Short Glossary
- biibi (pl. acibiibi)
- Ce–
- dynastic narratives
- Mataaka dynasty
- mbopeesi
- Ngoni wars
- oral historical narratives
- slave raids
biibi (pl. acibiibi)
A title of respect that in the oral historical material of this exhibit is used for women of authority, such as female rulers or the principal wife of the male chief.
The term comes from Swahili and speaks to a long history of cultural and trading contacts between the Yaawo and the East African coast. It was through these trading contacts that the Yaawo territorial chiefs began adopting the title ‘sultan’, and it is likely ‘biibi’ was introduced around the same time as a title of respect for figures of female authority. In Ciyaawo, ‘biibi’ is translated as ‘angaanga’ (grandparent), which is an older term.
Ce–
A non-gendered title of respect used before a name. Often the title denotes seniority.
dynastic narratives
Inherited narratives that tell the history of a dynasty of rulers (for instance, the Mataaka dynasty). These narratives have been passed down orally from generation to generation in the chiefly families.
Mataaka dynasty
Mataaka is the most famous of the nineteenth century Yaawo chiefly dynasties. The founder of the dynasty was Ce-Nyaambi. Through military might and expansionist politics, the Mataaka state became the most powerful of the Yaawo chieftaincies. Mataaka I died in c. 1879, but the ‘Mataaka’ title has continued with male heirs through matrilineal succession. At the height of its power, the third successor to the title of Sultan Mataaka, Ce-Bonomadi (c. 1885–1903), exercised control over most of northern Niassa.
(Sources: see also Liesegang n.d.; Medeiros 1997)
mbopeesi
Mbopeesi is the name of the sacred flour that is offered in the communal ceremony in which the help of ancestral spirits is sought to ensure the well-being and safety of the living.
Ngoni wars
The violent migrations of the Ngoni through northern Mozambique came in two waves. During the first period (c. 1845–1870), the Ngoni moved north through Yaawo and Nyanja lands until they settled around the Songea area in what is now southern Tanzania. The second period of raiding (c. 1875–1897) was caused by fighting between Ngoni groups and thus some groups were pushed down to the Rovuma river from where they ventured further south, and, for instance, one group settled in the area of Ntonya.
(Sources: Liesegang 1984; Northrup 1986; Phiri 1984)
oral historical narratives
Oral historical narratives are narratives about the deeper past that have ben shared through time and various generations of tellers. They are not static accounts of the past. Rather, they are simultaneously of the past and the present, and shaped by historical processes of change.
slave raids
The most powerful Yaawo chiefs were also active slave raiders and traders. They mainly raided the lakeside Nyanja communities, but rival Yaawo chiefs also attacked each other’s populations. Through slave raiding, these chiefs sought to expand their territories and increase their populations. Moreover, slave trading became a monopoly of the great chiefs who sent huge caravans to the coast. By the mid-nineteenth century, the Yaawo were the major suppliers of slaves to the markets across the coast from Zanzibar to Quelimane.
(Sources: Abdallah 1919; Alpers 1969; Medeiros 1997; Phiri 1984)
Portuguese Sources
In Ce-Nan’tima’s story: Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (ANTT), SCCIM N°. 16 (folhas 16–20): Administração da Circunscrição do Lago: Regedoria Maniamba (no date), pp. 2–3. This document, probably compiled in 1966, is a reply from the Maniamba chieftaincy on a colony-wide inquiry (started by the Serviços de Centralização e Coordenação de Informações de Moçambique after the outbreak of the war) that aimed to learn about the culture and habits of the people. Thanks to Andreas Zeman for sharing this document with me!
In Ce-M’bajila’s story: Ernesto Jardim de Vilhena. Companhia de Nyassa: Relatorios e Memorias Sobre Os Territorios. Lisboa: Typographia da A Editora, 1905.
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 797440.
