Barozwi
| Rozvi Empire | ||||||||||||
| Rozvi | ||||||||||||
| Kingdom | ||||||||||||
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| Capital | Danamombe | |||||||||||
| Languages | Kalanga-Rozwi | |||||||||||
| Religion | Belief in Mwari | |||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | |||||||||||
| Changamire | ||||||||||||
| • | c. 1660 – c. 1695 | Changamire Dombo(first) | ||||||||||
| • | 1831–1866 | Changamire Tohwechipi (last) | ||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||
| • | Rozvi conquest of Butua | 1660 | ||||||||||
| • | Ndebele conquest of Rozvi | 1866 | ||||||||||
| Area | ||||||||||||
| • | 1700 | 624,000 km2 (241,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||
| Population | ||||||||||||
| • | 1700 est. | 1,000,000 | ||||||||||
| Density | 2/km2 (4/sq mi) | |||||||||||
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The Rozvi Empire (1684–1834) was established on the Zimbabwean Plateau by Changamire Dombo. After the death of Changamire Dombo. His successor adopted title Mambo.
In 1693, Portuguese militia tried to take control of the gold trade in the interior of Africa by invading the Rozvi empire. The Rozvi were able to successfully defeat these attacks and maintain their control of the gold mines until their empire collapsed. The Rozvi were led by Changamire Dombo, whose power was based in Butua in the southwest of Africa. The Rozvi 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 Rozvi Empire. This powerful kingdom of warriors was to be known as the Rozvi or baLozwi people. 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 Rozvi empire fluctuated. Its influence extended over much of present-day Zimbabwe, westward into Botswana, and southward into northeastern South Africa.The Rozvi leader Changamire Dombo was a herdsmen in the Mutapa state and managed to drive away the Portugueese earning himself support and followers thereby breaking away from the legendary Mutapa empire. Changamire Dombo according to oral tradition is believed to have been possessing supernatural powers turn a white cattle to a red one and even more that even made him feared by people and earned respect and even more followers. The name Changamire became the honour name of all the kings who followed after him. The Rozvi's political system was hierarchical. Kingship followed a male line and the king was the highest political, religious,military, economic, judicial,social,main distributor of land. The King was helped to rule by an advisory council made up of state officials appointed by him like his most senior wives, crown prince, tumbare (regent), religious leaders, military commanders and also vassal chiefs.Changamire Dombo extended his state east to some parts of Botswana and south to also South Africa. The Rozvi empire eventually became the most powerful empire in present day Zimbabwe.
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Wikipedia