Xᵉ siècle – XVIIIᵉ siècle
Parts of modern Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
Mwene Mutapa was a powerful south-central African kingdom known in Portuguese records as Benametapa and later as Monomotapa. Its ruler, whose title was Mwene Mutapa, controlled access to gold and other metals within a region rich in copper, gold, and iron. The kingdom reached its greatest height between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries, remained influential when the Portuguese arrived, and then declined under external pressure and Portuguese depredations.
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Le récit
Mwene Mutapa formed part of the powerful kingdoms of south-central Africa associated with Zimbabwe. Portuguese sources called it Benametapa, while the modern form Monomotapa also appears in the passage. The royal title Mwene Mutapa designated a ruler whose authority was linked to the control of mineral wealth and to a strongly organized political system.
The kingdom’s territories corresponded to parts of present-day Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. These lands were rich in copper, gold, and iron, and the ruler held a monopoly over gold, earning the title “lord of metals.” Mining was extensive: the extract cites estimates of thousands of ancient mines, perhaps numbering between sixty and seventy thousand.
Mwene Mutapa and Zimbabwe reached their greatest heights between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. Both remained powerful when the Portuguese arrived, although decadence had already begun. Portuguese rapacity and depredations, followed by those of other Europeans, accelerated the kingdom’s decline and damaged the political and economic order of the region.
Xᵉ siècle – XVIIIᵉ siècle
Parts of modern Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
Mwene Mutapa was a powerful south-central African kingdom known in Portuguese records as Benametapa and later as Monomotapa. Its ruler, whose title was Mwene Mutapa, controlled access to gold and other metals within a region rich in copper, gold, and iron. The kingdom reached its greatest height between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries, remained influential when the Portuguese arrived, and then declined under external pressure and Portuguese depredations.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Mwene Mutapa formed part of the powerful kingdoms of south-central Africa associated with Zimbabwe. Portuguese sources called it Benametapa, while the modern form Monomotapa also appears in the passage. The royal title Mwene Mutapa designated a ruler whose authority was linked to the control of mineral wealth and to a strongly organized political system.
The kingdom’s territories corresponded to parts of present-day Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. These lands were rich in copper, gold, and iron, and the ruler held a monopoly over gold, earning the title “lord of metals.” Mining was extensive: the extract cites estimates of thousands of ancient mines, perhaps numbering between sixty and seventy thousand.
Mwene Mutapa and Zimbabwe reached their greatest heights between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. Both remained powerful when the Portuguese arrived, although decadence had already begun. Portuguese rapacity and depredations, followed by those of other Europeans, accelerated the kingdom’s decline and damaged the political and economic order of the region.
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