Lesson 1: Immigrants into Central Africa — Yao Migration Phunziro 1: Osamukira ku Pakati pa Africa — Kusamuka kwa a Yao (Yao Migration)
Duration: 35 minutes
The Yao are a Bantu people who today live in southern Malawi, northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania. During the 19th century, large numbers of Yao moved from their original homeland in the highlands between the Lujenda and Rovuma rivers in northern Mozambique into the territory that became Nyasaland. Their migration reshaped the population map of southern Malawi.
Original Homeland and Groups
The Yao originally lived around Yao hill in northern Mozambique. Over time they split into several major groups, each named after the place where it settled. The main Yao groups that entered Malawi were the Amachinga, who settled around Zomba and Machinga; the Amangochi, who settled around Mangochi and the southern lakeshore; the Amasaning'a, who settled in the Mulanje area; and the Achisi, who occupied parts of the middle Shire. These groups spoke the same language but followed their own chiefs.
Causes of the Migration
Several forces pushed the Yao westwards into Malawi between about 1830 and 1880. The first cause was pressure from the Makua, a stronger neighbouring group in Mozambique who attacked Yao villages and seized their land. The second cause was drought and famine in northern Mozambique, which made farming and hunting difficult. The third cause was the growing ivory and slave trade with the Swahili-Arabs on the East African coast. Yao chiefs wanted to be closer to the ivory-rich areas around Lake Malawi and to trade routes running to Kilwa and Zanzibar. A fourth cause was internal quarrels between Yao chiefs over leadership and trade profits, which led some to break away and move west.
Migration Routes and Settlement
The Yao moved in several waves. Some crossed the Rovuma river and travelled south-west to the Mangochi area, where they settled along the southern shores of Lake Malawi. Others travelled further south-west into the Zomba, Machinga and Mulanje highlands. The Amachinga under chiefs such as Kawinga, Liwonde and Jalasi built strong chieftaincies in the Shire Highlands. The Amangochi under Mponda established a major trading town at the south end of Lake Malawi.
Socio-Political Organisation
The Yao lived in walled villages led by senior chiefs known as mwene. Each chief controlled a number of sub-chiefs, headmen and followers. Succession was matrilineal, meaning property and titles passed through the mother's line. Yao chiefs grew rich from the ivory and slave trade and kept armed followers and firearms obtained from the coast.
Impact on Local Inhabitants
The arrival of the Yao had major effects on the Mang'anja, Nyanja, Chewa and Lomwe peoples who already lived in southern Malawi. Many were displaced from their land, and some were captured and sold into the slave trade. The Yao introduced new forms of trade, Islamic religion and long-distance commerce. At the same time, the Yao adopted some local customs and intermarried with host communities. Their arrival also drew the region deeper into the slave-raiding networks that later attracted European missionaries and the British colonial government.
Nthawi: Mphindi 35
A Yao ndi anthu a mtundu wa Chibantu omwe masiku ano akukhala kumwera kwa Malawi, kumpoto kwa Mozambique ndi kumwera kwa Tanzania. M'zaka za m'ma 1800, a Yao ambiri anasamuka kuchokera kwawo koyambirira kwa m'mapiri pakati pa mitsinje ya Lujenda ndi Rovuma kumpoto kwa Mozambique kupita ku dziko lomwe linadzakhala Nyasaland. Kusamukaku kunasintha kwambiri kagawidwe ka anthu kumwera kwa Malawi.
Kwawo Koyambirira ndi Magulu a a Yao
A Yao poyambirira ankakhala pafupi ndi phiri la Yao kumpoto kwa Mozambique. Pakapita nthawi anagawikana m'magulu akuluakulu angapo, lililonse litchedwa kutengera dzina la malo kumene linakhazikika. Magulu akuluakulu a a Yao omwe analowa ku Malawi anali Amachinga, omwe anakhazikika ku Zomba ndi Machinga; Amangochi, omwe anakhazikika ku Mangochi ndi m'mphepete mwa nyanja; Amasaning'a, omwe anakhazikika ku Mulanje; ndi Achisi, omwe anali m'dera la pakati pa Shire. Magulu awa ankalankhula chilankhulo chimodzi koma ankatsatira mafumu awo osiyana.
Zifukwa za Kusamuka
Panali zinthu zingapo zomwe zinakankhira a Yao kulowa ku Malawi pakati pa chaka cha 1830 ndi 1880. Choyamba chinali kukakamizidwa ndi a Makua, mtundu wa anthu amphamvu wa ku Mozambique omwe ankamenya midzi ya a Yao ndi kulanda nthaka yawo. Chachiwiri chinali chilala ndi njala kumpoto kwa Mozambique, zomwe zinapangitsa kuti ulimi ndi kusaka zikhale zovuta. Chachitatu chinali kukula kwa malonda a minyanga ya njovu ndi akapolo ndi Aluya a Chiswahili a m'mphepete mwa nyanja ya kum'mawa. Mafumu a a Yao ankafuna kukhala pafupi ndi madera olemera a minyanga ya njovu ozungulira Nyanja ya Malawi komanso njira za malonda zomwe zinkalowera ku Kilwa ndi Zanzibar. Chachinayi chinali mikangano pakati pa mafumu a a Yao pa za utsogoleri ndi phindu la malonda, zomwe zinapangitsa ena kupatukana ndi kusamukira kumadzulo.
Njira za Kusamuka ndi Kukhazikika
A Yao anasamuka m'mafunde angapo. Ena anawoloka mtsinje wa Rovuma nkulowera kumwera chakumadzulo kupita ku Mangochi, kumene anakhazikika m'mphepete mwa nyanja ya Malawi. Ena anapitirira kumwera chakumadzulo kulowa m'mapiri a Zomba, Machinga ndi Mulanje. Amachinga motsogoleredwa ndi mafumu monga Kawinga, Liwonde ndi Jalasi anamanga maufumu amphamvu ku Shire Highlands. Amangochi motsogoleredwa ndi Mponda anakhazikitsa mzinda waukulu wa malonda kumwera kwa Nyanja ya Malawi.
Kasungidwe ka Chikhalidwe ndi Ndale
A Yao ankakhala m'midzi yotchingidwa yotsogoleredwa ndi mafumu akuluakulu otchedwa mwene. Mfumu iliyonse inkayang'anira mafumu ang'onoang'ono, mafumu amidzi ndi otsatira ake. Cholowa chinkatsatira mzere wa amayi, kutanthauza kuti katundu ndi maudindo zinkaperekedwa kudzera mwa amayi. Mafumu a a Yao analemera kwambiri kudzera m'malonda a minyanga ya njovu ndi akapolo ndipo ankasunga asilikali okhala ndi mfuti zochokera kugombe.
Zotsatira pa Anthu Akumaloko
Kufika kwa a Yao kunasintha kwambiri moyo wa a Mang'anja, a Nyanja, a Chewa ndi a Lomwe omwe kale ankakhala kumwera kwa Malawi. Ambiri analandidwa nthaka yawo, ndipo ena anagwidwa ndi kugulitsidwa m'malonda a akapolo. A Yao anabweretsa njira zatsopano za malonda, chipembedzo cha Chisilamu ndi malonda a patali. Nthawi yomweyo, a Yao anatengera zina za chikhalidwe cha anthu akumaloko ndi kukwatirana nawo. Kufika kwawo kunapangitsanso kuti dera likhale ndi chibwenzi chachikulu ndi ma raid a akapolo omwe pambuyo pake zinakopa amishonale a ku Ulaya ndi boma la atsamunda la Britain.
Exercise RequiredMasewera Ofunikira
You must pass this exercise to complete the lesson. Questions are randomly selected each attempt. Muyenera kupambana masewera awa kuti mumaliza phunziro. Mafunso amasankhidwa mwachisawawa nthawi iliyonse.