Changamire Dombo I

Its founder, Changamir, was a lowly son of Matope, the ruler of the Mbire (or Monomotapa) empire, who appointed him governor of its central and southern provinces. He declared his independence of Matope’s successor and founded a kingdom that he called Rozwi. He established trade contacts with…

…empire was probably established by Changamire Dombo I (1684–95), who conquered some of the most fertile and mineral-rich areas and drove the Portuguese from their marketplaces in the Zambezi River valley in the 1690s. The changamire was one of the most powerful rulers in 18th-century south-central Africa. The exact relationship…