Kingdom of Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Zimbabwe (1220–1450) was a kingdom located in the territory of modern-day Zimbabwe
. It is famous for its capital, Great Zimbabwe
, the largest stone structure in Southern Africa
until recent times.
(dzimba dza mabwe or "great stone houses") or iKalanga (Nzi we mabwe or "Home stead of Stone"). The latter is more likely to be the source because its emphasis is on the entire stone territory and not the actual dwellings which are mud huts. The Shona reference to stone houses is highly unlikely as an etymological source for the modern term Zimbabwe because the houses found there are mud huts rather than stone houses. The Shona term is of recent derivation and refers to present-day inhabitants of Eastern and Northern Zimbabwe. It is also used as a collective name for Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika and other similar dialects. The term's use is traced by some researchers to Mzilikazi.
, regarding the demand for gold
(which the Zimbabwe hills had) over ivory
(Mapungubwe's chief export).
The rulers of Zimbabwe brought artistic and stonemasonry traditions from Mapungubwe
. The construction of elaborate Stone buildings and walls reached its apex in the kingdom. The institution of mambo
was also used at Zimbabwe, along with an increasingly rigid three-tiered class structure. The kingdom taxed other rulers throughout the region. The kingdom was composed of over 150 tributaries headquartered in their own minor zimbabwes. They established rule over a wider area than Mapungubwe, Butua or Mutapa.
In the south, the Kingdom of Butua was established as a smaller but nearly identical version of Zimbabwe. Both states were eventually absorbed into the largest and most powerful of the Kalanga states, the Rozwi Empire
.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. It is famous for its capital, Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1100 to 1450 C.E. during the country’s Late Iron Age. The monument, which first began to be constructed in the 11th century and which continued to be built until the 14th century, spanned an...
, the largest stone structure in Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
until recent times.
Name
Zimbabwe is the modern name issued to the most prominent pre-colonial civilization in southern Africa. The name is derived from one of two possible terms: the ShonaShona language
Shona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
(dzimba dza mabwe or "great stone houses") or iKalanga (Nzi we mabwe or "Home stead of Stone"). The latter is more likely to be the source because its emphasis is on the entire stone territory and not the actual dwellings which are mud huts. The Shona reference to stone houses is highly unlikely as an etymological source for the modern term Zimbabwe because the houses found there are mud huts rather than stone houses. The Shona term is of recent derivation and refers to present-day inhabitants of Eastern and Northern Zimbabwe. It is also used as a collective name for Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika and other similar dialects. The term's use is traced by some researchers to Mzilikazi.
Origin
The creators of the Zimbabwe kingdom immigrated to the Zimbabwe plateau from the Kingdom of Mapungubwe in southern Africa in the early 13th century. This was likely as a result of changes on the Swahili CoastSwahili Coast
The Swahili Coast refers to the coast or coastal area of East Africa inhabited by the Swahili people, mainly Kenya, Tanzania, and north Mozambique...
, regarding the demand for gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
(which the Zimbabwe hills had) over ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
(Mapungubwe's chief export).
Culture & Expansion
Mapungubwe
After Mapungubwe's fall, it was forgotten until 1932. On New Year's Eve 1932, E. S. J. van Graan, a local farmer and prospector, and his son, a former student of the University of Pretoria, discovered the wealth of artifacts on top of the hill. They reported the find to Professor Leo...
. The construction of elaborate Stone buildings and walls reached its apex in the kingdom. The institution of mambo
Mambo
Mambo is a musical form and dance style that developed originally in Cuba and then later in Mexico. The word "mambo" means "conversation with the gods" in Kikongo, the language spoken by Central African slaves taken to Cuba.-History:...
was also used at Zimbabwe, along with an increasingly rigid three-tiered class structure. The kingdom taxed other rulers throughout the region. The kingdom was composed of over 150 tributaries headquartered in their own minor zimbabwes. They established rule over a wider area than Mapungubwe, Butua or Mutapa.
Economy
The kingdom of Zimbabwe controlled the ivory and gold trade from the interior to the southeastern coast of Africa. Asian and Arabic goods could be found in abundance in the kingdom. Cattle domestication, which had been crucial to the earlier proto-Shona states, was also practiced.Mutapa Conquest and Decline
Around 1430, a prince from Zimbabwe traveled north in search of salt among the Shona-Tavara. The prince was Nyatsimba Mutota, and the land he conquered would become the kingdom of Mutapa. Within a generation, Mutapa eclipsed Zimbabwe as the economic and political power in southern Africa. By 1450, the capital and most of the kingdom had been abandoned.Aftermath
The end of the kingdom resulted in a fragmenting of proto-Shona power. Two bases emerged along a north-south axis. In the north, the kingdom of Mutapa carried on and even improved upon Zimbabwe's administrative structure. It did not carry on the stonemasonry tradition to the extent of its predecessor.In the south, the Kingdom of Butua was established as a smaller but nearly identical version of Zimbabwe. Both states were eventually absorbed into the largest and most powerful of the Kalanga states, the Rozwi Empire
Rozwi Empire
The Rozwi Empire or Lozwi Empire was established on the Zimbabwean Plateau by Changamire Dombo.-History:In 1693, Portuguese militia tried to take control of the gold trade in the interior of sub-saharan Africa by invading the Rozwi empire...
.
See also
- Great ZimbabweGreat ZimbabweGreat Zimbabwe is a ruined city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1100 to 1450 C.E. during the country’s Late Iron Age. The monument, which first began to be constructed in the 11th century and which continued to be built until the 14th century, spanned an...
- Kingdom of Mapungubwe
- History of ZimbabweHistory of ZimbabweAt the end of the Bush War there was a transition to majority rule in 1980. The United Kingdom ceremonially granted Zimbabwe independence on April 18, 1980 in accordance with the Lancaster House Agreement...
- Kingdom of Butua
- Kingdom of Mutapa
- Khami Ruins
- Dlodlo Ruins