Abstract

In most recent time, less attention has been laid on the dynamics of pre-colonial African polities. This tendency became well noticed as from the last decade of the last century. Thus, beginning from the mid-nineties, many historians of Nigerian extraction began to lay more emphasis on International Relations', undermining the glorious African past, which reconstruction could be useful to many African states in their nation- building process. This tendency necessitates our writing this paper, to bring to the fore the relevance of two African civilizations that were based on the mining culture of the Great Zimbabwe in Southern Africa.

It is not in doubt that pre-colonial African entities fared well in their political and socio-economic systems. With particular emphasis on their political structure, while some adopted the de-centralized or (what is also called) segmentary political system2, many others adopted and practiced centralized system of administration under the leadership of a monarch. Pre-colonial centralized political system has been described as large political units that were controlled by rulers who held power and authority3. Accordingly, such rulers were addressed, as king or (where a woman was in charge, as was the case of Zau-zau under Aminat in the 15th century) queen; and were assisted in the discharge of their duties by other officials of the administration. In such political unit, the monarch was in control and ruled from the centre (usually the capital).

A major feature of African pre-colonial centralized administration was that most had vassal states that were taxed and paid tributes to the king. Nwene Mutapa and Rozwi- two pre-colonial South-central African empires fall into the above description. Thus, at the apogee 'of the two empires, the Mutapas and Changamires had overwhelming influence that spread wide to other areas within Southern and Central Africa during the period under review. Nwene Mutapa Empire flourished as from mid-15th century, was weakened as from the late 15th century, and collapsed during the last decade of the 17th century. On its part, Rozwi Empire was believed to have sprouted out from the Nwene Mutapa Empire in 1490 AD, and lasted up till 18,30, when it collapsed finally as a result of attacks from the Nguni warriors