[Civsoc-mw] HISTORY OF MANGOCHI BOMA

[Tony Thontholani]

By MLH
————–•
Mangochi was founded by colonial administrator Sir Harry Johnston in the 1890s as a British colonial defence post on the littoral plain of the Shire River's western shore. After this, Fort Johnston – as the town was then known – was an important slave market and administrative centre.

The British gunboat Gwendolen, named after Lady Gwendolen Gascoyne-Cecil, daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury,[4] was built in Mangochi in 1897. At 340 short tons (310 t), it was the largest ship to sail on Lake Malawi until being scrapped shortly after World War II. The gunboat, operated by the Protectorate of Nyasaland, is said to have fought the first naval battle of the First World War when it defeated the German vessel Hermann von Wissmann in August 1914.

CHIGAWE
The name Chigawe is referred to this place where Sir Harry Johnston built the Fort to fight off slave traders. They were raiding villages  in inter ethnic wars.  Prisoners of wars were sold off to Arabs.  The main market was at Chigawe. Thus where they were exchanging prisoners of ethnic wars with goods and guns brought by Arabs . It's where traders ama gawirana zithu.  Hence Chigawe. The British abolished this market and slave trade with an army composed mainly Indian soldiers, in particular the Sikh soldiers.  Of course Indian soldiers lefts some "seeds" .  The descendants of these seeds are visible among our people.  This is a fact. However with the spread of Arabs guns among the indigenous people,  and organized slave bandits, it proved difficult for the British to fight organized slave traders. The presence of well armed Zaraf(corruptedly referred as Jalasi)  in Eastern Hills and Makanjira in the northern hills along the lake and his sister Bibi Kuluunda across the lake in salima proved very difficult for the British army to defeat.  It resulted in construction of another fort up hills called Fort Mangochi, . It was called after chief Mangochi. 
The British also  constructed  Fort Maguire in Makanjira.  The fort was named after Captain Maguire who killed in a battle by  Makanjira soldiers as he was retreating to board a small navy ship .  These forts ,which were built for defence and as launch pads for the British army expeditions to neutralize armed slaves traders around the area,  are still in existence to date.  Bibi Kuluunda, who was a sister to chief makanjira,  was referred by the British administrators as an the "African Queen."  She was strong. She ,in the course of time, resisted being dominated by brother,  chief Makanjira . The first Bibi Kuluunda died aged  roughly 80 years in around 1930. At age 78 she walked from salima to Zomba  to meet the Governor.  She wanted some protection against her brothers continuous harassment and she got it.  Note should be made that Makanjira,  kanthuli(corruptedly referred to as katuli), Kuluunda and kasungu mwase  have common roots. They said to be descendants of  the kalonga of Malawi empire which had its headquarters at Ulongwe in what is now Balaka.  It used to be part of Fort Johnston District . In particular Kulunda and Makanjira are said to be descendants of Nyangu , a sister to kalonga and a lady who , bothwritten and oral history ,say she was blessed with huge breasts. In fact some two sharp pointed hills around in the north west of Ulongwe are called after her breasts.  They are known as maere -a- nyangu.


-- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.