The Empire of Large Zimbabwe also called Mwene Mutapa or Munhumutapa or Mutapa was a medieval kingdom (c.1450-1629) located in Southern Africa and recovering the territories of current the Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Its capital was the Grand Zimbabwe.

History of the empire

The empire was established by Gokomere which was the ancestors of the modern people Shona. Large Zimbabwe reaches its zenith around the years 1440 thanks to the trade of the Or. This one was exported since the territory of the empire towards the port of Sofala in the south of the delta of the Zambezi, where the Arab tradesmen bought it. The textiles of the Gujerat were exchanged against gold along the coasts. But, quickly, the pressure of the European and Arab tradesmen started to change the balance of the forces in the area.

The Portuguais began their attempt to dominate the State Shona since 1505 but remained confined on the coast during long years, according to Fernand Braudel until 1513.

The Monomotapa empire was then put in part by rival factions, and the gold of the rivers which it controlled started to become exhausted. The trade of gold was then replaced by the trade of the slaves. At that time, the Arab states of Zanzibar and Kilwa became dominant in the area thanks to the draft of the Blacks towards the Arabia, the Perse and the India. (Braudel p. 430)

The empire was finally conquered in 1629 by the Portuguese and never became again independent. The last representatives of the reigning families established another Mutapa kingdom in Mozambique, sometimes called Karanga. Kings Karanga were called Mambos (plural) and reigned on the area until 1902.

Emperors and kings

Mwenes or Monomatapas of the first Mutapa Empire:

• Nyatsimba Mutota (C. 1430-c. 1450)

• Matope Nyanhehwe Nebedza (C. 1450-c. 1480)
• Mavura Maobwe (1480)
• Mukombero Nyahuma (1480-c. 1490)
• Changamire (1490-1494)
• Kakuyo Komunyaka (1494-c. 1530)
• Neshangwe Munembire (C. 1530-c. 1550)
• Chivere Nyasoro (C. 1550-1560)
• Chisamharu Negomo Mupuzangutu (1560-1589)
• Gatsi Rusere (1589-1623)
• Nyambo Kapararidze (1623-1629)

Mwenes or Monomatapas of the second Mutapa kingdom:

• Cangara II (1803 - 1804)

• Mutiwapangome (1804 - 1806)
• Mutiwaora (1806)
• Cipfumba (1806 - 1807)
• Nyasoro (1807 - 1828)
• Cimininyambo or Kandeya II (1828 - 1830)
• Dzeka (1830 - 1849)
• Kataruza (1849 - 1868)
• Kandeya III (1868-1870)
• Dzuda (1870-1887)
• Cioko Dambamupute (1887-1902)

The role of the trade of Gold

The empire had another indirect effect on the history of the Southern Africa. The gold of the empire inspired to Europeans the belief which Monomotapa held the legendary mines of the King Solomon mentioned in the Bible. This belief was one of the factors which led the Compagnie Dutchwoman of the Eastern Indies (VOC) to found the colony of the Cape, which will lead to the creation of the State of South Africa.

It is not a question to suggest that these legends were the reason first of the foundation of the city (its main object was to create a place with semi-course where the boats going and coming from India could be supplied), but they were abundantly used to convince the population little educated to come to be established there. Files testify to what the majority of the first colonists dreamed to find the mythical city of Gold, exactly like the first colonists in South America sought Eldorado.

Ironically, the South Africa had the greatest known gold reserves in what became Johannesburg, but that took at least two hundred years before that was proven and that the city was not founded. Johannesburg is still often quoted like the " city of the or" and makes its name of it reflects exactly that in the majority of the indigenous languages (Gauteng in Sotho or Egoli in Zoulou).

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