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Period: 1500 BCE to
History of Lower Africa
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1000 BCE
Bantu Migration
Bantu people spread from their homeland Cameroon and Nigeria. As they migrated south and east, they spread their language and their culture. This also caused the spread of new technologies. Things like new technology, farming techniques, foods, and more people living together in villages. -
800 BCE
The Swahili Trade
The Swahili trade helped with the exchange in trading with Malawi. The Swahili made a flow of goods like gold, spices, and slaves. The Swahili trade made a big impact on network towers and urban settlements for the Swahili trade. The trade network Swahili had intersected with existing political structures in Africa. -
1480
Chewa People
The Chewa people are from the eastern zone of Zambia, northwestern Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique. They speak English, Portuguese, and even their own language called Chewa language. Chewa people celebrate the Gule Wamkulu also known as the Great Dance. The Chewa people celebrate Gule Wamkulu by a ritual dance. This is performed by the Nyau Brotherhood. -
1526
Transatlantic Slave Trade
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the slave trade in Malawi affected the Malawian people in many ways. This event is called the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The Transatlantic Slave Trade started in 1526 and although it ended on 1 January 1808 many Malawians and others were not told about this. It affected over 15 million men, women, and children. The result of this event altered the global landscape, decreased the percentage of males, and overall a bad experience. -
David Livingstone
David Livingstone had a big impact on Malawi. David Livingstone was the first European traveler ever to discover and map out Lake Malawi in 1859. He made so many converts that his legacy is a church in all the countries. Blantyre which is Malawi’s commercial capital is named after the town David Livingstone was born in, in Scotland. -
British Takeover
Nyasaland was a British protectorate from 1891-1964 when it became independent as Malawi. Malawi is a thin tiny country of 45,725 square miles, and about a quarter of it covers lake Malawi. Nyasaland was known as the ‘imperial slum’. A fire in the secretariat in Zomba destroyed all government records in 1919. Because many reports were not printed and documented and hence were not available in libraries in Britain. A search was made in the national archives of Malawi in Zomba. -
The Herero Revolt
The Herero and Nama people of Africa rose against the German colonizers. There was an extermination order issued by General Lothar von Trotha that followed its end. This is considered by most historians to be the first genocide of the 20th century. -
The Nyasaland Emergency
The Nyasaland Emergency of 1959 was a state of emergency, which was declared by the governor at the time, Sir Robert Armitage. Over 1300 members supported the Nyasaland congress. Since this event was a big change, many of them were imprisoned. With this outrage going on 50 Africans were killed. Others were beaten by troops or armed police. At the end of all of this, the colonial office agreed to allow the Malawi Congress as a legal party. -
Nyasaland Secedes from Rhodesia
Nyasaland was given the right to secede from the federation on December 19, 1962. A new constitution went into effect on February 1, 1963, and Hasting Banda became the prime minister of Nyasaland (Malawi). The federation of Nyasaland and Rhodesia was finally solved on January 1, 1964. Elections were held in Nyasaland on April 18, 1964, and the MCP won getting 50/53 votes in the legislative council. -
Independence of Milawe
The leader of Milawe, Dr. Banda traveled to London to negotiate independence with the British government. After lots of discussion, Malawi finally gained its independence on July 6, 1964. Two years later, Dr. Banda was elected President of the Republic of Malawi.