Mar 16, 2011 a political history of munhumutapa a book by dr mudenge saturday, 05 march 2011 20. Keeping the king informed of what happened at the and the outlying provinces. The ruling class of the mutapa people had similar culture and customs as those of the great zimbabwe. Kings with the title of 170 munhumutapa ruled the state.
Jan 01, 2014 the changamire appear to have disappeared for almost 150 eld and the appeared in the 1680s below changamire dombo who was a chieftain under mutapa makombwe it is believed that the rozvi severalise originated as changamire chiefdom within the mutapa state. Describe the rise and expansion of the mutapa state 11 5. During the zulundwandwe wars of 181820 the khumalo were ejected and one of them, mzilikazi, came to dominate a mixed band of maraiders in search of more peaceful pastures. Oic organization of islamic countries rcc rhodesia council of churches. The use of cattle as a source of social or political power among the shona in zimbabwe in the distant and recent past is well documented mudenge, 1974, 1988 and also recounted in shona oral traditions. Announcing to the visiting provincial leaders the orders of the king. Explain the political, economic and social organisations of these states. Power, ethnicity and violence in the matabeleland conflict. A history of east and central africa to the late nineteenth century, volume 1, basil davidson, 1969, history, 338 pages. By the 1590s, mutapa had been through many civil wars, leaving the government fragile and weak. The changes in social and political organisation, are accompanied by changes in settlement and crafts eg ceramic style and greater participation in extemal long distance trade. Jun 03, 2011 the modern zimbabwe nation state had its origins in 12th century great zimbabwe, which had its capital at great zimbabwe with a network of over 350 related royal towns fashioned after it.
In fact politics was behind the rise of the mutapa state. Changamire dombo, according to oral tradition, is believed to have possessed supernatural powers. The ndebele brought new forms of organization, which enabled them to. Outline the economic, social and political structures of the mutapa state 11 7. Sudanic states the empire of mali and sundiata, the lion prince city dwellers and villagers the songhay kingdom political and social life in the sudanic states swahili coast of east africa the coastal trading ports the mixture of cultures peoples of the forest and plains. Abraham, the early political history of the kingdom of mwena mutapa 850i 589, in historians in tropical africa, proceedings of the leverhulme intercollegiate history conference. The people kept large herds of cattle for meat, milk and hides. He was the custodian of the land, responsible for external trade as well as judiciary matters. They were also a trade item that was used in both external and domestic trade. Pdf they can neither read nor write, and have no books, and all ancient. Assisting the mutapa in the appointment of provincial chiefs when one chief diedresigned or was dismissed. Ecological factors factors to do with the environmentnatural surroundings if ecological factors were on the forefront in the rise of great zimbabwe state, it is no surprise that they played the same role in its decline. The mutapa state is of especial interest because it is the only one of four known major shona states zimbabwe, torwa, mutapa, and changamireto escape being uprooted entirely by new settlements of people, and the only one that was close to portuguese centers in. An important feature of the mutapa state way of life was the close link between politics and religion.
The mwene king was the political, administrative and religious head of the kingdom. Rozvi state pdf the history of the rozvi has been for a long time shrouded by myth. The most powerful local player was the mutapa state, while the mercantilismfuelled portuguese were the dominant foreign players. Mutotas successor, mwenemutapa matope, extended this new kingdom into an empire which. Apr 03, 2017 great zimbabwe civilizationthe state of great zimbabwe which had its centre in masvingo. Enlistment into the army made the ruling elite to organise raids for capturing livestock and other booties. Instead they corrupted the political system by overthrowing a ruler and placing their own ruler, mavura mhande felipe, on the throne in 1629. The zulu homestead was divided into right and left sections, each with its own identity and destiny. Within the united states, federalism is marked by a continuous change in the system of connections between the national, state, and local governments. Describe the political organisation of the shona during the. The evolution of the settler dominated political system.
Precolonial political systems african studies oxford. Apr 06, 2018 as the state was now too large, the lack of one political unit, allowed smaller tributary chiefs to be able to rebel and resist paying tribute and homage to the mutapa king. In the early states, the king was both the political leader and the religious leader. Politics and longdistance trade in the mwene mutapa. Drivers of decline in precolonial southern african states to 1830. This ruler was completely under portuguese control. The first mwene was a warrior prince named nyatsimba mutota who discovered what was soon to be mutapa when he was looking for a new source of salt.
So, when the portuguese reached mutapa, they sought to penetrate it through religion. Mutapa state in the fifteenth century, the following feature has been recorded through. Introduction one of the questions that have dominated archaeological research throughout the world has been the question of why and how ancient societies transformed from relatively simple socio political organisation. The early political history of the kingdom of mwene mutapa 8501589, in. A political history of munhumutapa, c14001902, 1988, 420. Rather than migration or diffusion, the changes depended upon the. The emperors position was hereditary, the main unifying factor among the shona was their religion mwari cult 3. Ass the rozvi state still existed in terms of organisation, discontent could be. The emperor was the head of the state and government. Political organization of the mwene mutapa empire atika school.
The united states has one of the most complicated forms of government in the world. The african ejournals project has digitized full text of. The ndebele state by julian cobbing the ndebele state was. The mutapa state occupied a triangle of land between the zambezi river in the. This was a secondary state, resulting from the northwards. Mwene mutapa is shona for ravager of the lands, and was also the title held by the dynasty of kings who ruled the territory, which was between the zambezi and limpopo rivers. Describe the political organisation of the shona during. The ndebele state by julian cobbing the ndebele state was ruled by khumalo kings who had emerged from the nduandwe. The king had to be ordained by the ancestral spirits and he ruled with the aid of the traditional healer for the spiritual guidance. The rulers in mutapa would also tax people and then forced the people who they conquered in city states to mine gold for them.
The account of the sixteenth century, centred mainly on the conditions of trade in the region and on the portuguese expansion, gives a fair outline, and shows how the mutapa state remained intact to the end of the i590s. The rozvi leader changamire dombo was originally a herdsmen in the mutapa state, yet managed to drive away the portuguese, earning himself support and followers, thereby enabling him to break away from the legendary mutapa empire. They played an important role in uniting the state. The citizens of mutapa also engaged in a number of industries including blacksmithing, cloth production among other activities, in addition to agriculture, especially cattle rearing, and mining, especially of iron. Precolonial great zimbabwe vs postcolonial zimbabwe. Comment on the relationship between the state and its people as well as its neighbours. Political organization of the mwene mutapa empire atika. About 1450 ad, the rozwi groups gained dominance and established a centralized political system. The mutapa state is believed to have been an iron age state which spanned across three centuries till its decline in the 19 th century. Pdf o level study guide for zimbabwean history upto 1897.
Kings with the title of 170 munhumutapa ruled the state with the assistance of numerous officers and vassals. Mutapa empire 1430 to 1760 was an empire, in present day zimbabwe, extending to the mozambique coast. African political systems are described in a number of textbooks and general books on african history. The political organisation of the mutapa state central administrations was done by the dare. The empire was comprised of a karanga majority speaking population. The mutapa state ends around 1695 with the rise of the rise to power of the rozvi state. The shona set up many other states including changamire, mutapa and torwa. Discussing important matters and developments within the state with the mutapa. Mutapa is thought to be established around 1430, and was eventually taken over by the portuguese in 1760. The mutapa state is of especial interest because it is the only one of four known major shona states zimbabwe, torwa, mutapa, and changamireto escape being uprooted entirely by new settlements of people, and the only one that was close to portuguese centers in which information was recorded. Weaving together details from written documents and oral sources, historians have outlined the socio political and economic organisation of the mutapa state and its external relations with the portuguese. Had symbols of national unity for example, the royal fire.
How far did religion contribute to stability in the mutapa state 8 4. The political theological problem has been a hot air since ancient greece philosophy until the modern political philosophers ranging from weber, machiavelli, nieschtze, marx among others who declared the death of the religion on the public sphere and being buried by modernity and. The economic organisation of the mutapa state free. As the state was now too large, the lack of one political unit, allowed smaller tributary chiefs to be able to rebel and resist paying tribute and homage to the mutapa king. To what extent can the decline of the mutapa state a result of portuguese political interference 11 6. By ce, states and civilizations emerged and thrived throughout the continent. Some states in the provincial asante had no attachment to the golden stoolwere semiindependent condition of a state within a state. The ndebele states rise, development and fall of the later iron age states their rise. The passing away of the political kingdom founded by mutota and matope did not mean the end of all its influence. They established the mwene mutapa empire which ruled until the time of the ngoni invasion in the 1830s.
The kingdom was headed by a kingemperor mwene mutapa 2. These societies varied in structure as they evolved to suit local environmental, political and social. African civilizations and the spread of islam 1745 words 7 pages. The following economic activities took place in the mutapa state. The rozvi state grew due to sound economic, social and political polices. This was a secondary state, resulting from the northward expansion of the great zimbabwe tradition. Its successor in the southwest was torwa, with its centre at khami. This study of political communications south of the zambezi was born out of a. Social, economic and political organization of african. Political organization of the mwene mutapa empire the emperor was the head of the state and government.
The economic organisation of the mutapa state free zimsec. The mutapa people produced and traded a variety of goods such as elephant tusks and gold and encouraged traders including the swahili and portuguese continue. They probably were not absorbed by the zulu at any time. The demise of great zimbabwe left the mutapa state dominant in northern. Ehret 2002 emphasizes the diversity and long history of precolonial social and political formations, whereas curtin, et al. The second section consists of a narrative history of the mutapa state, century by century, from i500 to i890. With many levels and subdivisions, this form of government is called federalism. Cattle were also a symbol of wealth and they were also slaughtered at religious ceremonies and functions such as funerals. Political, social and economic organisation of the zulu state the relationship between the state and its people as. This was a secondary state, resulting from the northwards expansion of the great zimbabwe tradition. An indepth history of the mutapa state the moyo chirandu folks. Ensuring the mutapa orders were carried out throughout the kingdom state. Indeed for the mutapa state, the portuguese refer to their importance in this regard.
Jun 30, 20 the united states has one of the most complicated forms of government in the world. Acting as a regent when a mutapa died before a new one was appointed. This led to the decline of the state as areas such as the manyika and tete declared independence from the mutapa empire with the assistance of portuguese agents. The archaeological identity of the mutapa state towards an historical archaeology of northern zimbabwe, innocent pikirayi, 1993, archaeological surveying, 200 pages. Sep 25, 2019 this political leverage enabled him to live peacefully and erecting proper economic and social policies that helped the rise and expansion of his state. The nation state had been fully developed by 1450ad which time mutapa embarked on a full military expansion that gave rise to the munhumutapa empire. Anglophone africanists may well wonder why it has taken so long for a. In the 17th century, recruitment into the army was rewarded by cattle.
This paper advances an alternative view, that there were strong continuities with established forms of chieftaincy in the region, and in particular that the zulu political system was based on a traditional, pannguni homestead form of organization. In the second half of the 15th century great zimbabwe came to an abrupt end. The house and zulu political structure in the nineteenth. May 04, 2012 the mutapa western adaptation of the munhumutapa or mwenemutapa or monomutapa depending on the shona dialect was one of western mozambique and present day zimbabwes greatest kingdoms. Political organization of the mwene mutapa empire the emperor was the head of the state.
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