History

Mutapa State

Mutapa state

The Mutapa was able to rise as a result of the Dande area and millitary achievements of Nyatsimba Mutota.

Factors that led to the rise of Mutapa

1.The decline of Great Zimbabwe

  • The Mutapa was an off-shoot of the Great Zimbabwe state.
  • Mutota and his followers migrated from Great Zimbabwe as a result of succession disputes.
  • Environmental problems also led to the migration
  • A great fire could have bent down the capital.
  • Weak leadership weakened the state.
  • The state was attacked by neighboring groups.
  • All this gave way for the Mutapa state’s rise.

2.Dande Area's Favourable conditions

  • Rich grasslands for livestock.
  • Mineral wealth
  • Salt deposits
  • Favorable climate eg rainfall.
  • The area was not overpopulated.
  • It had access to trade.

3. Mutota's Military achievements

  • Nyatsimba mutota was founder of Mutapa.
  • He left great Zimbabwe around 1450 with a strong army.
  • He used his army to conquer the Tonga, Tavara and Korekore.
  • He established his capital at Chitako hills.
  • He was commander of the army.
  • The Tonga gave him a praise name-Munhumutapa.

4. Economic factors that also led to the rise

  • Agriculture-fed people.
  • Hunting- brought wealth from trade.
  • External trade-brought wealth.
  • Mining – brought iron.
  • Raiding -grain and wealth

The expansion of Mutapa state

  • Nyatsimba’s son,Nyanhehwe Matope was responsible for the expansion of Mutapa.
  • Matope conquered new provinces like Barwe,Guruuswa,Manyika,Uteve,and Madanda.
  • The military maintained law and oder.
  • At its peak,Mutapa state expanded from Limpompo to Zambezi and from the east coast of Mozambique to the Kalahari desert.
  • Matope established an alliance with the Tavara king Dzivaguru.
  • Matope used marriage alliances to strengthen the state.
  • Tribute payment was a method used to bring wealth.

Economic system

  • Agriculture was the backbone of the Mutapa.it provided food and feed the shona people.
  • Livestock keeping-cattle,sheep and goats were the banks of the shona people.
  • Mining of iron,gold , silver , copper provided weapons for the army.Minerals like gold led to the rise of external trade.
  • The state became rich through foreign goods eg clothes,mirrors.
  • Hunting brought wealth eg meat, this improved external trade.

Military organisations of the Mutapa state

  • The army was headed by the king as chief commander of the soldiers.
  • He was helped by an appointed commander of the soldiers-Nengomasha-second most powerful official in the Mutapa state.
  • There was a war council-dove rehondo-The council ratified war decisions and conscripted soldiers.It also gave advice to Munhumutapa.
  • Drums were beaten and hwamanda was sounded to assemble the Mutapa soldiers.
  • Spirit mediums were consulted by the army before it went to war.
  • Weapons used include spears,swords,catapults,knobkerries,guns,and battle axes.

Importance of religion

  • It gave authority to Munhumutapa.
  • The king was allied to religious leaders.
  • Religious leaders and spirit mediums chose the king.
  • Mediums solved succession disputes.
  • The king was also a religious leader as he led national ceremonies.

Responsibilities of Munhumutapa

  • Head of the state.
  • Chief judge
  • Distributor of land
  • Custodian of state property.
  • Religious leader
  • Received and shared tribute.
  • Signing treaties.
  • Controlled trade.
  • Receiving foreign visitors.
  • Fed people in times of drought.
  • Loaning cattle.
  • Protecting the state.
  • Declared wars
  • Punished rebels
  • Negomomupunzagutu received Gonzalo da Silveira.

Decline and Fall of Mutapa State

Internal and external factors led to the decline and fall of Mutapa state.

1. Internal political factors

  • Succession disputes in ruling houses weakened the state. Puppet munhumutapa was Gatsi Rusere And Mavhuramhande.
  • Civil wars came to state.
  • The state became too big.some provinces refused to pay tribute.
  • Changamire Dombo broke away and established the Rozvi state.
  • Army was weak caused by internal political rebels.

2. Internal Economic factors

  • There were shortage of resources .
  • The number of Elephants declined due to hunting using guns.
  • This led to decline in external trade.
  • Soils became poor.
  • Mines became exhausted and other were filled with water.
  • Some mines became too big and dangerous.
  • Drought led to poor yield.

3. External factors

  • Activities of the Portuguese weakened the Mutapa.
  • They were involved in succession disputes and civil wars
  • When Munhumutapa died , they chose weak claimants.
  • They supplied armies called Chikunda.
  • Puppets Munhumutapa came to power.
  • Portuguese refused to pay tribute.
  • They demanded tribute from Munhumutapa.
  • Prazeros were rude,lawless,disrespectful.
  • Signed treaties which gave them mining rights and land.

4. Social activities of the Portuguese

  • Prazeros raped African women.
  • ill treatment of African women.
  • Raided African villages and took the people for slavery.
  • No payment for mining.
  • Social evils-grew marijuana and brought alcohol.
  • Rape led to children of mixed blood called Mulattos.

By: T.Titus Nyakudyara
Twitter: @NyakudyaraTitus

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Related posts:

The advent of the Portuguese in the Mutapa state speeded up the process of decay which was already underway.” How justifiabable is this verdict on the decline of Mutapa state? Examine the view that the decline of Great Zimbabwe was caused more by internal than external factors The Portuguese in the Mutapa Zimbabwean History: The Great Zimbabwe state
T.Titus

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