The Ngoni belong to the Bantu speaking tribes that had migrated from the Niger Congo areas to South Africa and settled to the south east of the Drakensburg Mountains. They were part of the Bantu-speaking peoples of the Jere tribe living in the South Eastern areas of South Africa. They were the last group of Bantu speakers to settle in East Africa.

They fled Northwards from their home areas due to the Mfecane – upheavals due to Shakas’ tyrannical rule and expansionist policy. They were bands of warriors who had broken away from Shaka Zulu kingdom. They were close relatives of the Zulu, Swazi, Pondo, Thembu and Xhosa. They moved from South Africa to East Africa defeating and absorbing various groups of people such as the Chewa, Shona, Nsanga among others swelling in numbers and they became the Ngoni.

They crossed the Zambezi in 1835 and finally reached Ufipa in 1840, disrupting the peaceful way of life of the Fipa and other people of western and southern Tanzania.

They were fierce warriors who used short stabbing spears (Assegai) and cow-horn formation military tactics. They had a centralised system of administration. When they settled in East Africa, they practised mixed farming.

 

Reasons for the Ngoni Migration

Firstly, external pressure made the Ngoni to migrate from Southern Africa. This was due to Shaka’s expansionist policy. Shaka the founder of the Zulu nation waged wars on his neighbouring states forcing them to migrate. They were caught up in the process of empire building by the rival powers.

Secondly, Population pressure among the Nguni led to their migration. This was mainly experienced in the south east of the Drakensburg Mountains.  This caused inter-clan and inter-tribal conflict in the region.  This kind of insecurity forced the Ngoni to migrate.

Thirdly Ngoni migration was caused by internal conflict. This was sparked off by power rivalry and might have partly led to Ngoni migration Northwards in search of peaceful areas of settlement. The Ngoni had earlier accepted the overlordship of the Ndwandwe but the desire for tribal autonomy persisted until they migrated.

Fourthly, the need for fertile land to practice farming. The Ngoni might have been interested in fertile and peaceful areas of settlement.  This explains why they moved and settled in fertile regions of central and East Africa.

Some could have moved because of great interest in adventure. The Ngoni people were attracted to East Africa largely because of the spirit of adventure.  They were eager to explore the lands North of Limpopo and Zambezi.

There was also need for grazing grounds. Since some people were Pastoralists, they were looking for better grazing grounds to feed their animals.

Occurrence of epidemics such as rinder pest, small pox and sleeping sickness could have prompted the Ngoni migration.

Increase in their heads of cattle may have forced them to migrate in order to avoid overstocking and its bad effects such as soil erosion.

They could have moved from their original homelands to East Africa to create new kingdoms in order to exert political pressure. They learnt the best war tactics from the Zulu.

Course of the Ngoni migration

The Ngoni were part of the Bantu-speaking groups in South Africa. Their move was caused by Shaka’s wars, which came to be known as the Mfecane.

The Ngoni struck Northwards from the present Natal province.  The Ngoni left under two major groups and under different leadership taking different directions.

Chief Zwangendaba led the first and largest group.  It struck Northwards in central Africa and after crossing river Zambezi they destroyed the Shona settlement and made a temporary settlement.

This group absorbed strong youth into its mobile forces.  In about 1840, they entered East Africa and made their first settlement at Ufipa in southern Tanzania.

In about 1848 Zwagendaba finally died and his group split into five groups:  Three of which moved back into Central Africa, occupying the present day Malawi and Zambia while the two remained in East Africa namely the Tuta Ngoni and the Gwangwara Ngoni.

The small second group called the Maseko Ngoni was led by chief Maputo. It struck North wards through present Mozambique and Malawi.  Finally they entered East Africa in about 1840 after destroying the Yao settlement, they settled at Songea in present Tanzania.

One of Zwangendaba’s remains the Tuta Ngoni moved Northward into Nyamwezi land and held Mirambo as a captive.  After destroying the Nyamwezi resistance, they finally settled in central Tanganyika.

The Gwangara Ngoni led by Zulugama moved south eastwards of Ufipa towards Songea and finally came into conflict with the Maseko Ngoni in around 1860. The Maseko Ngoni were defeated and most of them were forced back to central Africa while some fled Northwards into Morogoro.  These were their final settlement in East Africa.

Why the Ngoni Conquered the People of East Africa with Ease

Most societies living in East Africa at that time were organised on clans as political units that lacked standing armies to counter attacks.

Ngoni cow-horn offensive tactics, which left the enemy, encircled and easily destroyed.

They used Assegai – short stabbing spears that could not be thrown unlike long spears thrown by their enemies leaving them defenseless.

They used cow-hide shields to protect themselves from spears and arrows of their enemies. Similarly the cow hide sandals eased mobility.

They had vigorous military training in offensive operation as those used by the Zulu Impis.

The Ngoni absorbed young men of societies they conquered into their army thus creating a big and formidable force.

Disunity was another factor for the easy Ngoni conquest.  Most societies in East Africa were at war with each other and therefore could not unite to fight against the Ngoni.

The Ngoni were under centralized political guidance with a good plan of military command.

The Ngoni also had courageous, determined, and experienced military leaders called Indunas like Zwangendaba, Maputo and Zulu Gama, who tactfully planned for battles and military campaign.

Most people of East Africa at that time had been taken up by long distance trade and therefore had no time. They were hardly at home  to fight Ngoni marauding  bands. 

Tropical diseases in most societies of East Africa had incapacitated or weakened most of the strong people.  Those they found were too weak to resist Ngoni incursions.

Slave trade by Arab and Swahili slave raiders had taken out, the young energetic and resourceful people who could have resisted Ngoni incursions. Therefore the Ngoni found mostly emaciated old folks whom they easily defeated.

Effects of the Ngoni invasion

The effects of the Ngoni invasion on the East African societies were social, political and economic.  Some of these effects were positive but they were to a large extent negative. The Ngoni invasions were a dreadful disaster for the peoples of East Africa. They combined with the sound effects of the expanding Arab slave trade to bring a long era of peaceful peasant existence to an end. Almost all the peoples of Southern Tanzania were affected.

The invasion caused political insecurity in East Africa.  The Ngoni used surprise attacks which brought insecurity and instability in the region.

There was destruction of property and villages.  Villages which tried to resist were in most cases burnt down.  They also looted food stores and cattle of the local people.

Since people were running away from the invaders, famine occurred and claimed many lives.

Their migration and settlement led to de-population of East Africa.  Many people lost their lives in the wars of resistance while many others were sold to slave traders.  The chiefs using Ngoni tactics of war fare intensified slave trade raids.

The Ngoni migration led to displacement of some tribes from the land of their ancestors. That means the Yao were forced to settle in unfavourable areas. Crowds of refugees huddled round both shores of L. Malawi, while elsewhere fertile country was virtually untilled. Thick forests and mountains provided natural places of refugee and at the North Western end of Lake Malawi, terror stricken people lived in holes scooped out of mountain sides where the only protection from the Ngoni attackers was a few sticks pushed into the earth above and covered with grass.[1]

The people running away from the Ngoni invaders were once captured by Arab slave traders and sold off as slaves. The invasion therefore accelerated slave trade.

The economic life of the societies in East Africa was disrupted.  In this case the long distance trade and even agriculture was disrupted.  The caravan routes from Bagamoyo to Ujiji and through Tabora were insecure.

The invasion gave rise to the ‘Ruga Rugas’ hordes of savages, stateless bandits, and unreliable mercenaries. Worse than the Rugarugas were the “Maviti”, a wondering band of vagrants who lived only to steal, plunder and destroy property.

Thus the invasion promoted insecurity as the peaceful peasantry life was replaced by fear, violence and terror.

Positive effects include:

Ngoni invasion led to the captivity, incorporation and training of some East African peoples for example Mirambo was a Ngoni captive during his youth period. Mirambo and his contemporaries copied Ngoni tactics and used groups of Ruga Rugas to wield big empires. Chiefs learning Ngoni new tactics included Nyungu ya Mawe and Mirambo.

Some societies re-organised themselves after the Ngoni invasion.  They took up economic and military reforms to strengthen their societies for example Hehe and the Segu.

The invasion gave rise to the formation of bigger political units for defensive purposes for example thirty chiefdoms of the Hehe united under chief Muyumbwa and Hehe became a strong state.

The Ngoni intruders enriched the cultures of the people of Southern Tanzania for example people copied Ngoni new moon songs and dances and annual festivities. New languages were introduced in central and East Africa while old ones were maintained.

Ngoni invasion made people to persevere, resist and become combat hardened i.e. got used to hard war conditions.