By the end of the subtopic, learners should be able to:
Describe origins of the Gaza State.
Explain the social, political and economic organization of the Gaza State.
State reasons why the Shangaane migrated from Nguniland.
Examine factors that led to the decline of the Gaza State.
ORIGINS OF THE GAZA STATE
Gaza state was one of the Nguni kingdoms during the Mfecane era.
It came into existence in 1821 and its founder was Soshangane Nxumalo or Manukuse,
Soshangane and Zwangendaba were Zwide's generals who fought alongside Zwide in the 1819 war against Tshaka.
Soshangane emerged as the most powerful leader among the Nguni groups expelled from Zulu land.
After escaping from Tshaka, Soshangane and his people settled in the area south of modern day Mozambique and south eastern of what is now Zimbabwe.
He settled down and intermarried with the Shona speaking people in the area.
On their way from Zululand, they absorbed the Swazi and other Nguni related groups.
In 1825 and 1845 they established control over the southern Mozambique and south eastern Zimbabwe.
They first settled east of the Save River in the old Mandaba kingdom.
Ndau and Shona speaking people paid tribute to Soshangane.
He defeated the Portuguese and forced them to pay taxes in order to combine trading.
The first capital city of Gaza was Moya mule (meaning cool breeze).
EXPANSION OF THE GAZA STATE
Soshangane strengthened and consolidated his power in the Middle Save area.
Soshangane was in full control of his kingdom between 1836 and 1858.
His capital city was established in Chirinda (Mount Selinda in the present day).
The soldiers were organised into disciplined Nguni regiments known as Amabutho.
In 1934, he conquered a Portuguese trading station at Inhambane.
In 1836 they wiped out the Portuguese garrisons in the area as far North as Sofala.
They took over ivory trade in Sofala, Maputo and Inhambane and controlled the movement of goods from the interior in the process.
After their defeat, the Portuguese claimed to be giving the Gaza King presents while paying tribute.
Soshangane expanded into the kingdom of Uteve and Manyika.
Soldiers also crossed Save to raid the Mutoko area.
This area brought a lot of taxes and those who resisted were killed for example Chief Munyarari and Chief Sweswe.
Most Gaza chiefs were treated as vassal sub chiefs and their young men integrated into the Gaza military system.
Soshangane defeated most of the Bantu people of southern and central Mozambique and they were forced to pay tribute.
He ended up establishing a new capital at Chaimite and he built up a powerful Gaza-Nguni kingdom.
POLITICAL ORGANISATION
The king's court was the political centre of the state.
The royal family and the advisers including several hundred wives of the king lived at the court.
The king made laws with the assistance of his advisers.
The king was the judicial, religious and military commander of the state.
He was a chief administrator of the Kingdom and he distributed the land to his people.
The state was divided into districts and each headed by the resident Induna who reported directly to Soshangane.
The Induna and his regiment collected taxes each year from his district as a way of control and loyalty.
Prisoners of war were taken to the king along with cattle and goods taken during raids.
The political system of the Gaza was integrative as it allowed people to retain their land so as to be able to pay taxes.
The kingdom was strengthened by incorporating conquered people.
All the captured people were taught norms of behaviour and the culture of the Gaza kingdom.
Men were absorbed into the soldiers' army as herders.
Raids were carried out to capture women, children and to expand the territory and the Gaza administration.
The Army was raised into three divided regiments and trained to challenge Tshaka.
These regiments were led by the commander called Induna and assisted by the military officer called liphini.
The regiments were the militia, full-time warriors and were known as the veteran fighters who were called up during war times.
They reserved older married people who stayed in villages with their wives.
Full-time warriors were the active young men who were forbidden to marry and they had to distinguish themselves in the war.
Young boys were recruited to build barracks and herd state cattle.
ECONOMIC ORGANISATION
The Gaza state was basically a raiding state.
They raided the local Chopi and Tsonga people for grain, cattle, young men, women and children.
The state was involved in agriculture.
They cultivated traditional crops such as rapoko, millet, pumpkins, beans and other vegetables.
The crops they grew were used for feeding the population and payment for tribute as well as trade.
Cattle herding was practised and cattle were a symbol of wealth.
Cattle were important for paying lobola and also slaughtered for important ceremonies.
The king received tribute from his people and taxes from Portuguese traders.
Tribute was paid in the form of cattle, grain, ivory, animal skins, gold and pots.
Trade was the central part of the economy controlled by the king through his Indunas.
The Gaza people traded with the Portuguese in ivory, gold and other metals as well as animal skins.
In return, the king got clothes, beads and jewellery from the Portuguese.
Hunting also contributed towards the economy of the state.
They hunted animals like elephants and rhinos for ivory, meat and skins for trade.
Blacksmithing was also done to produce weapons and tools such as knives, hoes and spearheads.
Those near rivers, dams and lakes practised fishing to supplement their diet.
SOCIAL SYSTEM
Thesocial system of the Gaza state was divided into three classes.
The first class or the aristocracy consisted of the original Nguni speaking people and they were called Bangoni or Gaza.
The second class consisted of the absorbed groups who were recruited into Gaza ranks called the Tshangane (the Shangane).
These were divided into regiments with the Ngoni officers.
They were treated as less important (officials) people and were used in front line in the battle.
Senior Government officials came from the first class.
Assimilated subjects were allowed to rise to positions of political powers, for example, Magigwana of the Ndau who fought the 1895 and 1898 against the Portuguese.
Those who adopted the Nguni culture enjoyed a status next to the Nguni aristocracy.
They identified themselves by wearing head rings and pierced ears.
Assimilated people were allowed to intermarry and were assisted with cattle to pay lobola.
Their children were considered as the true Nguni as they increased the Nguni population.
People who did not adopt Nguni culture and language such as Tsonga and Chopi formed the lowest class known as the BaTsonga.
They were not allowed to join the regular army but sometimes served as pathfinders or guides of the elite regiments.
Tsonga did not wear head rings but dressed in a loin cloth.
They were slaves and more oppressed than any other assimilated people.
The Gaza people conducted important ceremonies like inxwala.
During this ceremony, the sub chiefs renewed their national loyalty.
THE DECLINE OF GAZA STATE
Loyalty and identity of a person were defined in terms of culture.
As a result, Soshangane did not successfully assimilate the subjected people and cultural tension persisted.
The kings who ruled after the death of Soshangane were unable to keep Gaza state intact.
After the Soshangane's death, succession disputes emerged among the Ngoni.
There was a four-year civil war after the death of Soshangane between Mawewe and Mzila in 1858.
The war weakened the state militarily and politically.
Mawewe took power with the assistance of Swazi ahead of his competitor Mzila.
Mzila took over with the assistance of the Portuguese.
This allowed Portuguese to return to Gaza state thus weakening the state.
Mzila successor Ngungunyana faced the threat of revolts by his subjects and European settlers.
By 1895 Gaza state was weakened by internal revolts and Ngungunyana regiment were defeated by the Portuguese.
Many groups of people who were not fully incorporated into the Gaza State and they broke away due to civil wars and rebellion.
REASONS FOR DECLINE
Their language did not survive.
This was due to the fact that the Gaza did not successfully assimilate their subjects although they established their authority.
The Gaza did not absorb the subject people in their culture and language joined willingly or pursue their own language and cultures.
The Gaza did not have a comprehensive succession plan resulting in revolts and succession disputes upon the death of Soshangage and Mzila.
Interference of the Portuguese who finally defeated the remaining Gaza people and colonised the area.
