The Shangaan of Mozambique

Name: Shangaan

Living Area: Mozambique

Population: ?

Language: Xitsonga

Comments:   

The Shangaan once ruled the Gaza Empire, created by Soshangane, whose capital was based in Mossurize on the present-day border with Zimbabwe, and whose name is until today wrongly used to refer to the Tsonga people, because of Soshangane's rule of a small group of the Tsonga people. The Gaza Empire comprised parts of what is now south-eastern Zimbabwe, as well as extending from the Save River down to the southern part of Mozambique, covering parts of the current provinces of Sofala, Manica, Inhambane, Gaza and Maputo in Mozambique; and parts South Africa. Soshangaane moved the capital from Mossurize to Gaza Province. After his death, his son Muzila came into power and after Muzila came Ngungunhane, who was imprisoned by the Portuguese in Mandlakazi (now called Manjacaze in Gaza Province in Mozambique) in 1895.

The original "Shangaans" took their name from the Zulu warrior Soshangane. Initially, the Shangaans, all Zulus, conquered some of the Tsonga people as they moved northward. Soshangane at his zenith established a large empire known as the Gaza empire which stretched from as far north as the Chipinge area in modern day Zimbabwe, southward to modern day Gaza province in Mozambique. With time, the Tsonga subjects became known as "mashangane" or "machangane". With the arrival or the Europeans, and more so with the initiative to divide the various bantu ethnic groups during Apartheid, the Tsonga were referred to primarily as Shangaan. The Tsonga themselves did not object to this as the Tsonga people were not a homogenous ethic group and hence did not have a word in their language to designate either themselves or their language. The term "Tsonga" to designate the Tsonga people is a more recent phenomenon and has gained much wider acceptance among the people

Well-known by: their electronic dance music

The Shangaan people living along the Limpopo River in South Africa have recently gained a significant amount of attention for their low-tech, lo-fi electronic dance music. Shangaan electro has been pioneered by South African producer 'Dog.'

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