Tumbuka–Ngoni war
| Tumbuka–Ngoni War | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mfecane | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Tumbuka people | Ngoni people | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gonapamuhanya | Zwangendaba | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 500,000 | Estimated 600–800 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| High; many killed or displaced | Unknown | ||||||
The Tumbuka–Ngoni war refers to a series of conflicts in the mid-19th century between the Tumbuka people and the Ngoni, a group of Nguni refugees from South Africa. The war was part of a broader pattern of Ngoni expansion and conquest across southeastern Africa during the Mfecane (also known as the Difaqane), a period of widespread chaos and displacement caused by the rise of the Zulu Kingdom under Shaka Zulu.
The Ngoni tribe that were on war with the Tumbuka was a rebellious section of the tribe led by Zwangendaba who ran away from the harsh reign of Shaka Zulu. This Ngoni segment travelled up to Tanzania through Malawi causing chaos as well as raiding kingdoms along their way.
The Ngoni reign on the tribes they conquered was cruel, inhumane and oppressive. As a result, these oppressed groups including the Tumbuka rebelled against the Ngoni in 1879. The rebellion took place at Hora Mountain where a group of Tumbuka warriors climbed on top of the hill and rolled down big stones towards the Ngonis who had surrounded the mountain.