Bulozi under the Luyana Kings: Political Evolution and State Formation in Pre-Colonial Zambia

Introduction: Bulozi

Introduction:Bulozi The Lozi live in theWestern Province, formerly Barotse Province, in thesouth-western cornerof the Republicof Zambia. In thewest the province lies next to the Portuguese territory of Angola, and in the south it adjoins the Caprivi Strip of South-West Africa; to the east and north lie the Southern, Central and North-Western provinces of Zambia respectively. The Western Province is divided into five administrative districts with Sesheke in the south, then Senanga, Mongu-Lealui, Kalabo to the west and Mankoya to the east. (Mankoyahasrecentlybeenofficiallyrenamed Kaoma.) The Lozi region comprises mainly Kalahari sands and forest scrub. The Zambezi River runs through the province from north to south, inabedof therichalluvial Flood Plaintraditionallyknownas NguluorBulozi 'proper'. The Plain, nearly a hundred miles long, stretches from the confluence of the Lungwebungu and the Kabompo Rivers with the Zambezi in the north, to the conf luence of the Lui River with the Zambezi in the south in Senanga District. It varies in width from about ten miles at its southern extremity to about thirty miles at its l widestnearLealui. Thepresenttraditional Lozicapital isinMonguLealui District. ThePlainisfloodedseasonallyfromJanuarytoaboutMay. Dueto the floods the inhabitants of the valley build their villages on termite mounds (mazulu) and artificially built mounds (liuba). At the height of the flooding in late February or March, they are D. U. Peters,LandUsageinBarotseland,Rhodes-LivingstoneInstitute,Lusaka1960,p.9. 1 1 Bulozi under the Luyana Kings 2 Introduction 3 compelled to shift their homes to the forest region where they wait forthewaters torecede beforereturning totheirvillages in the Plain inaboutJune. The forest on the eastern side of the Plain is traditionally known as Nyunyi. There is a marked rise of ground as the Plain meets the forest and there are also a few prominent hills overlooking the 2 Valley. On thewesternside, the Zambezi Plain mergeswith Lukona Forest in a pattern similar to that in the east, except that a little way into the Plain and parallel to Lukona Forest there is a long belt of woodland known as Kalamba Forest. Kalamba Forest is slightly raisedbutissubjecttofloodswhentheriverisabnormallyhigh. Cutting through the forest on both sides of the valley into the Zambezi River are numerous tributaries such as the Kabompo, Lukulu, Luena, Lui, Lumbe, Njoko and Machile Rivers in the east, and the Lungwebungu, Luanginga, Lueti and the Linyanti (known also as the Chobe, Kwando or Mashi) Rivers in the west. These tributaries form small valleys of their own which dissect the forest and extend the main Plain in several directions. The Luena flats in the north-east for example extend the main Plain for thirty to forty miles eastwards, while in the south the main Plain is continued by Wanyau Plain formed at the confluence of the Lui River with the 3 Zambezi. In addition to the tributaries of the Zambezi, the sandy forest is dotted with round pans (masa) such as those of Nalulao, Makapaela , and Lutende in Mongu District in the east, and Lilambo, Liande and Sihole in Kalabo District in the west. The smaller and shallowerpansareonlyseasonallywaterloggedorflooded. Although the valleys and areas around large pans offer good agricultural and pastoral capabilities, it is the Zambezi Plain which is regarded by the Lozi as the heart of their country, and is sometimes referred to as 'Bulozi' in contrast to other areas, though the nameappliesgenerallytothewholecountryof theLozi.This maybe explained historically. The Zambezi Plain, being the largest agricultural and pastoral area in the region, was the site chosen by the founders of the Lozi Kingdom. Later, it was gradually extended totheoutlyingareas. Bulozi under the Luyana Kings These hills feature frequently in Lozi myths and early historical traditions. The best-known hillsare,fromnorthtosouth,Mombo, Mutuwambwaand Lianyi. D. U. Peters, LandUsage,p. 9. 4 2 3 The name Lozi (usually spelt Rotse by the missionaries, travellers and early administrators and hence Barotse Province instead of Bulozi Province) is a collective name for several small tribes of similar cultural and linguistic character who comprised the Lozi Kingdom. The exact origin of this collective name is unknown although there are a number of traditions surrounding it. It is invariably said that the Ma-Lozi were the founders of the present 4 ruling dynasty in Bulozi, and their namewas passed on tocover the whole group of tribes which they absorbed into their State. Quite often in conversation the royal family and the aristocracy are referred to as 'Ma-Lozi' as opposed to...