Machame

Machame forms one of the major divisional areas of the Chagga people of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

It has one of the long, interesting and yet complex historical background as noted by the historian M.K. Stahl [1] . It portrays an African heritage of socio-political system which preceded the colonial rule depicting somehow advanced African political systems even during the times of primitive African social lifestyle. In its peak days, Machame rule comprised Machame ward itself, Masama ward, Nguni-Yuri ward, Siha ward, Kibosho, and once Uru ward. However, according to Mary K. Stahl, Machame ward itself was but a small strip of land whose area was much smaller than what some narrations would claim [2] . The development of the what was later to be known as bigger Machame is of interest here as well in this article as far as the etymology, the traditions and what we can learn today from forefathers which of course makes the whole meaning of studying history.

Kilimanjaro

The region called Kilimanjaro today, borrows its name from the greatest mountain in Africa, known as the peak of Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. This region is in the north-eastern part of Tanzania [http://www.africa-expedition.com/images/ct/tanzania-map.jpg] , bordered with Kenya to the north, and other Tanzanian regions, such as Arusha (to the west) and Tanga (to the south). The region comprises 6 districts, 4 of which traditionally had the chagga settlements which are Hai, Moshi urban, Moshi rural,and Rombo, and the other 2 which have historically been of Pare settlements. These are Mwanga and Same. However, during colonial rule, in the late 19th century and to the mid of 20th century, the region was divided into two main districts, Moshi district, which comprised all the areas settled by the chagga people on the slopes of the mountain, and the Pare district, which was a Pare tribe settlement. The region, from earlier times, had been settled by the people collectively called the chagga, the Maasai, Wakwavi and Waarush (in the lower parts of the mountain), and the Pare on the Pare mountains. These have been intermingling, trading and even fighting from time to time for various socio-political reasons. Later, other tribes also migrated to the land, and especially after Tanzanian independence, which then makes Kilimanjaro today to comprise of many tribes although the chagga and the Pare are still the dominant ones in the region.

The Chagga Settlement on the Mountain

Migration to the Mountain

It is not easy to know today when did the modern Chagga started to migrate to the Mountain. Many narrations exist, legendary or true, since many African tribes didn't have the tradition of writing down the events in their life times. However, following Machame narrations, who are among the few chagga families to recall the encounter with the earlier inhabitants on the mountain, it seems that the migration of the later people who came to be called the chagga, started about 600 years ago.The Machame elders recall the encounter of their ancestors with the earlier settlers of the mountain whom they referred to as the Koningo, meaning, the pigmies (or mbilikimo in Swahili). Since very few other chagga clans on the mountain can recall the existence of such people on the mountain, this can mean that the machame ancestors might have been one of the earliest immigrants of the later chaggas on the mountain. They describe the koningo as the short people with big heads carrying hones wherever they went. The hones were used for blowing incase one fell down for another one to come and lift him/her up. They also used hones to notify others of an important issue that needed caution or assembling. They were skilled in hunting and are described as very innocent people. However, these were replaced by the now migrating folks although till today the remains of these people can be traced on some parts of the mountain which indicates that some were integrated into the incoming migrants probably through marriage.It was historical unfortunate that the later visitors to the mountain thought the chagga to be one tribe. Since they were referred as the chagga by the swahili from the coast, other visitors to the mountain such as missionaries and explorers thought that the mountain was dwelt by one tribe called the chagga. However, this was not the case. The people who migrated to the mountain came from completely diverse backgrounds. There were those who came from the shambaa mountains, who migrated to the west and some parts of the central area of the mountain, those who migrated from the kamba origin, especially those who settled to the east of the mountain together with the taita, and those who had the maasai and waarush background who initially settled in the lower plains of the mountain but slowly some moved up to settle in upper parts of the mountain. Different reasons contributed to the migration of these different groups to the mountain, some of them are:1. Fleeing from drought, famine or epidemics where they had lived.2. A search for peaceful environment, fleeing from wars and insecurity as they saw the mountainous place to be safer than where they had been.3. A search for a more prosperous land, since the mountainous soil was very fertile with many streams of water and the weather was very promising for agricultural activities.4. Travellers and those who went to the mountain for various activities such as trade, but decided to remain there.All these reflect different backgrounds. Different backgrounds then mean different languages, cultures, skills and traditions although the fact that majority were of the Bantu origin, it accounted for the similarity of languages, cultures and traditions. Different groups came with different skills to the mountain like hunting, forging weapons, war skills, pot making, furrow making, making and collecting honey, e.t.c. These various groups intermingled to some degree and their existence on the mountain is what formed what came to be known as chagga complex. All these contributed to the high skills and the brightness that the chagga people portrayed.

The Etymology of the Land

At this stage we will look at 3 important words in the chagga history, "chagga, kilimanjaro and moshi". Historian Mary K. Stahl [1] and explorer Charles New [2] gave their collections as to the meanings of the first two words.

References