Zwangendaba Jele
| Inkosi Ya Makosi Zwangendaba Jele | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inkosi Ya Makosi Zwangendaba Jele | |||||||||
| King of the Ngoni Nation | |||||||||
| Reign | 1815–1848 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Unknown Jele | ||||||||
| Successor | Gwaza Jele | ||||||||
| Born | July 11, 1760 KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | ||||||||
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| House | House of Jele | ||||||||
| Father | Jele | ||||||||
| Religion | Traditional religion | ||||||||
Zwangendaba Gwaza kaZiguda Jele Gumbi, commonly known as Zwangendaba (1785–1848), was the first king of the Ngoni and Tumbuka of Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania, from the Jere Ngoni clan. He reigned from 1815 to 1848.
Zwangendaba was the elder brother of Somkhanda kaZiguda Jele, also known as Gumbi, who founded the Gumbi clan in KwaZulu-Natal in areas around Pongola.
Zwangendaba was initially part of the Ndwandwe Kingdom under King Zwide. However, after defeating the Ndwandwe forces, Zwangendaba and his clan, the Jele, broke away. This event occurred during the Mfecane - a period of mass migration among the northern Nguni peoples. Zwangendaba led his people on a migration, which lasted over 1,000 miles (1,600 km), spanning over two decades. Their journey took them through what is now northern South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, ultimately reaching the western part of Tanzania. Zwangendaba established a base at Mapupo, and his clan expanded its influence throughout the region.
Following his death, the Ngoni people fractured into three groups, spreading their dominion across Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia.