This is a list of the rulers of the Mutapa Empire.
List of rulers of Kingdom of Mutapa
[edit]Territory located in present-day Zimbabwe.
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| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| c.1430 | Foundation of Mutapa Kingdom | |
| c. 1430 to c. 1450 | Nyatsimba Mutota, Mwenemutapa | |
| c. 1450 to 1480 | Matope Nyanhehwe Nebedza, Mwenemutapa | |
| 1480 | Mavura Maobwe, Mwenemutapa | |
| 1480 to 1490 | Nyahuma Mukombero, Mwenemutapa | |
| 1490 to 1494 | Mavhuramhande, Mwenemutapa | |
| 1494 to c. 1530 | Chikuyo Chisamarengu, Mwenemutapa | |
| c. 1530 to c. 1550 | Neshangwe Munembire, Mwenemutapa | Neshangwe Munembiri ruled during the Rozvi Dynasty but was not part of the royal Moyo Chirandu clan (VaRozvi). Instead, he belonged to the Moyo Sinyoro clan of the Njanja people. His father, Gouveia, was a Jewish refugee who fled persecution in the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Portugal and Spain) during the Inquisitions. Gouveia married Princess Mashawashe, the daughter of Chief Chirwa, and she became known as Gambiza, a term derived from the Hebrew Ger Tzedek, meaning "righteous convert" or "righteous foreigner."
When their son Neshangwe rose to the position of Mutapa (King), Princess Mashawashe, in accordance with Hebrew tradition, was recognized as Gebirah, meaning "Queen Mother." Over time, the terms Ger Tzedek and Gebirah evolved into "Gambiza," now understood to mean "stranger among us" or "righteous convert." In Njanja culture, "Gambiza" has since been adopted as a title for all women who marry Njanja men, symbolizing a form of cultural conversion. Today, Neshangwe is one of the Njanja chieftainship located in Buhera. |
| c. 1550 to 1560 | Chivere Nyasoro, Mwenemutapa | |
| 1560 to 1589 | Negomo Chirisamhuru, Mwenemutapa | Granted Coat of Arms by King of Portugal |
| 1589 to 1623 | Gatsi Rusere, Mwenemutapa | |
| 1623 to 1629 | Nyambo Kapararidze, Mwenemutapa | Overthrown by the Portuguese |
| 1629 | Mutapa becomes a Portuguese Vassal | |
| 1629 to 1652 | Mavura Mhande Felipe, Mwenemutapa | Signs treaty of Vassalage with Portuguese; Dies of accidental gunshot wound. |
| 1652 to 1663 | Siti Kazurukamusapa, Mwenemutapa | Son of Mavura; assassinated by Prazos merchants |
| 1663 | Mutapa becomes a Rozvi Vassal | |
| 1663 to 1692 | Kamharapasu Mukombwe, Mwenemutapa | Allies with Rozvi and throws out Prazos |
| 1692 to 1694 | Nyakambira, Mwenemutapa | Assumes throne with Rozvi support; Rozwi vassal king of Manyika after 1694 |
| 1694 | Mutapa returns to Portuguese vassalage | |
| 1694 to 1707 | Nyamhande, Mwenemutapa | Defeats Nyakiambira with Portuguese support |
| 1707 to 1711 | Nyenyedzi Zenda, Mwenemutapa | |
| 1711 to 1712 | Baroma Mugwagwa, Mwenemutapa | Overthrown and retreats to Chidima |
| 1712 | Mutapa returns to Rozvi vassalge | |
| 1712 to 1723 | Samatambira Nyamhandu I, Mwenemutapa | Installed by Rozvi invasion |
| 1720 | Mutapa independent of Rozvi; moves capital to Chikova in 1723 | |
| 1723 to 1735 | Samatambira Nyamhandu I, Mwenemutapa | Rules in close alliance with Portuguese at Tete |
| 1735 to 1740 | Nyatsusu, Mwenemutapa | |
| 1740 to 1759 | Dehwe Mapunzaguta, Mwenemutapa | Has Portuguese garrison reinstated at royal capital. |
| 1760 | Mutapa collapses in Civil War; dynasty survives in Chidima | |
| ? to 1917 | Chioko | Killed in battle with the Portuguese |
Sources
[edit]- Stewart, John (1989). African States and Rulers. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 395. ISBN 0-89950-390-X.