Ngoni Migration

THE NGONI MIGRATIONS AND SETTLEMENT IN EAST AFRICA

Who were the Ngoni?

The Ngoni were Bantu-Nguni speaking people of Northern Zululand in South East Africa. They were originally Ndwandwe people under Zwides leadership. But when Shaka defeated Zwide, one part of his group, the Ngoni moved to East Africa under Zwangendaba.

In origin, the Ngoni, were close relatives of the Zulu. They were full- time warriors and cattle plunderers hence disliked by other tribes, so they forced them away. They were pushed further north and eventually reached southern Tanzania.

They were forced out of South Africa by the “Mfecane” wars led by Shaka the Zulu. They came to be known as the Ngoni having absorbed the Thonga, Shona and Cewa on their way to East Africa.

The Ngoni migration began among the Bantu peoples of South Africa, who entered into E. Africa in the 1840’s. They were the last Bantu migrants to come to East Africa. They migrated into two largest groups of the Maseko and Tuta Ngoni.

The Ngoni broke the Monomotapa Kingdom, settling respectively on the eastern side of Lake Nyasa  (Malawi) at Songea, and on Ufipa plateau.

They moved to Tanzania from Natal and Swaziland between 1820 and 1840 due to the Mfecane (time of trouble).  They are direct descendants of the Zulu.  They are currently settled in South West Tanzania around Songea town.   

The Ngoni invasion illustrates the influence of external forces on the lives of the indigenous people.   The Ngoni brought innovation and changes such as military techniques, skill and weapons.  A study of the Ngoni would enable students appreciate the current settlement patterns and way of the life of the people of Southern Tanzania.

Objectives

The end of the topic students should be able to:

1. Describe who the Ngoni were and identify the area where they came from
2. Explain the reasons why they migrated
3. Describe the course of their movement and settlement
4. State why they were able to defeat the inhabitant of Southern Tanzania
5. Explain the effects of their migration on the people of East Africa.

Reasons for the Ngoni migration

1. It was due to fear of being absorbed into the empire of tyrant Shaka.
   The Ngoni migrated due to the tyrannical and dictatorial rule of Shaka, the Zulu ruler who was everything in his kingdom. His cruelty was shown when he lost his mother, and put people under severe signs of mourning. Those who refused to cry for his mother’s death were killed,so they decided to seek refuge by migrating to other areas.

2. They moved because of external pressure from the British and the Boers in the South who were moving northwards occupying their land.

3. It was due to over population, which was caused by the fertility of soils and reliability of rainfall between Drakensberg Mountains and the Indian Ocean.

4. Due to overpopulation there was land shortage hence land disputes, which led to forcing them to migrate to other areas.

5. Some owned large herds of cattle hence moved northwards looking for pasture and water for their animals. So, they wanted to look for more fertile land for grazing their cattle.

6. It was also due to epidemic diseases such as smallpox and sleeping sickness that affected them.

7. They could have moved because of famine and drought that led to lack of food and water.

8. It was because of influence of men like Zwangendaba, Maputo and Zulugama who provided good leadership. This encouraged them to move on wards.

9. They migrated because of the spirit for Adventure.(Need to see what was beyond them).

10. The leaders wanted to take over power in the areas they defeated, which was not acceptable to Shaka forcing some groups to migrate to other areas.

11. They were fed up with the old traditional political system, which encouraged dictatorship and therefore wanted change, which could be achieved through migration.

12. It could also have been due to overstocking of their animals. They migrated due to their spirit of cattle rustling, i.e they had great desire to steal other people’s cattle. For example, they went on driving away and confiscating other people’s cattle during their conquest and expansionist wars.

13. They migrated due to the increased knowledge of military tactics by the age regiments. These were powerful military forces and dedicated to professional war, which was their livelihood.  They believed that they could other territories through migration.
    
    

    MOVEMENT AND SETTLEMENT OF THE NGONI INTO EAST AFRICA

14. They began their movement from South – East Africa in Northern Zululand under the leadership of Zwangendaba in 1820.
15. The Ngoni migration took place in the 19th century, and was the last major movement of Bantu people into East Africa.
16. There were 3 groups of the Ngoni in East Africa i.e. the Ngoni Tuta, the Ngoni Gwangara and the Ngoni Maseko.
17. They then crossed River Zambezi and River Limpopo and moved northwards in search of new areas.
18. Later in 1835, they divided into two groups. One group under the leadership of Zwangendaba passed west of Lake Malawi and settled at UFIPA in 1840. They were attracted to this area here because of the many herds of cattle around.
19. Zwagendaba led the biggest Ngoni group that entered East Africa. They crossed the Zambezi River, moved through Malawi and Zambia until they reached the Fipa plateau in around 1840’s. Zwagendaba died here in about 1845, and his followers  splint up into five sections. Three sections returned south to Zambia and Malawi, while the other two, i.e , the Tuta and Gwangara sections remained at Ufipa.
20. Another group under the leadership of Induna Maputo (Maseko Ngoni) passed East of Lake Malawi and settled at Songea.  When Zwangendaba died around 1845, the Ufipa ngoni disagreed and plit in to five groups.
21. Two groups remained in East Africa,i.e Tuta and Gwangara Ngoni
22. Three groups moved out of East Africa that is to say, one group moved to Malawi and the two moved back to Zambia.
23. The Tuta Ngoni, the smallest group left Ufipa, moved northwards fighting and clashing with the Holoholo near Lake Tanganyika. They disrupted the trade route between Tabora and Ujiji.In the 1850s they invaded the Nyamwezi capturing many and incorporating them in their ranks. They finally settled at Kahama South of Lake Victoria.
24. The Gwangara Ngoni under the leadership of Zulugama moved eastwards to
    Songea    where they met the Maseko Ngoni. The two groups fought and the
    Maseko Ngoni were defeated and pushed out of Songea in 1860s.
25. Some of the Maseko moved back to Mozambique while others moved to Kilombero valley where they became known as the Mbunga.
26. Another splinter group moved to Newala, Masasi and Tunduru.
27. From Songea the Ngoni raided widely, finally settling in Southern Tanzania among the Bena, Hehe and Sangu. The Ngoni migration, which started around 1820’s, had ended by the year 1860s.

MAP SHOWING NGONI MOVEMENTS

 

WHY WERE THE NGONI SUCCESSFUL IN DEFEATING / CONQUERING THE PEOPLE OF EAST AFRICA.

• The Ngoni came in big numbers and were strong. On their way they absorbed or fought off the people they encountered, capturing young men for warriors and young women for wives.
• They had good military organization with age-regiments called “impis”. (strong army)
• The Ngoni had a large, well-trained and disciplined army. They were grouped in age-regiments which were maintained for long periods. The Ngoni did not cultivate but rather lived by plundering from others. This enabled them to have a standing army always ready for battle.
  They had superior weapons such as the short stabbing spear (Assegai) and big cowhide shields, which only left a soldier’s face exposed to the enemy, protected the warriors. Instead of the long-throwing spears which had to be thrown one by one, the Ngoni adopted short-stabbing spears and clubs known as Assegai, copied from Shaka the Zulu.
                             
  On the other hand their enemies used long –throwing spear. They used these for close hand to hand combat, and the warriors could be protected by large cow-hide shields which left only a warrior’s face exposed to the enemy.
• They had superior military tactics such as the cow horn method (semi-circle), which was unfamiliar in E. Africa. They fought in organized age-regiments and could attack their enemies using the cow-horn formation. They also chose clear open spaces for fighting and liked attacking their enemies by night.
• They met small and fragmented societies, which were unable to challenge their military organization. Slave trade had undermined most of the communities of Southern Tanzania.
• The Ngoni were successful due to their determination. They were determined to conquer and obtain places for settlement. This was due to the fact that they were already being chased away from their homeland, and their only alternative was to get determined and fight any people they came across.
• The East African people were caught unaware and therefore did not offer much résistance. The Ngoni were successful because the local people whom they were fighting with were so weak and lived in small groups, which could not resist/challenge the sudden and unexpected Ngoni invasions.
• Disunity among the East African people living in isolated societies, made it easy for the Ngoni to defeat them. The inhabitants were living in isolated societies which made it easy for the Ngoni to defeat them.
• The Ngoni were fully united under their commanders. They were successful because of their unity and solidarity. They mixed freely with the non-Ngoni speaking people.
• They had strong military leaders e.g. Zwangendaba, Induna and Maputo who were able to unite and command the Ngoni.
• Applied the scorched earth policy hence taking people unaware. They burnt and destroyed crops.
• They used assimilation policy, i.e. they absorbed the people they defeated. They would force the captured men from other tribes to join them and become Ngoni warriors.
• They also made themselves fearful to their enemies by wearing the skeletons of their victims.

THE NGONI MILITARY ORGANISATION

The Ngoni were a small group of people but were able to make their presence and authority fell by the local people because of their leadership, outstanding military efficiency and their capacity to absorb conquered people into their armies.

Militarily the Ngoni were organized in large standing armies and age regiments; People of the same age trained together, which brought unity and efficiency.

They used the short- stabbing spears called assegai rather than the long- throwing spears which meant that the warriors could attack more effectively at a close range.

They used large cowhide shields, which could not be easily penetrated by spears.

They used the cow horn method of surrounding an enemy and attacking from all sides giving the enemy little chance to escape.

They often fought on their feet and in open areas for easy movement.

They moved in large numbers which helped them to outnumber their enemies who were often caught unaware

They used to absorb and assimilate all conquered people.

EFFECTS OF NGONI INVASIONS IN E. AFRICA

Positive effects

• The Ngoni invasion led to the rise of outstanding leaders to prominence. These included Mirambo, Nyungu ya Mawe and Mkwawa, who used the Ngoni military tactics to build their states.
• Many small Ntemi chiefdoms came together (united) and formed larger political units under strong leaders to fight the Ngoni e.g. Sangu and Hehe. (re-organization)
• There was formation of new societies (tribes) like the Mbunga.
• The Hehe under Mkwawa were able to resist the Germans.
• There was spread of Ngoni customs and culture. e.g Initiation ceremonies where girls were taught sex education and circumcision.
• It led to formation of a larger Ngoni society in E.Africa as they absorbed many people.
• It led to formation of some societies by those who used Ngoni tactics e.g. Nyamwezi under Mirambo.
• It led to introduction of new weapons e.g. Assegai, cowhides and shields.
• From the Ngoni invasion, people learnt how to get organized from smaller disorganized societies, to well organized bigger political systems. These were to be under the control and leadership of organized, strong and efficient rulers such as the Sangu chief, the Hehe, e.t.c.
• There were intermarriages between the Ngoni and Nyamwezi,which subsequently led to improved relationships between the invaders and indigenous peoples, and an increase in population.

Negative effects

• They caused wide spread loss of lives leading to depopulation in some areas where they got warriors this was especially in southern Tanzania. This was due to the killing of people in the expansionist wars, e.g., the Mariti remnants of Rugarugas killed so many people.
• They introduced military organization and tactics to such an extent that the Ngoni lost their superiority e.g. Holoholo were able to defeat the Tuta Ngoni when they re- attacked them.
• Their movement led to widespread devastation, depopulation and displacement of people.
• They destroyed the economy of the people of southern Tanzania when they grabbed their cattle. (The Ngoni were cattle plunderers). The Ngoni invasion led to poverty, i.e., it led to the creation of a class of poor people as their property continued to be destroyed and persistently looted during the wars.
• The Ngoni led to formation of refugees who lived by plundering and killing i.e. the Mariti and Rugaruga who were later used by ambitious men like Mirambo, Nyunguyamawe to make their empires.
• The Tuta Ngoni, on their movement northwards, disrupted the trade particularly between Tabora and Ujiji.
• There was loss of peoples’ language, culture and customs (Detribalisation of people). i.e., The raids caused many people to become homeless and tribe less. This led to people losing their identity. In addition, such groups became terrorists who lived by war, plunder, and hunting for ivory. They included the “ Ruga-ruga” who began hiring their services as mercenaries to any chief willing to pay them.
• Ngoni disturbance disrupted normal cultivation leading to famine. There was widespread famine due to the scotched-earth policy of fighting. This included destroying crops and houses by burning. Under such circumstances, crops could neither be planted nor harvested, and people were forced to abandon farming.
• They led to insecurity since the new weapons and military tactics increased warfare and aggression in East Africa.
• The Ngoni intensified slave trade in East Africa, this was because they displaced people from their homes and so making it easy for slave raiders to get them and sell them.
• It led to increased war-fare among the African societies, including those areas that had been peaceful before.

Conclusion:

At the end of the 19th century, Germany colonised Tanganyika. The Ngoni were one of the groups that fought hard against the Germans. But in 1907 all the Ngoni chiefs were hanged for fighting. Today the Ngoni have married into the tribes they conquered. It is now difficult to know who is Ngoni and who is not. But their traditions and way of life continue.

Sample Questions

1.a) Who are the Ngoni?

   b) Why did they leave their cradle land?

2 a) Describe the Ngoni movement and settlement in East Africa

b) Why were the Ngoni able to defeat the inhabitants of East Africa 

3. What were the effects of the Ngoni settlement on the people of East Africa

The Ngoni Migration

In twenty years they travelled over a thousand miles.

In 1818 the Nguni started to fight among themselves for land and power. Different people wanted to be in charge. It led to the Zulu Wars. They fought each other for power. The ones that lost the the battles were forced to leave the Zulu lands. This was the start of a long migration to find somewhere else to live.

Zwangendaba was one of the defeated leaders. He fled north after his defeat in 1819. Zwangendaba's followers started to use the name Ngoni. Over the next 20 years they had to find ways to survive. How could they get food to eat? One way was to steal food and cattle from villages they came across. They killed people who tried to stop them. As you can imagine, they were disliked by the tribes they stole from. None of the other tribes wanted the Ngoni to live near them, so they forced them away. Each time the Ngoni were pushed further and further north. Until, eventually, they reached Southern Tanzania.

Not much was written about the Mfecane. What we know is from the diaries of missionaries and travellers from Europe, and from the stories passed down from generation to generation.

Shaka and the Zulu Wars

It all started with troubles in South Africa. They began at the start of the 19th century, around 1800. At this time the Zulu kingdom was led by a powerful warrior called Shaka (or Tchaka). The Zulus became rich and defeated many other tribes.

Zwangendaba
Ngoni Fighting Methods

As they moved north they came into conflict. They fought the other groups who were living on the lands they crossed. Because they knew Zulu fighting methods the Ngoni could usually defeat groups that opposed them. The Zulu warriors were well trained. They planned how they were going to fight their battles. Their trick was to try and surround their enemy. They went forward to battle in a horn formation and closed around their enemy. They used assegais,which were short stabbing spears and they were trained in man-to-man fighting. Most other tribes used throwing spears. Often the Ngoni would make a mock charge, get their opponents to throw their spears and then stab them with their assegais. After the battles they would force the young men to join their army and take young girls for wives. Other people, including the old people, were often killed.

The Ngoni specialised in fighting. That was all they knew. They could not produce their own food. They had to keep moving to find new villages they could plunder. The king of the Fipa people, who lived in that area, made peace with the Ngoni. This saved his kingdom from being destroyed. Zwangendaba built his own capital called Mapupo, which means "dreams". For two more years they raided neighbouring people, the Sukuma and Msafwa, to get food and cattle. Then they settled down with their animals and families, and started to grow crops.

Break up of the Ngoni

Zwangendaba died in Mapupo in 1845. He was buried in an ox hide at Chapota, near the Nyinaluzi River. He fled from the Zulu Wars in South Africa. But he spent the rest of his life fighting other tribes for survival. He was a great warrior and leader.

After Zwangendaba's death his family fought over who should succeed him. His group divided in two. Then each of these groups split up. In the end there were 5 separate groups. Three went back to cattle raiding, in Malawi and Zambia. Two groups went north as far as Lake Victoria. There they found Arabs who were taking local people as slaves.

Effects of the Ngoni migration and the Mkecane

The Ngoni migration and mfecane caused trouble for 20 years, in central and east Africa. Thousands of people were killed by the Ngoni. Villages were destroyed and people were forced offtheir land. Many of them starved due to the lack of food.

The main problem was that the Ngoni knew only one way of life and that was fighting. The only way they could feed themselves was to plunder and kill. They even sold many of the people they captured to slave traders. This caused more misery throughout East Africa.

Eventually the groups the Ngoni fought banded together for protection. One of the Sangu chieftains, Mwakawangu, united the people to defeat the Ngoni invaders. This gave the Sangu control of the rich, farming area of the Southern Highlands. Other groups also realised that they had to be strong to protect their livelihoods.

TASK 1: Ngoni Time Line

Make a list of the important dates between 1800 and 1845 and write down what happened at each date:

Ngoni time line

1800 Shaka ruled the Zulu kingdom in South Africa

1818 The Zulu Wars
1819

TASK 2: The Story of a Ngoni Warrior

Imagine you were a young warrior with Zangendaba.

You had been defeated in the Zulu wars and forced to leave your home.

Write a story to describe how you think you would have:

• felt on your long journey of 1000 miles from the Zulu lands of South Africa to Southern Tanzania
• what problems you would have faced and what dangers?
• what was your daily life like and how did you survive?
• why would you have been happy to settle down after 20 years of fighting and walking?
• what you thought of your new home in Southern Tanzania, where there was good land and food and peace at last!

The Zulu and the Mfecane

The Zulu

The Zulu peoples were an important tribe in South Africa in the late 18th century (around 1790). They lived around the areas called Natal today. There were many small groups of Nguni, which was the old name for the Zulu. The groups lived separately and were not organised under one leader.

The Zulu were cattle herders but they also grew some crops. They came into contact with Portuguese farmers living in Mozambique. The Portuguese grew maize, which they brought to Africa from the Americas. Maize was a good crop to grow, because it produced more food from the same area of land. The Zulu also started to grow maize. This gave them more food and allowed Zululand to support more people. The Zulu became better fed and stronger and their population increased greatly.

Shaka Zulu

Shaka Zulu was the leader of one of the smaller Zulu chiefdoms. Because there was plenty of food he was able to have an army. The food for the warriors was provided by others. This allowed them to be a full-time army. They developed better weapons. One of these was the assegai, a short stabbing spear. The assegai was feared by enemies. Using his well-trained warriors Shaka took over neighbouring lands.

The Tribute System

He force other tribes to pay him tributes in exchange for protection. The tributes were gifts. They included cattle, furs, feathers, and carved wooden sculptures. He took control of all the precious metals. At this time they were copper and brass. The metal was used to make wooden clubs stronger. It was also used for ornaments, like neck rings and armbands. The more of these you had, the greater your importance in the tribe.

Drought and Crop Failure

The problems for the Zulu started after 1800. By then most of the good land was being used. As the population grew, the extra people had to fight for land in order to survive. Things were made worse by 10 years with much less rain. The period of drought meant that crops failed. This led to food shortages.

The Zulu Wars

The Zulu started to fight among themselves for land and water. This led to the Zulu Wars from about 1815 to 1820. Many people were killed and many others were forced off the land. The survivors had to move out of Zululand.

The Mfecane

This led to the great migration called the "Mfecane", which meant the "great scattering" . The Mfecane lasted from 1815 to 1840. The people could not move south, because the Dutch settlers had lived there since the 17th century. They could not move east because Portuguese farmers were there and there were also slave traders. So they moved north toward East Africa.

Zangendaba led the Ngoni group that made their way north as far as Southern Tanzania. This was what we now call the Ngoni migration.

TASK 1: Notes and pictures

Make some notes and pictures to explain:

1. Why the Zulu became important at the start of the 19th century.

2. Why they started to fight among themsleves in the Zulu Wars.

The Ngoni Migration

Do this when you have studied the whole topic of the Ngoni migration.

Make a list of the reasons why the Ngoni migrated from South Africa to Southern Tanzania.

What were the things that caused them to leave South Africa.

Why were they happy to settle in Southern Tanzania 20 years later?

The Ngoni and the Zulu

(1) Where the Ngoni live

The Wagoni are Bantu people. They live in south-west Tanzania.

They live in over 100 villages around the town of Songea.

(2) Their Zulu origins

The Wagoni have a strong story-telling tradition. Their elders tell stories about the tribe to the younger generation.

They are called "Hearing Tales". They are repeated often so the young can learn the stories. They then pass them on to their children.

This is how the history of the tribe is passed on from one generation to the next.

According to these "Hearing Tales" the Ngoni believe that the tribe is related to the Zulu.

Their stories tell of how they migrated to Tanzania from South Africa, from the area between Natal and Swaziland.

There are 12 branches of the Ngoni tribe. Other groups are in Northern Malawi, Eastern Zambia, Southern Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

(3) How the Ngoni are like the Zulu

The Ngoni in Southern Tanzania have a lot in common with other Ngoni groups and with the Zulu of South Africa.

1. Settlements. Their villages have a similar design.

Ngoni villages are built around the cattle enclosure. This is called a kraal. It is made from thorn bushes, to keep out wild animals. Cattle are the Ngoni's wealth. When they eat cow's meat they believe they are sharing with their dead ancestors.

The important buildings in a Ngoni village are the houses of the clan head, his chief wife and the hut for the boys. In the boys' hut they are trained in the Ngoni traditions. They also learn to hunt.

There is a separate area where the men of the village talk. The huts of other people are spread around the kraal. You can see from this that protecting the cattle is very important to the Ngoni. They also have some fields where they grow food crops. This settlement pattern is found in all the Ngoni groups as well as in traditional Zulu society. Below is a picture of the Ngoni men sitting inside the kraal.

2. Customs and rituals. As well as having similar settlements the Ngoni and the Zulu had similar customs and rituals.

a. Girls had initiation ceremonies where they are given sex education, taught family planning and house management.

b. Boys had similar circumcision ceremonies and they were taught to hunt, other skills, tribal beliefs and some were taught witchcraft.

c. Both boys and girls were taught the arts of painting, modelling and crafts.

d. The groups had similar traditional dances, which date back to their warrior past.

3. Language. They share many common words in their languages.

(But the languages of each group have merged with the languages of the people they live near, so they cannot any longer speak to each other in a common Ngoni language.)

4. Ngoni and Nguni. The Zulu belong to a group of tribes that are called the "Nguni" in South Africa. This is a very similar name to Ngoni, and another reason why many Ngoni believe they are related to the Zulu.

Please Note: The way of life of the Ngoni in East Africa and the Zulu of South Africa are similar. They could be related to the Zulu. On the other hand, they may have just picked up their customs after being conquered by the Zulu.

QUESTION

Do you believe that the Ngoni are related to the Zulu? Explain why.

LEARNERS' ACTIVITIES

Activity one

Write a story about the course of the Ngoni migration and settlement on a piece of paper. Divide the class into groups and distribute the written story amongst them.  After this story, assign them the following duties;

1. Task learners to draw a map of East Africa.
   
2. To locate the different relevant physical features e.g. lakes and rivers on the map.
   
3. Use arrows to show the movements of the Ngoni to E. Africa
   
4. Shade with different colours the areas where they settled.
   

Activity two

• Organise Shaka Zulu’s tape and show it to the learners.
  
• Guide them to identify reasons in the video that forced the Ngoni to move from their original homeland.
  
• Task them to suggest reasons that cause people to move from one area to another.
  
• Ask them if their families have ever shifted to another place and the reasons why plus the effects.
  
• Ask them the likely economic benefits that result from such movements and settlements.