Who were the Chikunda and how did they support prazo estates?

The Chikunda were a group of slave-soldiers who played a vital role in the prazo system of landholding in the Zambezi valley of southeastern Africa.12

As the prazo estates evolved into Afro-Portuguese centers through intermarriage, they relied on these large African slave armies for defense and regional influence. The Chikunda supported the prazeros—the holders of these land grants—by serving as their primary military force. This military backing allowed the Afro-Portuguese warlords to maintain their power, interfere in local African politics, and engage in the slave and ivory trade, effectively operating independently of both African and Portuguese jurisdiction.21