The Rise and Fall of the Rozvi empire

Rozwi Empire (Rozvi Empire) was a southern Shona empire founded by Dombo or Changa, after splitting from the Mutapa Empire.

RISE

Dombo or Changa was a descendant of the Mutapa Kingdom. At the death of King Matope, he moved south and founded a new kingdom, the Rozwi Kingdom.

Changamire Dombo I was a man of considerable military talent and administrative genius. Dombo had defeated the Torwa rulers of Guruuswa or Butua in founding the Rozwi Kingdom. The kingdom was named after the Rozwi military regiment, highly disciplined and effective troops. Dombo took the title Changamire and was known as Changamire Dombo. His successors would have the title mambos.

The Rozvi eventually became too powerful for everyone hence their name which means robbers/raiders/ marauders. With his abilities, Dombo was able to defeat the Portuguese at the battle of Maungwe. Dombo’s first

Expansion

Between 1684 and 1696, Changamire Dombo expelled the Portuguese from Mutapa and Manyika, making the Rozwi Empire the most important empire in the Zimbabwe plateau, Zambezi Valley.

Changa’s first capital was at Tsindi’s ruins near Marondera and Macheke. He moved to Butwa (aka Butau and established his capital at Manyanga.

Organization

The Empire maintained power and order by its Rozwi regiments. The regiments collected tribute from other Shona satellites. They guarded the king’s herds of thousands of cattle. Rozwi regiments continually toured the empire with administrators called Banyami. Banyami collected tribute, made decisions of succession for local Shona chiefs. Tribute was paid in ivory, skins, food, and most important cattle.

Economy

Gold production was a major activity. The state monopolised its production. The Portuguese were banned from entering the kingdom. The economic mainstay was cattle, agriculture, and hunting. The economy was not interdependent on outside trade.

Tribute

The Kind received tribute from the chiefs in the region as a form of tax. These included cloth, beads, hoes, axes, gold, ivory, cattle, skins grain, tobacco and salt.

Trade

The Rozvi citizens practiced internal with the locals and external trade with the Portuguese. The Portuguese were not allowed to advance too far into the interior of the country. African traders called Vashambadi moved across the country and acted as a middleman between the Rozvi and Portuguese.

The traders paid taxes as they moved from village to village with their goods. There were no special market days or market places except on the borders where the Portuguese arrived.

Agriculture

The Rozvi depended much on Subsistence farming and other farming activities. Each Family grew enough food to feed itself. They grew rice, pumpkins, watermelons beans and other vegetables

Their main tools were axes and hoes. Axes were used to till the land, plant seeds and for weeding. They practiced shifting cultivation. The royal family benefited from the labour of its subjects under a system called Zunde Ramambo. In this system, the subjects would prepare the Chief’s land, plant, wed an harvest for the royal family.

Wealth

The Rozvi was also a cattle ranching community. Having a lot of cattle, goats and sheep was a sign of wealth. Important people and chiefs owned cattle.

The citizens of the Rozvi were also Hunters. They used spears, bows and arrows, wooden stuff and axes were the tools used for hunting. Pangolins were a royal game and were surrendered to the chief. Ivory was exchanged for guns.

Mining

Mining was a major source of wealth for the community. All gold and minerals were surrendered to the chief. The chief then rewarded the miner for surrendering the minerals to him. The kind distributed most of what the received to the members of his lineage. It was also used to pay tribute as a sign of loyalty.

Organisation

Hierarchy of the political organization began at home with the family head, the neighborhood head, village, region, sub-chief and chiefdom. At the top is the chief and the king and his court. The king ruled with the help of the council called Dare.

The King was the distributor of land and holder of other properties like state-prisoners of war, cattle taken from people accused of various crimes. He was the head of the legal system, he had the power to declare war.

FALL

Changamire Dombo died in 1696. His dynasty would dominate the Zambezi Valley. Mutapa resorted to an insignificant kingdom. Powerful chiefs would build stone structures as Dhlo Dhlo, Khami, and Naletali.

The Rozvi were defeated by Zwangendaba around 1690, with little resistance. The royal family scattered to other parts of the country. As the remaining Rozvi were starting to recover, Mzilikazi and the Ndebele arrived and attacked them. The Shangaani also raided the Rozvi leading to the collapse.

The Rozvi now only remained in the Mashonaland but they were finally defeated by the British South African Company settlers

The fall can also be attributed to internal issues like their political system which served to enrich the royal family at the expenses of the ordinary leading to resentment and loss of support.