THE LUYI KINGDOM (LOZI)
Origins
- Luyi or Luyana means people of the river.
Theories of origin
• Lozi tradition tells that the Luyi descended from Mwambwa, the wife of the god Nyambe
and were the first people to settle in the Zambezi flood plain.
• The Lozi are believed to have originated from the Luba-Lunda empire, in what is now the
democratic republic of Congo.
- They migrated south and reached the Zambezi flood plain around 1600.
- They were led by a woman called Mwambwa who was succeeded by her daughter Mbuyu
Wamwambwa.
- Mbuyu Wamwambwa abdicated the throne in favour of her son Mboo Muyunda who became
the first Litunga.
- The other children were not happy with decision and they decided to leave the kingdom. These
were ;
1. Mwanambinyi went south to Senanga where he conquered the Subiya and established
himself at Imatongo. His people became known as the Kwandi.
2. Mange went east and his people became known as the Kwangwa.
3. Ilishua and his two sons Kaputugu and Mulombwe settled at Mashi in the west.
Expansion/growth
1. The kingdom was unified by Ngalama the 4th Litunga who unified the kingdom. He
defeated Mwanambinyi, Ilishua and Mange.
- More territory came under his control and he introduced a strong central political system of
control.
2. Ngambela the 6th Litunga strengthened the central political system by appointing his
relatives as co-rulers at Nalolo, the southern capital.
3. Mulambwa the 10th Litunga was the greatest of all the Litungas. He ruled from 1780-1830.
- He introduced reforms or a code of law such as;
• If a man was caught stealing because of poverty or hunger, he was given some of the
kings cattle.
• If a man/woman was caught committing adultery with another married person the
offended person should openly commit adultery with the other person’s husband/wife.
• He welcomed the Mbunda from Angola and used the as a military buffer against the
Luvale. The Mbunda introduced new crops such as yams and military weapon e. lukana.
• Rejected trade links with the Mbari slave trader.
- Due the above, the kingdom expanded during the reign of Mulambwa and there was peace and
unity in the kingdom.
Political Organisation
- Succession was hereditary.
- The king was greatly respected and feared because he had religious and political powers.
- The king held powers in the kingdom and his power was absolute.
- The king was believed to have supernatural powers and was a direct link between the ancestors
and Nyambe(God).
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- The queen mother and sister of the king were very important in the Lozi society.
- The king had institutions that helped him rule as shown below,
Social Organisation
- The Lozi were organized in villages of huts built of raised ground e.g. a termite or man-made
moulds
- Intermarriages connected families
- They were no clans but descent names were important to show whether one was true Lozi or non-
Lozi or foreigner (Mangete)
- The Lozi practiced a transhumance annual ceremony called Kuomboka where they moved from
the plains to higher ground.
- During this ceremony the Litunga and his royal barge/boat called the Nalikwanda travel from
Lealui palace to Limulunga on the higher ground.
Economic Organisation
- The Lozi were both farmers and fishermen. The flood plains provided the fertile soil for
producing crops such as sorghum, maize and root crops.
- In higher ground of Limulunga they grew crops such as cassava and groundnuts.
- Fishing was done on the Zambezi river
- Trapping and hunting of birds and game was also important.
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- The Lozi were also pastoralists who kept animals such as cattle which were moved to higher
ground in the rainy season in a process of transhumance.
Decline
- The Lozi kingdom began to decline after the death of Mulambwa in 1830.
- After Mulambwa, there was a succession dispute between his sons Mubukwanu and
Silumelume.
- Due to this disunity, the Lozi were easily defeated by the Kololo led by Sebitwane who were
running away from Shaka during the Mfecane.
- By 1840, Sebitwane was in full control of the kingdom except Kalabo and Lukulu.
- During this time the conquered people became known as Makalaka and kingdom became the
Lozi from Luyi.
- Sebitwane was a fair leader who married women from the conquered people, he mixed freely
with the ordinary people unlike the Luyi kings who were not seen in public and fed the poor
people.
- He moved the capital from Mongu to Linyati to protect his people from Ndebele attacks led by
Mzilikazi.
- Sebitwane died in 1851 and succeeded by his daughter Mamochisane who abdicated the throne
in favour of her son Sekeletu who was cruel leader.
- Sekeletu died in 1863 and there was a succession dispute among the ruling Kololo. He Luyi took
advantage of this to recover their kingdom in 1864 led by Sipopa.
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