GREAT ZIMBABWE

Great Zimbabwe is located at the southern edge of the

Zimbabwean plateau. It is the largest of an estimated 300
dry stone walled structures of what archaeologists now call
the Zimbabwe culture of southern Africa. The culture is
broadly dated to the period between the 11th and the 18th
Century AD. The majority of the sites of this culture are
found in the modern state of Zimbabwe.
The ancient city of Great Zimbabwe covers an area of
approximately 7 hectares consisting of different dry stone
wall enclosures, although it has become customary to divide
the ancient city into three principal parts, the Hill Complex,
the Great Enclosure and the Valley ruins. In addition are
areas referred to as peripheral settlements. The Hill
Complex, regarded as the seat of power during the
occupation of Great Zimbabwe, consists of a series of
enclosures constructed on a prominent hill to the north of the
monument.
The Great Enclosure is located in the valley adjacent to the
Hill Complex and is perhaps the most spectacular and most
substantial part of the monument. It has an outer wall
approximately 250 m in length with an approximate height
of 10 m. It is now agreed to be the largest single prehistoric
structure in sub-Saharan Africa. Inside the Great Enclosure
are a number on internal stone enclosures, including the
Conical Tower as well as remains of Dhaka (adobe)
platforms. The Valley Ruins are located between the Hill
Complex and the Great Enclosure and consist of a number
of individual dry stone enclosures of varying size.
There is a general consensus that Great Zimbabwe have
flourished between 1250 and 1450. The historic site of Great
Zimbabwe consists of 12 groups of buildings covering an
area of 3 square miles. Its outer wall was constructed from
100,000 tons of granite bricks. At its height it was said to be
a 14th Century walled city occupied by 18,000 people. In
close proximity 4,000 gold mines were said to have existed
and there were facilities for iron smelting and the
manufacture of copper and bronze artefacts. Imports of
stoneware and glazed dishes from China, coloured glass
from the Near East and painted bowls from Persia have been
found at the site.
The history of this precolonial Zimbabwean State came
mainly from archaeology. In this booklet I am going to
unfold the economic, social and political organisations of
Great Zimbabwe State. It is equally important for learners of
history to take note of the reasons for the building of the
great stone structure as well as the factors that led to the
demise of the state.

Factors that led to the rise of Great Zimbabwe

 Availability of granite rocks

 Emergency of ambitious leaders

 Location was favourable to international trade

 A strong army

 Rich mineral wealth in neighbourhood

 Development of iron technology

 Favourable climate

 Abundant water supplies from Mtirikwi River

 Availability of pastures

 Strong religion

 Fertile soils

 Population growth due to polygamy Why Great

Zimbabwe was built?

 As a trading centre

 As a religious centre

 As Mambo’s court

 As an administrative centre

 As a dwelling place for the nobles

 As a symbol of power

 As a fortress in times of war

The economic activities at Great Zimbabwe

 Trade (external and internal trade)

 Mining

 Cattle rearing (pastoralism)

 Crop cultivation

 Tribute payment Hunting and gathering

 Blacksmithing/iron smelting

 Pottery, weaving and basketry

 Raiding

Trade items or exports at Great Zimbabwe

 Soap stones

 Gold

 Grain

 Ivory

 Iron tools  Livestock

 Skin hides

 Iron tools

Imports/items brought in at Great Zimbabwe

 Clothes

 Beads

 Seashells

 Chinaware

 Ceramics

 Bangles

 Glass
Foreigners who traded with Great Zimbabwe

 Chinese

 Persians

 Arabs

 Portuguese

 Indians

 Swahilis

 Zambians

Crops grown at Great Zimbabwe

 Sorghum

 Millet

 Rapoko

 Maize

 Melons

 Beans

Crafts at Great Zimbabwe

 Weaving

 Basketry
 Pottery

 Spinning

 Blacksmithing

 Curving

Other Madzimbabwe in Zimbabwe

 Ruanga

 Chipadze

 Tsindi

 Khami

 Naletale

 Nhunguza

 Manekweni

Uses of cattle at Great Zimbabwe

 For trade

 To pay lobola

 To pay tribute

 Used in ritual ceremonies

 Manure
 Skins used in blast furnaces

 Used to pay fines

 Skins were also used to make shields, drums and sandals

 Forms of transport

Political factors for the decline of Great Zimbabwe

 Corruption and disunity among the elite

 Succession disputes

 Emergency of ambitious leaders

 External attacks from the Sotho-Tswana people

 The vastness of the Empire

Economic factors for the decline of Great Zimbabwe

 Exhaustion of soil

 Shortage of salt

 Overgrazing

 Decline in external trade

 Successive droughts

 Shortage of ivory

 Depletion of resources such as wood

Social factors for the decline of Great Zimbabwe
Overpopulation
Disunity

Social organization of Great Zimbabwe State

The society at Great Zimbabwe was Characterised by social
classes namely the ruling class that enjoyed a number of
privileges and the commoner class that was burdened with
tribute. The king lived separate from the common people, he
stayed in the Great Enclosure. Great Zimbabwe is said to
have been inhabited by about ten thousand people. The
Shona people at Great Zimbabwe were a religious people
who worshipped Mwari. They also believed in the national
spirits (mhondoro) and the ancestral spirits called (vadzimu),
which were worshipped through the spirit mediums called
Masvikiro. Mhondoro and Mwari were consulted during the
times of troubles such as wars and shangwa (drought).
The spirit mediums were important during the installation of
the new Mambo. All the religious ceremonies were presided
over by the king. The Shona people at Great Zimbabwe
usually curved soap stone birds during their spare time.
These soap stone birds were made as symbols of Shiri
yaMwari and they also symbolised religious beliefs and the
importance of Mitupo. The Conical tower and the Eastern
Enclosure were the areas believed to have been associated
with religious functions. Many cattle were killed to feed the
people at traditional ceremonies. The Mambo could lend his
cattle to his subjects through the Kuronzera system. The
karanga people at Great Zimbabwe were polygamists. Men
could marry many wives and have many children who
would enhance agricultural productivity.

Economic organisation of Great Zimbabwe State

The economy at Great Zimbabwe was diversified into trade,

crop cultivation, cattle rearing, mining, and tribute, hunting,
gathering, and pottery, iron smelting; and raiding.
1. The people at Great Zimbabwe were traders. They
were involved in both internal and external trade. In internal
trade, a sack of Rapoko could be exchange with an ox in
times of shangwa. In foreign trade local available items such
as gold, ivory and skins could be exchanged with foreign
goods such as beads, bangles and clothes. The Chinese,
Portuguese and Arabs were some of the major trading
partners at Great Zimbabwe State.
2. Crop cultivation formed the basis of Great
Zimbabwe State’s economy. Much emphasis was on the
production of cereals such as sorghum, millet, Rapoko and
maize. Crop cultivation was the work of women and
children. The grains obtained could be used in trade, to pay
tribute and for consumption. Grains were also important for
beer brewery, especially during ritual ceremonies.
3. The people at Great Zimbabwe were pastoralist.
They kept herds of cattle, goats and sheep. Cattle were
mainly used to provide food during ritual ceremonies, for
trade and to pay lobola. The king owned large herd of cattle
from which some of these cattle could be redistributed to his
subjects through the Kuronzera system. Cattle were a living
bank of the Karanga people at Great Zimbabwe.
4. Mining was also practised by the people at Great
Zimbabwe especially gold panning. It is worth note that
there was no vast mineral wealth within Great Zimbabwe
but the Shona could go for gold panning in the River beds
and River banks of Save and Runde. The minerals mined
include gold, iron and copper. Gold was mainly traded with
other people such as the Persians, while iron was forged into
iron tools which enhanced agricultural productivity. Mining
was done after harvest.
5. Tribute collection was another economic activity at
Great Zimbabwe. The subjects and the vassals paid tribute to
the Mambo. The payment of tribute to the king was a sign of
allegiance. The vassals paid tribute to the Mambo to avoid
being raided. Tribute was paid to the King inform of grains,
tools, gold, cattle, skins, ivory as well as cattle.
6. Hunting and gathering were other economic
activities at Great Zimbabwe. Large hunting parties could be
organised in order to kill elephants which were desperately
needed in order to get ivory to enhance external trade.
Hunting was done by men. Gathering of fruits was done by
women especially during their spare time.
7. Pottery and weaving also formed the basis of the
economy of Great Zimbabwe.
Pottery is the craft of making pots, dishes and other things
made of fired clay. Weaving is the making of fabric by
interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others
at a right angle to them. These activities were done by
women during their spare time. Pots were needed for
cooking and for storage of grain and water. Women also
made baskets. Thus crafting was a common feature at Great
Zimbabwe.
8. Iron smelting and raiding were practised by the
people at Great Zimbabwe. Blacksmiths could forge iron
into tools such as hoes and axes which were very essential in
crop cultivation. Iron smelters could receive a high social
status. Raiding was mainly done to those vassals who
refused to pay tribute to the Mambo. Such raids enabled the
people at Great Zimbabwe to obtain items such as grain,
tools and even captives and cattle.

Political organization of Great Zimbabwe State

The king lived within the Great Stone Structure. He was the
head of the state whose duties were to control over the
allocation of grazing land and presiding over religious and
political activities. The King enjoyed a number of privileges
such as access to hunting products, for example skins and
ivory. The king enjoyed monopoly over long distance trade
and enjoyed peasant labour at his court and in his field. The
King was assisted by the Dare (a council of advisors) in
carrying out his duties. Members of the Dare were appointed
on merit and could help the King in presiding over court
cases.
There were village chiefs and provincial chiefs who were
answerable to the Mambo. All the subjects and vassals paid
tribute to the Mambo as a sign of loyalty and this tribute was
collected by the council of advisors. The ancestors of the
Mambo were a unifying factor in the Great Zimbabwe State.
They were highly regarded and supported by all the people
in the state. Able bodied men could be summoned in times
of war to serve as soldiers and they could retire to their
homes after a military expedition. The spirit mediums were
so important during the installation of the new Mambo.
There was no clear system of succession after the death of
the Mambo and this weighed much to the downfall of the
state.
The decline of Great Zimbabwe State
The factors that led to the decline of Great Zimbabwe State
can be classified into three that is, economic factors,
political factors and social factors.
a) Economic factors

 Decline in external trade: trade routes shifted to the

Zambezi and the people at Great Zimbabwe were deprived
of important exotic items.

 Exhaustion of soil: led to the falling of agricultural

productivity. Many people starved because of food shortages
and fled to other areas where the land was fertile.

 Successive droughts caused poor harvests and this

quickened the rate of emigration to other areas. Droughts
also led to deaths of many cattle which were a living bank of
the Karanga people at Great Zimbabwe, hence they
abandoned the state.

 Shortage of resources such as salt, pastures and fuel also

caused the collapse of the state. Such scarcity led to the
emigration of many people, including Nyatsimbamutota, in
search of salt. This mass migration made Great Zimbabwe to
lose its political influence leading to its demise.
b) Political factors

 Succession disputes: erupted mainly because there was

no clear system of succession. Such disputes brought
disintegration in the state, for example after the death of
Mambo Chibatamatose. Many people fled from Great
Zimbabwe because of succession quarrels, e.g.
Nyatsimbamutota.
 The vastness of the Empire: the state became so large
such that communication between the King and the vassals
became so difficult. This made the emergency of rebellious
vassals, who with their activities, made the Mambo to lost
control over the other areas of the Empire.

 External invasions: The Sotho-Tswana groups posed a

serious threat to the stability of Great Zimbabwe State. Such
external invasions weakened the state leading to the collapse
of the state.

 Emergency of ambitious people: Mutota emerged as

ambitious and he was determined in forming his own state in
the Dande-Chidima area, north Zimbabwe. The emergency
of Mutapa State under Mutota led to the decline of Great
Zimbabwe as many people emigrated north with Mutota.
c) Social factors

 Overpopulation: the state declined because of

overpopulation. The number of people available could not
match with the resources available. More so the vastness of
livestock population resulted in overgrazing. As a result,
many people started to move out of the state sealing the
complete demise of the state.