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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The early history of Harare to 1890
Author:Beach, D.N.ISNI
Year:1990
Periodical:Heritage of Zimbabwe
Issue:9
Pages:5-27
Language:English
Notes:biblio. refs., ills., maps
Geographic terms:Zimbabwe
Southern Africa
Subjects:Shona
traditional polities
urban history
History, Archaeology
Harare (Zimbabwe)
history
Abstract:Fort Salisbury, present-day Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, began as a waggon camp on the open ground near the Kopje, in the central plateau region of Zimbabwe, in 1890. This article deals with the history of the region, up to 1890. First, the Harare environment (the most significant feature of the landscape being the main watershed) and settlement patterns are examined. Next, attention is paid to the history of seven Shona dynasties - Nyamweda, Seke, Chinamhora, Hwata, Chiweshe, Nyavira, and Rwizi - that were the immediate neighbours of the camp of 1890. Their history, as it is known to us from documents and oral traditions, starts round about 1700. Although the 18th century was characterized by considerable violence and numerous raids, most of the communities were either maintaining themselves, like Rwizi, Nyamweda, and Nyavira, or expanding their interests at the expense of others, like Seke, Chinamhora and the northern Hera. It may have been a rough, 'frontier' kind of world, but it was certainly not on the verge of collapse even if it was not fabulously wealthy. The 19th century was, in terms of the quality of life, not very different from the 18th. The first appearance of a European power on the scene (the Portuguese) came in 1889. The author concludes with a description of the environment, health conditions, security, food supply, and trade in the Harare region on the eve of colonial rule, in the period October 1889-September 1890. Notes, ref.
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