There is substantial evidence that as early as 1000 AD, the ancient people of Zimbabwe were actively involved in mining activities to obtain gold. The seam of gold that runs along the higher ridge in the country shows this. The plateau between two famous rivers in Africa, Zambezi and Limpopo, which traverse Zimbabwe, are evidence that the county had a long history as an agricultural society whereas the numerous stone structures indicate the people’s love for stone materials. Before the famous “scramble for Africa” that led to the delineation of boundaries, the people of Zimbabwe lived under leaderships of kingdoms that were involved in solving conflicts amicably.
Stone Houses
Zimbabwe is a Shona word (a local Bantu language) that literally means “stone houses.” It is therefore no wonder that most of the dynasties in Zimbabwe took much pride in making stone dwellings. Along this line, there were stone houses in Zimbabwe as early as 1075 AD when the ruler of Mapungubwe (the earliest trading center of Zimbabwe) separated his own dwelling place from those of his people. He moved his court from the plain area to the top of a sandstone hill, where he ruled from a palace with impressive stonewalls.
While the stone houses provide evidence for great utilization of human labor, they also imply the might of Zimbabwe in the early centuries. This was climaxed in the 13th and 14th centuries, which are recorded as period of ancient Zimbabwe’s peak of power. Great Zimbabwe was eclipsed by two kingdoms, one to the south at Khami and one to the north near mount Darwin. The kingdom in the north was established by a ruler who was referred to by his successors as Munhumutapa. The Munhumutapa is the ruler whose court was first reached by the Portuguese in 1511. He served as a major link between Zimbabwe and Europe in early 16th century.
Britain's Impact
Although Portuguese missionaries made their way across Zimbabwe, the British from the neighbouring South Africa are the ones who later made significant impact in the 19th century. In 1837, the Boers (as the British settlers were commonly known), drove the Ndebele Kingdom out of the Transvaal, forcing them to cross river Limpopo. However, on reaching north of the river, the Ndebele chief, Mzilikazi established a strong kingdom that could constantly challenge the Boers.
In spite of the natives’ resistance, the land of Zimbabwe was later settled on by the British, who renamed it Rhodesia after their leader, Cecil John Rhodes. The settlers rapidly increased the territory under their administration. The railway line from Cape in South Africa reached Kimberley in 1885 as one of Rhodes’ ambitions to extend the rail to North of Rhodesia. However, the development led to inequitable distribution of resources between the native Africans and the British, who were of the opinion that they had the right to possess what they had ‘discovered.’ Ordinances allowed for unbalanced allocation of land that provided Zimbabwe's large population of (white) farmers with sustenance. This is what instigated the long fight by Africans to liberate Zimbabwe.
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