The Kingdom of Butua[pronunciation?] or Butwa (c. 1450–1683) was a pre-colonial African state located in what is now southwestern Zimbabwe. Butua was renowned as the source of gold for Arab and Portuguese traders. The region was first mentioned in Portuguese records in 1512.
Kingdom of Butua Butua | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1450–1683 | |||||||||
| Status | Kingdom | ||||||||
| Capital | Khami | ||||||||
| Common languages | iKalanga | ||||||||
| Religion | Belief in Mwari | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Mambo | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Abandonment of Zimbabwe | c. 1450 | ||||||||
• Conquest by Rozwi Empire | 1683 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
The kingdom was governed by the Torwa dynasty until 1683 from its capital at Khami. Its people were ancestors of the Bakalanga. In 1683, the kingdom was conquered by the Rozwi Empire.
The foundations of the Khami Ruins show a striking resemblance to the pattern of masonry at the base of the Zimbabwe Ruins. Hence the Kalanga are thought to have built Khami, Lusvingo, Mapungugwe and other ruins scattered across western Zimbabwe and east Botswana.
Gallery
The ruins of Khami, capital of the Butua Kingdom.
Steps leading into the ancient city of Khami
The outer wall of Khami
See also
References
- Gwinn, Robert; Norton, Peter; Goetz, Philip (1989). The New Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. p. 689. ISBN 0-85229-493-X.
- Shillington, Kevin (2004). Encyclopedia of African History, Vol. 1. London: Routledge. pp. 1912 Pages. ISBN 1-57958-245-1.
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