What was the mutapa empire known for?
By the time the Portuguese arrived on the coast of Mozambique, the Mutapa Kingdom was the premier state in the region. He raised a strong army which conquered the Dande area of the Tonga and Tavara. The empire had reached its full extent by the year 1480 a mere 50 years following its creation.
Who was munhumutapa?
Mwene Matapa, (Shona: “Ravager of the Lands”) also spelled Mwene Mutapa or Monomotapa, title borne by a line of kings ruling a southeast African territory between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers, in what is now Zimbabwe and Mozambique, from the 14th to the 17th century.
How did the Mutapa Empire fall?
Around 1633 CE the Portuguese chose a more aggressive policy to control the region’s resources and cut out their great rivals, the Swahili merchants. They attacked and conquered the kingdom of Mutapa, which was already weakened by damaging civil wars, causing its internal collapse.
What is the history of the Mutapa Empire?
The Kingdom of Mutapa Empire (Shona: Wene we Mutapa; Portuguese: Monomotapa) was a medieval kingdom (c. 1450-1629) which stretched between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers of Southern Africa in the modern states of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. A second Mutapa polity existed from 1803 until 1902.
Who was the king of Great Zimbabwe?
The great enclosure at Great Zimbabwe is considered the largest single ancient structure in sub-Sahara Africa. As children we were told stories about how that this area was for the queen and the rest of the king’s wives. The King, Munhumutapa, was believed to have had 200 wives.
Who was the founder of the Mutapa empire?
The Mutapa Empire was founded by Nyatsimba Mutota. It was preceded by the kingdom of Great Zimbabwe, and its rulers were titled Mwene Matapa.
What is the meaning of the word Mutapa?
‘Mutapa’ means ‘Miner’. It comes from the word ‘matope’ which means mud or ‘mutape’ which means clay. Both ‘mutape’ and ‘matope’ are associated with playing with mud as in alluvial gold panning.
Where is Shona from?
Shona, group of culturally similar Bantu-speaking peoples living chiefly in the eastern half of Zimbabwe, north of the Lundi River. The main groupings are the Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Tonga-Korekore, and Ndau.
Why is Shona important?
Shona traditional culture, now fast declining, was noted for its excellent ironwork, good pottery, and expert musicianship. There is belief in a creator-god, Mwari, and a concern to propitiate ancestral and other spirits to ensure good health, rain, and success in enterprise.
What are the characteristics of Munhumutapa Kings?
These Munhumutapa kings were head of state, chief Judge, distributer of land, custodian of state property, religious leader, signing treaties, punish rebels and protecting the state. They also followed economic techniques to strengthen the society.
What happened to Munhumutapa Matope?
Munhumutapa Matope died in 1480AD and his son, Nyahuma, ascended the 80-year-old Karanga throne. Portuguese historical records also show that Nyahuma was overthrown and killed by a combined force of Changa and Togwa in 1490AD.
How did Mutapa rise under the stewardship of Nyatsimba Mutota?
All this gave way for the Mutapa state’s rise under the stewardship of Nyatsimba Mutota. It is interesting to note that Mutota envied the Dande area which had abundant land for crop cultivation and grasslands for livestock, salt deposits, low population, and access to trade.
What happened to the Kingdom of Monomotapa?
In the late 1400s, Great Zimbabwe began to decline and some of the city’s elites migrated to establish what became known as the Kingdom of Monomotapa (Mutapa). Emerging under Nyatsimba Mutota, the first King, it would turn out to be a powerful Empire with Trade routes and territory extending to the Indian Ocean.