| Rozwi Empire Rozwi |
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| Kingdom | ||||
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| Capital | Danamombe | |||
| Language(s) | Kalanga-Rozwi | |||
| Religion | Cult of Mwari | |||
| Political structure | Kingdom | |||
| Changamire | ||||
| - c. 1660 - c. 1695 | Changamire Dombo(first) | |||
| - 1831 - 1866 | Changamire Tohwechipi (last) | |||
| History | ||||
| - Rozwi conquest of Butua | 1660 | |||
| - Ndebele conquest of Rozwi | 1866 | |||
The Rozwi Empire or Lozwi Empire (1684–1834) was established on the Zimbabwean Plateau by Changamire Dombo.
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In 1693, Portuguese militia tried to take control of the gold trade in the interior of sub-saharan Africa by invading the Rozwi empire. The Rozwi were able to successfully defeat these attacks and maintain their control of the gold mines until their empire collapsed. The Rozwi were led by Changamire Dombo, whose power was based in Butua in the southwest of sub-Saharan Africa. The Rozwi were formed from several Shona states that dominated the plateau of present-day Zimbabwe at the time. They drove the Portuguese off the central plateau, and the Europeans retained only a nominal presence at one of the fairs in the eastern highlands.
Changamire brought the whole of present-day Zimbabwe under his control, forming a polity that became known as the Rozwi Empire. This fierce tribe of warriors was to be known as the Rozvi or baLozwi people.[1] They established their capital at Danamombe, also known as Dhlo-Dhlo (the Ndebele name).
Many sources see the Rozvi not as a recovering segment of the Mutapa people, but in fact a people in its own right emerging under the wing of the Mutapa (compare the rise of the Khumalo from under the Zulu nation). The administrative power of the Mutapa began to fall to control the whole empire, and tributaries began to exert more independence.
A leader of the people of guruuswa, given the title Changamire and known as Dombo, became independent from the Mutapa. When the Portuguese tried to colonize, Changamire Dombo led rebellions against their rule. The area of the Rozwi empire fluctuated. Its influence extended over much of present-day Zimbabwe, westward into Botswana, and southward into northeastern South Africa.
Many tales identify Dombo ('Rock') as Chikura Wayembeu. Modern scholars agree that this was a confusion with another leader of a different people.
The Rozwi chiefs revived the tradition of building in stone and constructed impressive cities throughout the southwest. Polychrome pottery was also emblematic of its culture.[1]
The economic power of the Rozwi Empire was based on cattle wealth and farming, with significant gold mining. They established trade with Arab traders, in which materials such as gold, copper, and ivory were exchanged for luxury goods.
Records from the Portuguese have shown that the Rozvi were expert military strategists. They were noted as using the cow-horn formation years before the great Zulu leader Shaka did in the 19th century. With spears, bows, and arrows, the aggressive Rozvi took over the plateau.[1]
Modern historians, particularly in Botswana and South Africa, believe that the Rozvi people were not part of the Mwene Mutapa aristocracy. They had differences from Shona-speaking people. The Rozvi have their own languages, the main one of which is tjiKalanga. Some linguists contend that Kalanga is a variant of Shona, and that it comes from either Zezuru or Karanga. This does not make sense because the inhabitants of Mapungubwe spoke Kalanga. Mapungubwe's carbon dating places it around A.D1220 to A.D 1300. Prof. Tom Huffman, Chair of Archaeology in the Wits School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, describes Mapungubwe and K2 as “the most important pre-colonial farming sites in South Africa. Mapungubwe’s architecture and spatial arrangement provide the earliest evidence for class distinction and sacred leadership in southern Africa”. The combination of excess wealth accumulated through long-distance trade and relatively large populations resulting from intensive agriculture made possible by seasonal floods resulted in “the most complex society in pre-colonial southern Africa”. Prof. Huffman insist people of Mapungubwe most probably spoke Kalanga. He also argues that Later, those who lived at Great Zimbabwe were to speak Karanga. “There was a climatic change around 1300 AD and Great Zimbabwe took over,” says Huffman. Although the Zimbabwe culture has been known to the western world since the 16th century, Mapungubwe and its famous golden rhino were revealed to archaeologists a little more than 60 years ago.
The present-day Rozvi descendants are still Kalanaga speaking possible including some Karanga who use the totem Moyo. These are the Vayera Moyo's, those who share the Moyo totem. The distinguishing feature of the ethnic Rozvi people is sharing the same totem, namely, the Moyo totem. All the people with the Moyo totem are one; hence the Shona saying is "Moyo imwe chete," which literally means that all the people with the Moyo totem are one. Totems are significant in that they can only be passed on through birth, thus all the people with the Moyo totem are related. There are various sub-totems: zvidawo (plural) and chidawo (singular), which come under the broad Moyo Totem umbrella. Examples of such sub-totems or variants of the Moyo totem are: Moyo Ndizvo, Moyo yavaDuma, Moyo Chirandu, Moyo Dewa, Moyo Talaunda, Moyo Nibukwa, Moyo Gululu and Moyo Murimirwa.
The Kalanaga have their main shrine at Njelele in Matabeleland. The Moyo and Ncube people are the custodians. Twelve women who are above 50 years, twelve men who are above 50 years, twelve virgin boys, and twelve virgin girls help with the chores at Njelele. The number 12 is significant in the Bible, but it also is important in other traditions.
In the past, the Rozvi did not accept any dowry prices for their female children. A Rozvi child gave birth to a Rozvi, and this did not matter whether it was a Rozvi daughter or son. George Fortune pointed at those people with the totems Moyo Muzukuru, and "Soko Moyondizvo", the children of Rozvi daughters who took the totems of their mothers.
The Rozvi empire crumbled in Zimbabwe in the early 19th century.[1] The movement of the Rozvi from present-day Matabeleland predates the Mfecane period. The current Kalanga language has largely remained uncorrupted by Ndebele in areas where it is still spoken.
George Fortune in Shona Praise Poetry points out how the Rozvi King Netjasike rebelled against the Tobela or Mwali cult. Traditional poetry tells that a prophecy had warned the king, "Pasina Tumbale gwana gwaitswa muchoto! (If it were not for Tumbale your children would have perished!)" The prophecy of Tobela said that two small armies would come to destroy the Kingdom.
Angered, the King was said to destroy every medium from which the voice spoke: rocks, trees, etc. When the same voice spoke through the King's eldest son, his advisers said to execute him. As the decision was being made, the senior-most Queen hid all her three sons somewhere in the heart. She was said to have continued to say in Kalanaga: "Tjili mudhengu uchizwihwila.....(the one who is hiding hear for yourself)," which was to warn her sons. Once the discussion was over, the sons and their comrades escaped from the impending executions - with the blessing of both the King and the Queen. They reportedly left with many people.
Some of the people settled in Mashonaland. There is a line in the praises of some of the Moyo Dewa, Zuruvi which says Mapembwe, vokwa chili mudhengu uchizvihwila! Now this predates the coming of the Khumalo. Hence it can not be said Kalanga arose as a corruption of shona by the invasion of the Matebele. The coming of the Khumalo scattered the Rozvi who had remained in Matabeleland. Tohwetjipi or Sibumbamu kept fighting against Mzilikazi. He had the help of the then Chirimuhanzu who was a nephew. Some of the Rozvi who settled in Mashonaland were from these periods.
All the ancient capitals of the Rozvi: Manyanga, Danangombe, Nalatale, and several in Botswana and Khame are all in the Midlands and Matabeleland. Those in Matabeleland and Bostwana are within Kalanga speaking communities.
The BaLobedu of South Africa seem to be the only remaining Rozvi Kingdom. They call themselves BaLotswi and retain Dewa and Sai as they praise and Thobela as a salutation. They seem to say the Rozvi have four languages, which are referred to as the Lobedu group of languages: SeLobedu saMotjatji/SiLotswi [which is similar to Venda], Kalanga, Karanga and Shankwe. The Rozvi seem to have had a class system that is similar to Ndebele, and the Shankwe seem to have been low in that classification.
Another group that is often forgotten is baNambya led by Chief Hwange. In the book Ndebo yengombe Luvizho! (1924), they are referred to as an offshoot of the Rozvi. The Rozvi are an important people in African history whose full story is yet to be told.
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