The Lunda Kingdom of Kazembe: Origins and History

This post will focus of the Origins and History of the Lunda Kingdom of Kazembe until its decline in 1888.

The lunda people of mwata kazembe are believed to have migrated from mwataynvwo in the present-days Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Origins of The Lunda Kingdom

• They came to settle in luapula valley. Under the leadership of mwata kazembe the II kanyembo Mpemba.
• They conqured the indigenous people in the valley and set up lunda loyal family members of the chiefs.
• They also adopted the language of the Bemba, a group that had also migrated from Congo and to which they were allied.
• Kazembe had many warriors.Portuguese records state he was able to raise Mwamsabombwe.
• Conqured groups became part of the kingdom.

• These groups included the Bwile, Tabwa and the Lungu.
• The lungu kingdom expanded rapidly and stretched from lualaba in the west to the Bemba kingdom in the east.
• This was due to the desire to control salt and copper deposits.
• Kazembe controlled the distance trade to the east and west coasts.
• This trade was possible because of the availability of resources such as fertile soils to grow crops like cassava, salt from the Tabwa, copper from Katanga, Fish from the Bwile, Ivory from the Bisa and Iron from the Chishinga.
• Portuguese and Arab traders brought guns, gunpowder and other manufactured goods.
• They exchanged these with slaves, ivory and copper.
• By 1850, Kazembe was the most powerful chief in central Guns were used to conquer other states, bringing them under his control.

Political and social structure

•Following the Luba-Lunda chieftaincy model, Mwata Kazembe was the paramount chief. He was followed by senior chiefs, chiefs and lower-level chiefs and headmen.
•All senior chiefs were appointed by the Mwata from his family. When their paramount chief died, one of the senior chiefs succeed.

Decline of The Lunda Kingdom

• The kazembe kingdom declined because of the following reasons:
• Bemba and Ngoni raids on Kazembe’s middlemen in the long-distance trade
• Loss of trade routes as a consequence of Msiri and Yeke raids
• Loss of control over tribute as the Swahili and Arab traders opened new trade routes from the east coast into the interior.
• Junior chiefs also stopped paying tribute to Kazembe.
• There was internal disorder in the kingdom after the death of Kazembe VI.
• In 1888, the Luapula valley was divided between the British and Belgium.
• Once Belgium colonial rule was established west of the Luapula River, Mwata kazembe territory and rule became confined to the eastern side of what is now Zambia.