what factors might have led to the decline of great zimbabwe

Exhaustion of soils due to continuous farming, scarcity of important resources like firewood and pasture and drought are some of the ecological factors implicated in the decline of Great Zimbabwe

. However, the lesser role was also played by civil wars, ambitious leaders and poor decisions from the rulers of the time.

Full Answer

Why did Great Zimbabwe decline?

Therefore, in Beach’s opinion, the seeds of the ultimate decline of Great Zimbabwe may have lain in the reluctance of its own women to walk increasingly long distances to find fertile fields. Also with the growth of their livestock herds, pastures became scarce due to overgrazing forcing them to compete for the scarce grazing lands.

How did the drought affect the Great Zimbabwe?

According to D.Beach, southern plateau states including Great Zimbabwe were often affected by droughts which usually occurred in the fifth year after four good farming seasons. With the exhaustion of pastures, it meant the Great Zimbabwe people no longer rely on livestock rearing which was usually their escape route during times of crop failure.

How did the environment affect the Civil War in Zimbabwe?

Ecological factors were also at the centre of the civil wars that devastated Great Zimbabwe in the 15 th century. As the state continued to grow, pressure over resources needed such as game, firewood, grazing and farming land led to the competition between the branches of the ruling class over the control of the available resources.

Why did the Great Zanzibar decline?

Since much of the area surrounding the state was either too mountainous or too rocky, the people were probably forced to move much further away from the state and ultimately abandoned in search of the proverbial greener pastures. Over-population was another factor that contributed to the decline of the Great Zanzibar state.

What led to a decline in Great Zimbabwe quizlet?

The center of the Shona civilization was Great Zimbabwe. What factors might have led to the decline of Great Zimbabwe? The factors that might have led were overusing the resources or people shifting trading systems.

What happened to Great Zimbabwe?

Great Zimbabwe was largely abandoned during the 15th century. With the city's decline, its stoneworking and pottery-making techniques seem to have transferred southward to Khami (now also in ruins).

What likely caused the 15th century decline of Great Zimbabwe?

What likely caused the fifteenth-century decline of Great Zimbabwe? Agriculturally unproductive land.

Who destroyed Great Zimbabwe?

Today, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe are a shell of the abandoned city that Captain Pegado came across – due in no small part to the frenzied plundering of the site at the turn of the 20th century by European treasure-hunters, in search of artefacts that were eventually sent to museums throughout Europe, America and ...

When was Great Zimbabwe abandoned?

15th centuryPeople lived in Great Zimbabwe beginning around 1100 C.E. but abandoned it in the 15th century. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which was a Shona (Bantu) trading empire.

How did Great Zimbabwe develop and change over time?

Its growth has been linked to the decline of Mapungubwe from around 1300, due to climatic change or the greater availability of gold in the hinterland of Great Zimbabwe. At its peak, estimates are that Great Zimbabwe had as many as 18,000 inhabitants.

Why did the Mutapa empire decline?

Around 1633 CE the Portuguese chose a more aggressive policy to control the region's resources and cut out their great rivals, the Swahili merchants. They attacked and conquered the kingdom of Mutapa, which was already weakened by damaging civil wars, causing its internal collapse.

How far did the ruling class contribute to the decline of Great Zimbabwe?

The state became too big to be ruled by one ruler. The rise of new states like Torwa and Mutapa led to its decline. Corruption and disunity in the ruling class led to its decline. There was emergence of ambitious people in the royal family like Nyatsimba Mutota who also wanted to rule.

What does the name Zimbabwe mean?

stone buildingsThe name "Zimbabwe" comes from the Shona term "dzimba dzamabwe", which means "stone buildings" and refers to the stone walls used to separate and surround houses and kraals in ancient Shona settlements, like Great Zimbabwe.

Why do we know so little about the civilization of Great Zimbabwe?

TODAY GREAT ZIMBABWE is a symbol of African cultural development. Popular books have made the monument somewhat more accessible to the people of Zimbabwe. Yet, at the same time, Great Zimbabwe remains largely inaccessible. Because of past archaeological mistakes, much of the history of the site is elusive.

What does the Zimbabwe flag look like?

The national flag of Zimbabwe consists of seven even horizontal stripes of green, gold, red and black with a white triangle containing a red 5-pointed star with a Zimbabwe Bird. The present design was adopted on 18 April 1980.

Who built the Great Zimbabwe ruins?

Stone Ruins Begun during the eleventh century A.D. by Bantu-speaking ancestors of the Shona, Great Zimbabwe was constructed and expanded for more than 300 years in a local style that eschewed rectilinearity for flowing curves.

What still stands in Great Zimbabwe today?

The Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe has declined, but the House of Rock still stands.

Why do we know so little about the civilization of Great Zimbabwe?

TODAY GREAT ZIMBABWE is a symbol of African cultural development. Popular books have made the monument somewhat more accessible to the people of Zimbabwe. Yet, at the same time, Great Zimbabwe remains largely inaccessible. Because of past archaeological mistakes, much of the history of the site is elusive.

Who really built Great Zimbabwe?

Begun during the eleventh century A.D. by Bantu-speaking ancestors of the Shona, Great Zimbabwe was constructed and expanded for more than 300 years in a local style that eschewed rectilinearity for flowing curves.

What was the purpose of Great Zimbabwe?

Great Zimbabwe is believed to have served as a royal palace for the local monarch. As such, it would have been used as the seat of political power. Among the edifice's most prominent features were its walls, some of which are eleven metres high.

What were the factors that led to the decline of Great Zimbabwe?

THE DECLINE OF THE GREAT ZIMBABWE STATE BY TIMOTHY KATERERE (BA HONS UZ; PGDE UZ) The decline of Great Zimbabwe State The factors that led to the decline of Great Zimbabwe State can be classified into three that is, economic factors, political factors and social factors. a) Economic factors of important exotic items. Exhaustion of soil: led to the falling of agricultural productivit y. Many people starved because of food shortages and fled to other areas where the land was fertile. other areas. Droughts also led to deaths of many cattle which were a living bank of the Karanga people at Great Zimbabwe, hence they abandoned the state. carcity led to the emigration of many people, including Nyatsimbamutota, in search of salt. This mass migration made Great Zimbabwe to lose its political influence leading to its demise. b) Political factors there was no clear system of succession. Such disputes brought disintegration in the state, for example after the death of Mambo Chibatamatose. Many people fled from Great Zimbabwe because of succession quarrels, e.g. Nyatsimbamutota. f e Empire: the state became so large such that communication between the King and the vassals became so difficult. This made the emergency of rebellious vassals, who with their activities, made the Mambo to lost control over the other areas of the Empire. -Tswana groups posed a serious threat to the stability of Great Zimbabwe State. Such external invasions weakened the state leading to the collapse of the state. d he was determined in forming his own state in the Dande-Chidima area, north Zimbabwe. The emergency of Mutapa State under Mutota led to the decline of Great Zimbabwe as many people emigrated north with Mutota. c) Social factors ate declined because of overpopulation. The number of people available could not match with the resources available. More so the vastness of livestock population resulted in overgrazing. As a result many people started to move out of the state sealing the complete demise of the state. Political factors for the decline of Great Zimbabwe -Tswana people Economic factors for the decline of Great Zimbabwe fSocial factors for the decline of Great Zimbabwe f

What led to the emigration of many people, including Nyatsimbamutota, in search?

Droughts also led to deaths of many cattle which were a living bank of the Karanga people at Great Zimbabwe, hence they abandoned the state. carcity led to the emigration of many people, including Nyatsimbamutota, in search of salt.

What are the economic factors of exotic items?

a) Economic factors of important exotic items. Exhaustion of soil: led to the falling of agricultural productivity. Many people starved because of food shortages and fled to other areas where the land was fertile. other areas.

What were the factors that contributed to the decline of the Great Zanzibar State?

Since much of the area surrounding the state was either too mountainous or too rocky, the people were probably forced to move much further away from the state and ultimately abandoned in search of the proverbial greener pastures. Over-population was another factor that contributed to the decline of the Great Zanzibar state.

What emerged from the Great Zanzibar expedition?

What emerged was a scenario where Great Zanzibar for whom trade was the life-blood progressively lost that ability to trade According to Shone oral traditions, Maintains Mutton (c. 1450-1480) led an expedition northwards from Great Zanzibar in the direction of the Amaze River tributaries ostensibly to search for salt. Objective might not have been salt per SE but a general quest for natural resources that might have begun to decline on the plateau owing to a ambitions of population pressure, over-hunting and even the efficient exploitation of the alluvial gold reserves.

What would have happened if the women and men had to walk longer distances to their fields?

P. 50). Would have also generated the unwelcome problems of disease, noise and soil exhaustion. Consequently the women and men would have had to walk longer distances to their fields as soil exhaustion took its toll and also cause much of the area surrounding the state was either too mountainous or too rocky to support cultivation. All this would have created competition for the available resources between or among different branches of the ruling family and their supporters and that might have created quarrels over grazing, hunting ranges and crop lands even before they became exhausted.

What would have happened if there was no technology by which the state could rainspout sufficient food and other supplies?

Either way the result would have been the collapse of the state . The progressive deterioration of the pastures for the livestock seriously undermined Great Assemblies pastoral economy and contributed to its ultimate decline.

Was Zanzibar a gold producing country?

According to D. N. Beach, the Great Zanzibar area was never a major gold producing area itself although there were initially considerably gold deposits especially of the alluvial variety. Those were probably sufficient to support the foundation of the state but not enough to sustain it in the long term. Evidence shows that the ancient prospectors were highly skilled in discovering and exploiting the gold deposits so much that, “little was left UN-exploited. “ (A. J. Wills. P. 5) Given this scenario the continued existence of Great Zanzibar would have probably depended on the ability of its rulers to control the trade in gold and other items produced elsewhere. With time the Throw and Mutant states emerged to the south- west and North-west of Great Zanzibar and these undermined the formers capacity to trade. They were able to achieve this by taking over Great Assemblies trade routes and by attracting the Swahili-Arab merchants who had been the Great Assemblies trading partners.

Why did the Great Zimbabwe fall?

There are several reasons why the Great Zimbabwe State/Kingdom fell viz: Civil wars. The rise of ambitious leaders who oppressed the people and declared war on each other. Succession disputes which often led to civil wars and factionalism. The decline in trade. Shortage of salt.

What led to shortages of resources such as pastures and arable land for farming?

Overpopulation which led to shortages of resources such as pastures and arable land for farming.

What diseases ravaged the closely populated people?

Diseases such as cholera and smallpox that ravaged the closely populated people.

What were the crops that were affected by the decline of Great Zimbabwe?

Although the Great Zimbabwe area had. rainfall patterns generally good enough to support the cultivation of crops like sorghum, millet, beans, and squash and promote good pasturage for cattle and sheep, droughts occurred. from time to time and they contributed. to the decline of the state.

Why did the Great Zimbabwe emigrate?

Historians have generally speculated that Great Zimbabwe could have fallen victim to the rivalry and imperial ambitions of various members of the ruling elite. This is a view which is not easy to substantiate given the fact that hardly any names of the ruling class and any dates have ever been advanced. Oral tradition supplies the name of Nyatsimba Mutota as the aristocrat who emigrated from the state in order to find salt which had become scarce at Great Zimbabwe. It is possible that this emigration may also have been the result of his failure to achieve political power within the Great Zimbabwe state as result of competition and his ambitions would have motivated him to move with his supporters The decline of tradable items, the emergence and growth of the rival states and the progressive decline of trade on the East African coast all conspired to undermine the trade of

How long was Great Zimbabwe occupied?

Great Zimbabwe was fully occupied for only about 300 years and the rise of the neighboring states of Torwa and Mutapa coincides with the decline of Great Zimbabwe. These were. also Shona states with similar political. structures, customs, religious beliefs and economic activities.

Which two states emerged to the south-west and North-west of Great Zimbabwe?

With time the Torwa and Mutapa states emerged to the south- west and North-west of Great. Zimbabwe and these undermined the. former’s capacity to trade. They were able to achieve this by taking over Great Zimbabwe’s trade routes and by attracting the Swahili-Arab merchants who had been the Great Zimbabwe’s.

Who led the expedition northwards from Great Zimbabwe?

scenario where Great Zimbabwe for whom trade was the life-blood progressively lost that ability to trade According to Shona oral traditions, Nyatsimba Mutota (c.1450-1480) led. an expedition northwards from Great. Zimbabwe in the direction of the Mazoe River tributaries ostensibly to search for salt.

Was Zimbabwe a gold producing country?

According to D.N. Beach, the Great Zimbabwe area was never a major gold producing area itself. although there were initial ly. considerably gold deposits especially of the alluvial variety. Those were probably sufficient to support the foundation of the state but not enough to sustain it in the long term.

Why did the Great Zimbabwe collapse?

As with many civilizations, trade was obviously a major part to get good, and to help the economy as well. Great Zimbabwe’s location kinda kept it away from all the bigger and ‘better’ civilizations that could have had been needed to support the economy and even other important areas. Because of this, Great Zimbabwe collapsed.

What happened to Great Zimbabwe?

It has been further suggested that in this process it also lost control of the gold trade, prompting the rise of successor states namely Torwa/Rozvi (ad 1450–1830) and Mutapa (ad 1450–1900) in the western and northern regions of the Zimbabwe plateau respectively. Ceramics recovered at Great Zimbabwe show that few imports reached the town after 1450, confirming the decline of long-distance trade.

What did the Shona people do in Zimbabwe?

The Shona people at Great Zimbabwe bought gold, iron, copper, tin, cattle, and also cowrie shells from people further inland and sold it to traders on the East coast. Ivory and cotton was also in demand. In exchange they received stuff like Ming China glassware from Syria, a minted coin from Kilwa, Tanzania, and Persian & Chinese ceramics from the 13-14th centuries. Great Zimbabwe was an important commercial and political center. In addition to being in the heart of an extensive commercial and trading network, the site was the center of a powerful political kingdom, which was under a central ruler for about 350 years.

When Great Zimbabwe was abandoned another was founded some 320 kilometersmaway.?

When Great Zimbabwe was abandoned another was founded some 320 kilometersmaway. Its called Khami ruins Khami - Wikipedia. When Khami was abandoned they founded another one called Danangombe some 120 kilometers away. Danangombe - Wikipedia

How big is the Great Zimbabwe?

Great Zimbabwe covers 1,779 acres, and the central area comprises three main built-up areas: the Hill Complex, the Great Enclosure and the smaller Valley Ruins. The Hill Complex, dubbed the Acropolis by Europeans, forms the oldest part of the site; evidence hints that farmers or hunters may have encamped there as early as the fifth century. From its position on the rocky, 262-foot-high hill, the Hill Complex's oval enclosure--about 328 feet long and 148 feet wide--would have allowed its inhabitants to see potential invaders. The outer wall, which stands nearly 37 feet high, would also have afforded good protection. Inside the walls, as inside all the other enclosures, stand daga houses, curved, hutlike structures made of Africas most common building material: dried earth, mud and gravel.

Why did the Kingdom of Zimbabwe end?

Sadly the Kingdom came to an end in the late 1400s possibly due to increase in population which caused longer walking distance to fetch wood and shortage of clean water. There is no river nearby. The grazing fields were also exhausted. When Great Zimbabwe was abandoned another was founded some 320 kilometersmaway.

What is the Great Enclosure in Zimbabwe?

Below the Hill Complex sits the most stunning of Great Zimbabwes structures, the Great Enclosure, or Elliptical Building . Called Imbahuru, meaning "the house of the great woman" or "the great house," by the Karanga-speaking people who lived there during the 19th century, the Great Enclosure was built at the height of Great Zimbabwe's power. (Karanga is the most common dialect of Shona and is spoken by the inhabitants of south-central Zimbabwe.) The enclosing wall is 800 feet long and stands 32 feet high at some places; an estimated one million blocks were used in its construction. An inner wall runs along part of the outer wall, creating a narrow, 180-foot-long passageway.

What were the factors that contributed to the decline of Great Zimbabwe?

If ecological factors were on the forefront in the rise of Great Zimbabwe state, it is no surprise that they played the same role in its decline. Exhaustion of soils due to continuous farming, scarcity of important resources like firewood and pasture and drought are some of the ecological factors implicated in the decline of Great Zimbabwe. However, the lesser role was also played by civil wars, ambitious leaders and poor decisions from the rulers of the time.

What were the changes in Great Zimbabwe?

These changes made important economic activities like agriculture and pastoralism difficult in Great Zimbabwe. Eventually some people were forced to move to other areas where climatic conditions were better. Apart from ecological reasons, the decline of Great Zimbabwe was also a result of ambitious leaders.

What caused the collapse of Great Zimbabwe?

Oral tradition has also pointed to drought as another cause of the collapse of Great Zimbabwe. According to D.Beach, southern plateau states including Great Zimbabwe were often affected by droughts which usually occurred in the fifth year after four good farming seasons.

What were the causes of the civil war in Zimbabwe?

Ecological factors were also at the centre of the civil wars that devastated Great Zimbabwe in the 15 th century. As the state continued to grow, pressure over resources needed such as game, firewood, grazing and farming land led to the competition between the branches of the ruling class over the control of the available resources. As a result, civil wars arose between the members of the ruling class and their supporters over the control of the available diminishing resources. Civil wars led to divisions which made it difficult for the state to continue thus forcing some groups to move away.

Who was influenced by the Portuguese and participated in the slave trade?

A king of Kongo who was influenced by the Portuguese and participated in the slave trade

What elevated Mutapa?

Mutapa elevated by the decline of The Great Zimbabwe.