Mining-iron, gold, tin and copper all contributed to the rise of the Great Zimbabwe state. The rulers became wealthy in mineral resources and the control of these resources enabled the Shona to exert control over neighbouring groups and for the rulers to exert control over their subjects.
How did the Great Zimbabwe rise?
Scientific research has shown that Great Zimbabwe was founded in the 11th century by a lost Bantu civilization, the Shona. Its inhabitants traded gold and ivory to visiting merchants from the Swahili Coast, Arabia and India in exchange for porcelain, cloth and glass.
What caused Great Zimbabwe to grow and become powerful?
By 1200 C.E., the city had grown strong, and was well known as an important religious and trading center. Some believe that religion triggered the city’s rise to power, and that the tall tower was used for worship. The people of Great Zimbabwe most likely worshipped Mwari, the supreme god in the Shona religion.
How trade led to the rise of Great Zimbabwe?
Trade-there was profitable trade between the Shona and the Indian Zone. … Also weaker groups were co opted and absorbed by the Shona. Mining-iron, gold, tin and copper all contributed to the rise of the Great Zimbabwe state.
What brought Great Zimbabwe its wealth?
The ruling elite appears to have controlled wealth through the management of cattle, which were the staple diet at Great Zimbabwe. At its height, Great Zimbabwe is estimated to have had a population greater than 10,000, although the majority lived at some distance from the large stone buildings.
What led to the fall of Great Zimbabwe?
The causes for the decline and ultimate abandonment of the site around 1450 have been suggested as due to a decline in trade compared to sites further north, the exhaustion of the gold mines, political instability and famine and water shortages induced by climatic change.
How did the Great Zimbabwe maintain power?
The mambos of Great Zimbabwe appear to have held some power over provincial chiefs in their dominion by loans of cattle to communities located farther afield from the capital and that may have struggled to feed their populace.
What did the city of Great Zimbabwe become known for?
Great Zimbabwe was a medieval African city known for its large circular wall and tower. It was part of a wealthy African trading empire that controlled much of the East African coast from the 11th to the 15th centuries C.E.
How did the environmental impact Great Zimbabwe?
One is environmental: that a combination of overgrazing and drought caused the soil on the Zimbabwe Plateau to become exhausted. It is estimated that between 5,000 to 30,000 people lived on and around the site. A decline in land productivity would easily have led to famine.
What is Zimbabwe best known for?
It is a country of superlatives, thanks to Victoria Falls (the largest waterfall in the world) and Lake Kariba (the largest man-made lake in terms of volume). National parks such as Hwange and Mana Pools teem with wildlife, making Zimbabwe one of the continent’s best places to go on safari.
When was the rise of Zimbabwe?
The civilization of Great Zimbabwe, which dominated the region politically from the mid-13th to the mid-15th century, controlled mining and trade.