Zwangendaba Gwaza kaZiguda Jele Gumbi, commonly known as Zwangendaba (1785–1848), was the first king of the Ngoni and Tumbuka of

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

, and

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

, from the Jere Ngoni clan. He reigned from 1815 to 1848.https://wap.org.ng/read/notable-wives-and-royal-sons-of-nguni-king-mmbelwa-i/ Zwangendaba was the elder brother of Somkhanda kaZiguda Jele, also known as Gumbi, who founded the Gumbi clan in

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

in areas around Pongola. Zwangendaba was initially part of the Ndwandwe Kingdom under King Zwide. However, after defeating the Ndwandwe forces, Zwangendaba and his clan, the Jele, broke away. This event occurred during the

Mfecane The Mfecane, also known by the Sesotho names Difaqane or Lifaqane (all meaning "crushing," "scattering," "forced dispersal," or "forced migration"), was a historical period of heightened military conflict and migration associated with state fo ...

- a period of mass migration among the northern Nguni peoples. Zwangendaba led his people on a migration, which lasted over 1,000 miles (1,600 km), spanning over two decades. Their journey took them through what is now northern South Africa,

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

, and

, ultimately reaching the western part of

. Zwangendaba established a base at Mapupo, and his clan expanded its influence throughout the region. Following his death, the Ngoni people fractured into three groups, spreading their dominion across Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia.

Fighting tactics

Zwangendaba adopted many of

Shaka Zulu Shaka kaSenzangakhona (–24 September 1828), also known as Shaka (the) Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reform ...

's warfare strategies, incorporating rigid discipline into military and social organization. This approach helped him unite his people and those they conquered into a cohesive force. With his people, Zwangendaba migrated north into tropical Africa. In 1835, during their migration, the Ngoni crossed the Zambezi River on the day of a total solar eclipse. According to legend, Zwangendaba used Nguni esoteric knowledge and occult science to part the waters of the river, creating a path for his people—an event reminiscent of the Biblical parting of the Red Sea. As they advanced northward, ravaging the territories they passed through, the Ngoni eventually reached the southwestern part of present-day Tanzania. Upon Zwangendaba's death in 1848, the Ngoni people split into three groups: one settled in Malawi, another in Songea (Tanzania), and the third migrated north to Mbogwe in Usumbwa, where they fought against the renowned Mirambo of Unyamwezi. The current king of the Ngoni is Zwangendaba's great-great-grandson, M'Mbelwa V.

References

{{Ngoni Monarchs 1848 deaths Ngoni kings 19th-century monarchs in Africa 18th-century monarchs in Africa Monarchies of Malawi Monarchies of Zambia Monarchies of Tanzania 18th-century births

Fighting tactics

See also

References