ZIMSEC O Level · History · Form 1, Form 2
Great Zimbabwe (about 1200–1450)
- Origins: grew from Mapungubwe's trade network; built by ancestors of the Shona.
- Economy: cattle keeping, crop farming, gold mining, and long-distance trade in gold and ivory through Sofala with Swahili and Arab traders for cloth, beads and porcelain.
- Political and religious organisation: a king ruled with the support of spirit mediums; the Hill Complex and Great Enclosure show the power of the ruling class.
- Decline: overpopulation, exhaustion of grazing, salt and firewood, and the shift of trade routes northwards.
The Mutapa state (from about 1450)
- Founded by Nyatsimba Mutota, who moved north to the Zambezi valley.
- Trade with Swahili merchants and, from the 1500s, the Portuguese, who later interfered in politics. The Mutapa rulers lost power after civil wars and Portuguese control.
The Rozvi state (17th–19th centuries)
- Under Changamire Dombo, the Rozvi drove the Portuguese from the plateau (1690s).
- Known for a strong army and centres such as Danangombe (Dhlo Dhlo) and Naletale.
- Weakened by Nguni invasions during the Mfecane in the 1830s.
Exam tip: Structure state questions under the same headings: origins, political, economic, social/religious, and decline.
Check yourself
- Name two items exported from Great Zimbabwe.
- Who founded the Mutapa state?
- Give two reasons for the decline of Great Zimbabwe.
Show answers
- Gold and ivory.
- Nyatsimba Mutota.
- Any two: overpopulation, exhausted grazing/firewood/salt, shift of trade routes, drought.
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