Unyamwezi or Unyamwezi states and kingdoms (Falme za Unyamwezi in Swahili) is a historical region and former Pre-colonial states in what is now modern central Tanzania, around the modern city of Tabora in Tabora Region to the south of Lake Victoria and east of Lake Tanganyika. It lay on the trade route from the coast to Lake Tanganyika and to the kingdoms to the west of Lake Victoria. The region home to the Nyamwezi people became an empire under Mirambo in the 1860s. The various peoples of the region were known as long-distance traders, providing porters for caravans and arranging caravans in their own right. At first the main trade was in ivory, but later in the 19th century enslaving became more important part of the economy.
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👉 Unyamwezi in the context of Mwene Muji
Mwene Muji was a polity proposed by John Thornton, located around Lake Mai-Ndombe in the Congo Basin, likely stretching south to Idiofa. It bordered the Tio Kingdom among others to its southwest. Mwene Muji dominated the region of the Lower Kasai. It was ruled by the BaNunu, holding the titles of Ntote. Its unity crumbled in the early-17th century, with the Boma Kingdom, Yaka Kingdom, and Bozanga breaking away. Mwene Muji entered a further severe decline in the 19th century and was surpassed by the Boma Kingdom, on the eve of Belgian conquest in the early-20th century. Its 'empire' status is pending on further archaeological research.
The first written record of Mwene Muji came in 1591 by Italian humanist Filippo Pigafetta. The name Monemugi was erroneously applied to Unyamwezi in modern-day Tanzania near Lake Malawi.
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