The mutapa empire the people of mutapa were a shona group related to the people of great zimbabwe. The archaeological identity of the mutapa state towards an historical archaeology of northern zimbabwe, innocent pikirayi, 1993, archaeological surveying, 200 pages. The administrative power of the mutapa began to fall to control the whole empire, and tributaries began to exert more independence. The origin and rise of the mutapa state free zimsec.
The mutapa empire, like great zimbabwe, got much of its wealth and power by controlling the gold trade. The emergency of mutapa state under mutota led to the decline of great. Pdf the archaeological identity of the mutapa state. The mutapa state was largely founded on resources such as land for agriculture and cattle rearing as well as ivory and gold for trade. Pdf on jan 1, 1993, innocent pikirayi and others published the archaeological. After dombos death, his successor adopted the title mambo. This is the mutapa state which chronologically overlaps with great zimbabwe and. The demise of great zimbabwe left the mutapa state dominant in northern. The prazo system this led to family separation due to forced labour by the portuguese. Mutapa state in the fifteenth century, the following feature has been recorded. The mutapa state is in spite of civil wars and succession rivalries it continued to exist into the 19th century and remained independent of the portuguese.
It stretched from zimbabwe to the mozambique coast. The zimbabwe government made it clear that the state was to play a central role in the countrys economic and social development undp discussion document 2008. Great zimbabwe was fully occupied for only about 300 years and the rise of the neighboring states of torwa and mutapa coincides with the decline of great zimbabwe. The area of freetown fall river state forest is 22. The kingdom of mutapas main source of income was the selling and trading of gold internationally via export through the swahili town of sofala and later portuguese ports. The mutapa state consolidated power and maintained its dominance from the 15th to the 20th century in what is now present day zimbabwe. Many sources see the rozvi not as a recovering segment of the mutapa people, but in fact a people in its own right emerging under the wing of the mutapa compare the rise of the khumalo from under the zulu nation. As such the rapid exhaustion of these resources led to livelihood declining within the state. The kingdom of monomotapa mutapa empire wilsondiop.
The term decline and fall of the empire is used because the empire begun to decline centuries before the actual fall of the western. Mar 20, 2019 the shona thus formed a new state, the kingdom of mutapa, from around 1450 ce, although it may well have been a case of the zimbabwe ruling elite changing capital rather than a general population movement from the south. The kingdom of monomotapa popularly known as the mutapa empire or mwenemutapa in africa was a medieval kingdom that was located between river zambezi and limpopo in what is known today as the states of zambia, mozambique and south eastern zambia. The kingdom of mutapa sometimes referred to as the mutapa empire, mwenemutapa, shona. Apr 24, 20 the kingdom of mutapa or any kingdom of zimbabwe holds a captivating history. A stamp showing a portuguese impression of the mutapa gatsi rusere. However, the portuguese proved to be happy with the downfall of the mutapan state. The rise of the mutapa state was coined by the factors that led to the decline of the great zimbabwe state such as. 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. What are factors that led to the downfall of mutapa state. A history of east and central africa to the late nineteenth century, volume 1, basil davidson, 1969, history, 338 pages. The succession to the throne by weak leaders such as the mukombwes and negomo. In as far as religion is an important component of ideology, this suggestion is plausible. The kingdom of mutapa, sometimes referred to as the mutapa empire was a shona kingdom which stretched between the zambezi and limpopo rivers of southern africa in the modern states of zimbabwe and mozambique.
The mutapa state was established in the 15th century following the decline of the great zimbabwe state. Other economic activities practised included mining,trade,rearing cattle,hunting,tribute paying,pottery etc. 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. According to oral traditions, nyatsimba mutota migrated from the declining of great zimbabwe and began his conquest of the northern part areas. The revised edition of this awardwinning book is updated with a reconstruction of the early 18th century mutapa history that enhances our understanding of the politics of that period. However, the mutapas were not wholly ejected from zimbabwe highlands. The rozwi empire 16841889, revived 2019 was established on the zimbabwean plateau by changamire dombo.
Mwene mutapa is shona for ravager of the lands, and was also the. Matopes title, mwene mutapa, means the lord of the plundered lands, conquerer, or master pillager. These courts, although imprecisely located, are described as big, and of stone and clay. The ndebele state was ruled by khumalo kings who had emerged from the nduandwe. The most powerful local player was the mutapa state, while the. Rozvi state pdf the history of the rozvi has been for a long time shrouded by myth. Economic history of zimbabwe during the preindependence period, much of the countrys wealth was in the hands of the white minority under the rule of ian smith who served as prime minister of the british colony known as rhodesia. Matope, son of mutota completed the conquest and expansion started by his father. Chinese blue and white porcelain and indian beads have been found in these excavation sites, revealing that mutapa participated in the transindian ocean trade that helped give great zimbabwe its power. A political history of munhumutapa, c14001902, 1988, 420.
The kingdom of mutapa is said to have stretched between the zambezi and limpopo rivers. The kingdom of mwene mutapa was the aftermath of the decline of great zimbabwe in 1420. Mudenge, published by african publishing group, 2011. The mutapa state ends around 1695 with the rise of the rise to power of the rozvi state. The empire was comprised of a karanga majority speaking population.
The most powerful local player was the mutapa state, while the mercantilismfuelled portuguese were. They probably were not absorbed by the zulu at any time. Jun 30, 20 the mutapas control in these far away lands was probably peripheral and not regular. The decline of great zimbabwe led to the rise of the mutapa state. The kingdom that built the complex is said to have given rise to the famous mutapa empire. This was the only excuse the portuguese needed to take over the gold mines and ivory routes. The inability of great zimbabwe to control other lineages.
According to oral traditions, nyatsimba mutota migrated from. Portuguese sources refer to mutapa royal capitals as zimbabwe. The mutapas control in these far away lands was probably peripheral and not regular. The founder and first mutapa king was nyatsimba mutota. The picture is from portuguese historical collection. Mwene mutapa state monomotapa, munhumutapa, mutapa. Most historians agree that the mutapa state was an offshoot of the great zimbabwe state. There he founded a new state to replace great zimbabwe. Traveling north, he settled in a valley with fertile soil, good rainfall, and ample wood. During the zulundwandwe wars of 181820 the khumalo were ejected and one of them, mzilikazi, came to dominate a mixed. The rise and fall of zimbabwe article pdf available in the journal of african history 3. On account of the above points it can be rather said the portuguese ignited the fall of the mutapa state rather than just simply saying they only sounded a death knell. The emergence of states such as the torwa and mutapa to the south and north of great zimbabwe probably contributed a great deal to the collapse of the latter. By the 1590s, mutapa had been through many civil wars, leaving the government fragile and weak.
In the 16th century, a european people known as the portuguese would. As powerful as it was, the mutapa empire would not last. Mutapa empire 1430 to 1760 was an empire, in present day zimbabwe, extending to the mozambique coast. The mutapa empire according to shona oral tradition, a man named mutota left great zimbabwe about 1420 to find a new source of salt. In the second half of the 15th century great zimbabwe came to an abrupt end.
However it was the mutapa state which invited the portuguese e. For this, in its turn, we need to consider the great zimbabwe stone complex near masvingo in presentday zimbabwe erected about 12500 beach 1994a. None, the kingdom of zimbabwe existed between about 1250 until 1450 and was replaced by the kingdom of mutapa which existed form 14501760. Nov 2008 the rise and ultimate expansion of the mutapa state owed in part to the decline of great zimbabwe. The term rozvi refers to their legacy as a warrior nation known as the plunderers. The location of the gold mines were kept secret punishable by death. The kingdom of monomotapa mutapa empire wilsondiop institute. Chapter 7 barue history until 1918 general information.
Mwene we mutapa or more commonly and modern munhumutapa. Pdf they can neither read nor write, and have no books, and all ancient history. Thus in as much as it is a fact that the civil wars contributed to the fall of the mutapa state politically, it is a fact that was increased by the portuguese. According to oral tradition chibatamatosi nyatsimba mutotas father sent nyakatondo the messenger to the area north of great zimbabwe to look for salt deposits. Although not high on a global scale, zimbabwes growth rate during the eighties was higher than that. In this video manners msongelwa explains the external factors which led to the decline of the rozvi state. The mutapa empire was destroyed by the portuguese in the. Its successor in the southwest was torwa, with its centre at khami. Kings with the title of 170 munhumutapa ruled the state with the assistance of. Rise and expansion of the mutapa state essays antiessays.
The empire was probably established by changamire dombo i 168495, who conquered some of the most fertile and mineralrich areas and drove the portuguese from their marketplaces in the zambezi river valley in the 1690s. Kingdom of mutapa great discoveries in archaeology. It has been suggested by some including the archaeologist peter garlake that religion was also significant to the rise and expansion of the mutapa state. For 400 years before the onset of british colonisation, northern zimbabwe witnessed increased interaction between the locals and several europeans. What factors led to the rise and fall of munhu mutapa state. Mutapa is thought to be established around 1430, and was eventually taken over by the portuguese in 1760. The following reasons can be given to account for the fall of the mutapa state.
Mwene mutapa state monomotapa, munhumutapa, mutapa for short. The kingdom of monomotapa popularly known as the mutapa empire or mwenemutapa in africa was a medieval kingdom that was located between river zambezi and limpopo in what is known today as the states of. This kingdom was founded by a royal member from its successor. Mutapa used the portuguese to their advantage since they had made themselves a part of the kingdom by. Using the jesuits in the mutapa empire of zimbabwe academic. Monomotapa was a bakalanga kingdom which was centered in the zambezi valley in what are the modern states of northern zimbabwe, north western mozambique and south eastern zambia. 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. Pdf o level study guide for zimbabwean history upto 1897 trust. This kingdom was founded in 1425, succeeding the kingdom of the great zimbabwe.
The ndebele state by julian cobbing the ndebele state. Gatsi rusere munhumutapa 15891623 picture is part of the national stamp collection issued by the zimbabwe post office in conjunction with the zimbabwe national archives in 1985 to honor the 50th anniversary of the national archives. Reasons for the fall of the mutapa state free zimsec. The kingdom of mutapa or any kingdom of zimbabwe holds a captivating history. Huffman skip to main content accessibility help we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Mutapa state origins around 1425, mutota, king of the shona, embarked on conquest of the inland plateau, the region located between the zambezi river and the limpopo river, to the coast of mozambique. Mar 16, 2018 in this video manners msongelwa explains the external factors which led to the decline of the rozvi state. The economic set up agriculture was the main basis of the state. Subjects were required to give livestock to prove their allegiance to the mwene mutapa. The ruling class of the mutapa people had similar culture and customs as those of the great zimbabwe.