The Adventures of Themba and Bizza 4: The golden sceptre

Description

On the banks of the Limpopo River, a group of archaeologists makes a dazzling discovery: a golden sceptre in the shape of an eagle is dug up from a deep low cave, but its craftsmanship is not like any encountered in the region before. Where did it come from and how long has it lain buried there? Greedy eyes are watching however and before the team can begin to unravel the puzzle, they are robbed of the prized object. In despair they turn to Themba and Bizza who mount a recovery attempt, but just as they are about to recapture the sceptre, Bizza triggers off a series of blunders that leaves them caught up in the dangerous intrigues of an ancient kingdom.

Sujets

• Livres
• Jeunesse
• South Africa
• African people
• Afrocentrism
• Graphic novel
• Book
• Adventure
• Zulu
• Comic

Informations

• Publié par: Mthombothi Studios
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 2003
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9780620315906
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 110 Mo

Exrait

The adventures of
Themba and Bizza
The golden sceptre
Produced and published by Mthombothi Studios (Pty) Ltd
Johannesburg, South Africa
Artwork, story and text: J. Delannoie
Printed by Atlas Printers
ISBN 978-0620315906
©Mthombothi Studios (Pty) Ltd, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2020
website: www.themba.net
[e-mail]
Copyright subsists in this work. No part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted,
published or adapted, by any means or in any form, without the prior written permission
of the copyright holder.INTRODUCTION
According to certain oral tradition, a war was raging around the year 1500, for control of the
Mwenemutapa Empire (present-day Zimbabwe) between the ruling King of the House of Nyahuma,
and his son Changamire. While Changamire as a regional governor (Banamutapa), was a man of
status himself, he was the son of the ruling King and one of his common wives, and thus not
eligible for succession to the throne.
As a result, he set out to usurp the throne by force of arms, in alliance with other powerful
“vassal” dynasties such as that of the Torwa.
During this struggle, one of the King’s daughters, princess Dzugudini who was pregnant with the
child who might be the heir to the throne, was forced to fee to a relative’s Kingdom south of
the Limpopo River, accompanied by a number of followers. There she was given sanctuary, and
eventually established a dynasty that would result in the Rain Queen Dynasty.
Information provided courtesy of Dr. Mathole Motshekga, the Kara Heritage Institute.
Various sources ofer diferent records and interpretations of the events of the time, and the following
excerpts are included to highlight some of the details of the period we are concerned with. Note that
the records are often based on the early Portuguese written chronicles of the region, and might refect
the bias of the various parties.
On the Mutapa dynasty:
“The Portuguese... found that the north and east of the Zimbabwe plateau, as well as a large part
of the Zambezi lowlands, were controlled by a group of leading families known collectively as the
Karanga and dominated by the Mutapa dynasty, from which was derived the title of the ruler, the
Monomotapa.”
“Beyond his area of supremacy, the Monomotapa may have been able to collect tribute from
neighbouring groups, ...”
“The Changing Past. Farmers, Kings & Traders in Southern Africa. 200-1860”, by Martin Hall.
David Philip, Publisher (Pty) Ltd, 1987, ISBN 0 86486 065 X
“The basic difference between the Mutapa … territories and all their Shona neighbours was
that they were able to raise large armies and exact tribute or intervene in the politics of other
territories over long distances and for long periods.”
“...those (armies) of Teve and Manyika had to repel raiders sent by the Mutapa, and... their
country (of the Eastern Shona) was too far from the Mutapa state to be controlled by the
Mutapa but not so far as to be free of his exactions entirely.”
“The Shona and Zimbabwe, 900-1850”, by D. N. Beach. Heinemann Educational Books Ltd, 1980, ISBN 0 43594 505 X
On Changamire:
“The frst recorded Changamire was, before c. 1490, ‘a favourite of the King who was a great
lord in his kingdom and who ruled the whole kingdom and this way acquired many people’. Forced
to revolt against the Mutapa, the Changamire ‘made himself king and all obeyed him and he
reigned peacefully for four years’. After c. 1494 the Mutapa dynasty regained control but the
Changamire dynasty carried on the fght until at least 1512, with aid from the Torwa dynasty
in the south of the plateau.”
“The Shona and Zimbabwe, 900-1850”, by D. N. Beach. Heinemann Educational Books Ltd, 1980, ISBN 0 43594 505 X
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