Kingdom of Barue

The Kingdom of Barue or Barwe was a precolonial kingdom, centred around today's Báruè District in western Mozambique.

The kingdom first emerged as a provincial administration of the Kingdom of Mutapa. In 1512, António Fernandes recorded that the area of Barue had a king. This dynasty may have emerged in the 1480s, and Barue traditions say they migrated from Chedima to Missongue (Barue tradition indicates the region was uninhabited when they arrived, however archaeological research indicates it was inhabited by the Tonga). The first Makombe (king) was Kabudu Kagoro, reportedly the son of Mwenemutapa Mutota who broke away. According to tradition, after his death Kabudu Kagoro became a mhondoro (royal guardian spirit), and a spirit medium (svikiro) located at a shrine on Mount Guru was said to speak for him and was sometimes consulted by the royal court.[1] The waning of Mutapa power in the area coincided with the arrival of the Portuguese Empire, such that the Kingdom of Barue was a target of Portuguese attacks. The kingdom controlled trade from Sena to Manica, and deterred Portuguese expansion inland. Between 1811 and 1845 there were at least six succession crises. Traditions portray the last king, Nongwe-Nongwe, as indecisive and weak. The kingdom remained independent throughout much of its existence into the 20th century, and the royal court resisted colonial missions. They assisted Sena and Tonga chiefdoms, and confronted the Portuguese in 1901 however were heavily defeated. An uprising in 1917 was also put down, as the Barue sought to found a multi-ethnic confederation.[1] Barue tradition records around 35 kings.[2][3]: 133 

Successors to the throne were chosen by Kabudu Kagoro's svikiro said to be based on their qualifications rather than genealogy (however the svikiro likely weighed who had the most support), and the svikiro also gave the new king a flaming torch symbolising national unity. This practice however encouraged competition between candidates. Initiation rites for a new king included baptism with holy water (madzi-manga), and rulers could be deemed illegitimate if it were not carried out. The madzi-manga was believed to imbue the king with sacred qualities. It is unclear whether this was an indigenous tradition or a syncretisation with Christianity, however historian Allen Isaacman points to the Barue's historical resistance to Portuguese influence and interference as evidence of the former. In one account, a Portuguese official was to bring the madzi-manga to the heir-apparent from Sena, but withheld it until they received assurances Portuguese merchants would receive protection. Efforts by the Portuguese in the 19th century to leverage the supply of madzi-manga were resisted as the Barue chose to obtain it independently. Mukomowasha was the senior counsellor, whose position was hereditary, and belonged to the Tonga Tembo clan.[1]

References

Citations
  1. ^ a b c Isaacman, Allen (1973). "Madzi-Manga, Mhondoro and the use of oral traditions—a chapter in Barue religious and political history". The Journal of African History. 14 (3): 395–409. doi:10.1017/S0021853700012792. ISSN 1469-5138.
  2. ^ van Dokkum 2020, pp. 25–26.
  3. ^ Lipschutz, Mark R.; Rasmussen, R. Kent (1986). Dictionary of African historical biography. Internet Archive. Berkeley : University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-05179-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
Sources
  • van Dokkum, André (2020). "The Kingdom of Barue: The Desire for Independence". Nationalism and Territoriality in Barue and Mozambique. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-42863-8.
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