Inspired by robertp6165's great timeline, "The Guns of the Tawantinsuya", and in honor of Black History Month in the United States, I've decided to tackle my first real, full timeline... I hope to address the complaints that there isn't enough Sub-Saharan Africa in alternate history.
This timeline borrows the basic premise of an indigenous nation stumbling upon the invention of gunpowder. This time, it is the civilization of Great Zimbabwe, later to be known as the Monomotapa Empire, which makes the discovery, leading it to become even more expansionistic. This first, "preview" segment will cover the period starting with the early development of the kingdom, and leading up to the first contacts with Europe.
Any questions and comments will be greatly appreciated.
Establishment and Growth
800 AD - Sofala is founded by Arab Muslims as the southernmost Swahili trade city of the medieval Zanj, a name used to designate the East African coast. It benefits from trading, particularly of gold and slaves, deep within the Southeast African interior. It is also responsible for bringing foreign material goods to Africa from far away lands, including the northern Swahili towns, Arabia, Persia, India, and China.
1000 AD - Indirect trade links between Sofala and the Bantu tribes of the Zimbabwean plateau, the ancestors of the Shona people, leads to the development of highly stratified, centralized, iron-age chiefdoms, such as Mapungubwe in South Africa, the first major one, and Zimbabwe (Great Zimbabwe), which eventually grows to eclipse it in power and influence.
1100 AD - A shaman from the kingdom of Mapungubwe in Northern South Africa is mixing various powders together when he accidently stumbles upon the recipe for a crude gunpowder. He is amazed by the explosive substance, believing it to be magic, and decides to incorporate it into his ceremonies. Over the centuries, it becomes popular throughout the proto-Shona kingdoms.
1250 AD - The rulers of the Karanga kingdom of Zimbabwe begin to discover the potential military usages of gunpowder and begin incorporating it to facilitate their conquests. This leads to a quicker, more solid amalgamation of an empire over the proto-Shona kingdoms and tribes around the Zimbabwean plateau. The weapons technology of Zimbabwe becomes more and more refined in the ensuing years, mainly in the form of bombs and a rocket-like launching device.
1350 AD - The kings of Zimbabwe become more and more curious about the Indian Ocean trade and the exotic goods brought to their country by the Muslim traders of the Sofala city-state, who have been trading slaves from Zimbabwe for years. Rather than remaining a second party player to the Sofala merchants, the legendary ruler Mbire plots a suprise ambush on the small southern Swahili port. In a drastically uneven success, the "magic bombs" of Zimbabwe "sorcery" rain down on Sofala, sending most of population fleeing north to Kilwa in terror.
1380 AD - After failing an attempted reinvasion of Sofala, the sultan of Kilwa resigns give up on Zimbabwe in hopes of keeping its trade with the vastly rich and resourceful empire in tact. Sofala is reestablished as a stronghold of Mbire, and the craftsmen taken hostage from the original city assist with the design of Mbire's first sailing vessels. Zimbabwe becomes famous to Indian Ocean merchants as a powerful, wealthy land of gold, with its secret, firey magic. Future decendants of Mbire retain his name the title of their dynasty
1400 AD - The people of Zimbabwe complete the conquest of the Tsonga tribes to the south, and the establishment of two more major trade ports at Chibuene and Maputo (Masanga). The Karanga-speaking peoples of the empire's core undertake a process of assimilating their culturally-similar Bantu neighbors under a common language and syncretic Bantu spirituality, based primarily on ancestral Karanga ways but incorporating elements of the other tribes. The new fleets establish the traditionally land-based empire as a seafaring power, traversing the East African coasts while drawing in trade from all across the seas.
1410 AD - The traditional animist spirituality of the people is influenced by the various philosophies imported from abroad. Religion is a fluid thing, an integral part of the everyday Karanga life, based on reverence for the creator god Mwari and respect for ancestors, who live in the spirit world. The king is the highest spiritual leader who recieves his power from Mwari through the the mondhoro, ancestor spirits of the Mbire dynastic bloodline, with which he is intimately connected. It is the job of the king and the other nobles to serve as intercessors between the the physical world and spirit world, where the mondhoro likewise consult Mwari on behalf of the Karanga.
1419: Prince Henry of Portugal, better known as "Prince Henry the Navigator", is appointed governor of Algarve on the southern Portuguese coast. He is largely considered responsible for the beginning of the European Age of Discovery. Early explorations discover the African coast south of Morocco, and various nearby island groups in the eastern Atlantic, and by 1462, the West Africa up to Sierra Leone has been charted.
1420 AD - Zheng He's treasure fleets, intrigued by the legends of the southern kingdom of gold, sail south in hopes of establishing contact with the king. Zheng He is well-recieved at the Monomotapa court, traded gifts of various exotic animals and unique resources in exchange for Chinese luxury goods, the most important of which being horses. Horses allow the empire to grow even larger, and make communication easier. The Mbire kings also take interest in Chinese rocket weaponry and shipbuilding design, which influences their own technological development in the times to come.
1430 AD - The reign of Mutota, the kingdom's most revered and beloved monarch, sets forth an era of good fortune for the empire. Infrastructure within the kingdom becomes more developed and manageable, with defined provinces based on ancient tribal lands and governed by Mbire royalty. Systems of roads become more commonplace. Most impressive about Mutota is his voyage to the south and the foundation of overseas trading posts. New bases are established as far as Southwestern Madagascar (Pezula) and Durban, South Africa (Shumbamusha). Meanwhile, inland expansion takes off from the empire's core with the use of horses introduced and bred from abroad.
1440 AD - The furthest outpost of Mutota's is established at the site of Cape Town, South Africa (Nhemamusasa). Karanga farmers and settlers conjured by King Mutota quickly displace the sparce population of Khoisan hunter-gatherers in the very fertile, Mediterranean climate zone, which grows slowly but steadily. Though much of the interior wilderness is left untamed, the coast of South Africa is soon connected by a chain of Mutota's colonies. Mutota was later lost at sea against the dangerous Agulhas Current, with the empire nearly doubled in size. The Mbire dynasty from this point on becomes known by the title bestowed upon the great king, Mwene Mutapa, or Monomotapa, which means "Great Conquerer".
1482: The fortress of Elmina is established by the Portuguese along the Gold Coast. Diogo Cao of Portugal reaches the Congo River and makes first contact with the Kingdom of the Kongo. The ruler, Manikongo Nzinga a Nkuwu, is greatly impressed by the Portuguese, sending an embassy to Lisbon a few years later. He is convinced to convert to Christianity, adopting the Christian name Joao I after the king of Portugal, and seeks to spread his new religion to the rest of his domains.
1488 AD: Bartolomeu Dias, the Portuguese explorer, reaches the Cape of Good Hope. He discovers the port founded by Mutota there, which has grown over time from a fledgling camp into a small city with satellite villages throughout the surrounding countryside. He mistakingly comes to believe the entirety of Southern Africa to be unified under the fabled Christian kingdom of Prestor John. From the people of Nhemamusasa, he is told that their leader is called the "Monomotapa", a name which the Portuguese come to apply to the entire empire. He stops and refuels before turning back to receive further instruction from his home government.
1490 AD: Prince Changamire, the provincial governor of the Rozwi province, attempts to secede from the Monomotapa and rule the empire from another location following the death of his father, Mutota's successor. His pretender government lasts for only a few years until finally the rebellion is subdued and quelled by the legitimate heir to the Monomotapa throne, using an improved rocket design and better-trained horse cavalry. Changamire and his supporters are put to death, and the Rozwi is put under tight supervision.
Map:
This timeline borrows the basic premise of an indigenous nation stumbling upon the invention of gunpowder. This time, it is the civilization of Great Zimbabwe, later to be known as the Monomotapa Empire, which makes the discovery, leading it to become even more expansionistic. This first, "preview" segment will cover the period starting with the early development of the kingdom, and leading up to the first contacts with Europe.
Any questions and comments will be greatly appreciated.
Establishment and Growth
800 AD - Sofala is founded by Arab Muslims as the southernmost Swahili trade city of the medieval Zanj, a name used to designate the East African coast. It benefits from trading, particularly of gold and slaves, deep within the Southeast African interior. It is also responsible for bringing foreign material goods to Africa from far away lands, including the northern Swahili towns, Arabia, Persia, India, and China.
1000 AD - Indirect trade links between Sofala and the Bantu tribes of the Zimbabwean plateau, the ancestors of the Shona people, leads to the development of highly stratified, centralized, iron-age chiefdoms, such as Mapungubwe in South Africa, the first major one, and Zimbabwe (Great Zimbabwe), which eventually grows to eclipse it in power and influence.
1100 AD - A shaman from the kingdom of Mapungubwe in Northern South Africa is mixing various powders together when he accidently stumbles upon the recipe for a crude gunpowder. He is amazed by the explosive substance, believing it to be magic, and decides to incorporate it into his ceremonies. Over the centuries, it becomes popular throughout the proto-Shona kingdoms.
1250 AD - The rulers of the Karanga kingdom of Zimbabwe begin to discover the potential military usages of gunpowder and begin incorporating it to facilitate their conquests. This leads to a quicker, more solid amalgamation of an empire over the proto-Shona kingdoms and tribes around the Zimbabwean plateau. The weapons technology of Zimbabwe becomes more and more refined in the ensuing years, mainly in the form of bombs and a rocket-like launching device.
1350 AD - The kings of Zimbabwe become more and more curious about the Indian Ocean trade and the exotic goods brought to their country by the Muslim traders of the Sofala city-state, who have been trading slaves from Zimbabwe for years. Rather than remaining a second party player to the Sofala merchants, the legendary ruler Mbire plots a suprise ambush on the small southern Swahili port. In a drastically uneven success, the "magic bombs" of Zimbabwe "sorcery" rain down on Sofala, sending most of population fleeing north to Kilwa in terror.
1380 AD - After failing an attempted reinvasion of Sofala, the sultan of Kilwa resigns give up on Zimbabwe in hopes of keeping its trade with the vastly rich and resourceful empire in tact. Sofala is reestablished as a stronghold of Mbire, and the craftsmen taken hostage from the original city assist with the design of Mbire's first sailing vessels. Zimbabwe becomes famous to Indian Ocean merchants as a powerful, wealthy land of gold, with its secret, firey magic. Future decendants of Mbire retain his name the title of their dynasty
1400 AD - The people of Zimbabwe complete the conquest of the Tsonga tribes to the south, and the establishment of two more major trade ports at Chibuene and Maputo (Masanga). The Karanga-speaking peoples of the empire's core undertake a process of assimilating their culturally-similar Bantu neighbors under a common language and syncretic Bantu spirituality, based primarily on ancestral Karanga ways but incorporating elements of the other tribes. The new fleets establish the traditionally land-based empire as a seafaring power, traversing the East African coasts while drawing in trade from all across the seas.
1410 AD - The traditional animist spirituality of the people is influenced by the various philosophies imported from abroad. Religion is a fluid thing, an integral part of the everyday Karanga life, based on reverence for the creator god Mwari and respect for ancestors, who live in the spirit world. The king is the highest spiritual leader who recieves his power from Mwari through the the mondhoro, ancestor spirits of the Mbire dynastic bloodline, with which he is intimately connected. It is the job of the king and the other nobles to serve as intercessors between the the physical world and spirit world, where the mondhoro likewise consult Mwari on behalf of the Karanga.
1419: Prince Henry of Portugal, better known as "Prince Henry the Navigator", is appointed governor of Algarve on the southern Portuguese coast. He is largely considered responsible for the beginning of the European Age of Discovery. Early explorations discover the African coast south of Morocco, and various nearby island groups in the eastern Atlantic, and by 1462, the West Africa up to Sierra Leone has been charted.
1420 AD - Zheng He's treasure fleets, intrigued by the legends of the southern kingdom of gold, sail south in hopes of establishing contact with the king. Zheng He is well-recieved at the Monomotapa court, traded gifts of various exotic animals and unique resources in exchange for Chinese luxury goods, the most important of which being horses. Horses allow the empire to grow even larger, and make communication easier. The Mbire kings also take interest in Chinese rocket weaponry and shipbuilding design, which influences their own technological development in the times to come.
1430 AD - The reign of Mutota, the kingdom's most revered and beloved monarch, sets forth an era of good fortune for the empire. Infrastructure within the kingdom becomes more developed and manageable, with defined provinces based on ancient tribal lands and governed by Mbire royalty. Systems of roads become more commonplace. Most impressive about Mutota is his voyage to the south and the foundation of overseas trading posts. New bases are established as far as Southwestern Madagascar (Pezula) and Durban, South Africa (Shumbamusha). Meanwhile, inland expansion takes off from the empire's core with the use of horses introduced and bred from abroad.
1440 AD - The furthest outpost of Mutota's is established at the site of Cape Town, South Africa (Nhemamusasa). Karanga farmers and settlers conjured by King Mutota quickly displace the sparce population of Khoisan hunter-gatherers in the very fertile, Mediterranean climate zone, which grows slowly but steadily. Though much of the interior wilderness is left untamed, the coast of South Africa is soon connected by a chain of Mutota's colonies. Mutota was later lost at sea against the dangerous Agulhas Current, with the empire nearly doubled in size. The Mbire dynasty from this point on becomes known by the title bestowed upon the great king, Mwene Mutapa, or Monomotapa, which means "Great Conquerer".
1482: The fortress of Elmina is established by the Portuguese along the Gold Coast. Diogo Cao of Portugal reaches the Congo River and makes first contact with the Kingdom of the Kongo. The ruler, Manikongo Nzinga a Nkuwu, is greatly impressed by the Portuguese, sending an embassy to Lisbon a few years later. He is convinced to convert to Christianity, adopting the Christian name Joao I after the king of Portugal, and seeks to spread his new religion to the rest of his domains.
1488 AD: Bartolomeu Dias, the Portuguese explorer, reaches the Cape of Good Hope. He discovers the port founded by Mutota there, which has grown over time from a fledgling camp into a small city with satellite villages throughout the surrounding countryside. He mistakingly comes to believe the entirety of Southern Africa to be unified under the fabled Christian kingdom of Prestor John. From the people of Nhemamusasa, he is told that their leader is called the "Monomotapa", a name which the Portuguese come to apply to the entire empire. He stops and refuels before turning back to receive further instruction from his home government.
1490 AD: Prince Changamire, the provincial governor of the Rozwi province, attempts to secede from the Monomotapa and rule the empire from another location following the death of his father, Mutota's successor. His pretender government lasts for only a few years until finally the rebellion is subdued and quelled by the legitimate heir to the Monomotapa throne, using an improved rocket design and better-trained horse cavalry. Changamire and his supporters are put to death, and the Rozwi is put under tight supervision.
Map:
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