The Kilindi dynasty is a pre-colonial,

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

n royal family that has reigned over the

Shambaa people The Shambaa people, also called the Sambaa, Shambala, Sambala or Sambara (''Wasambaa'' in Swahili), are a Bantu ethnic group. Their ancestral home is on the Usambara Mountains of Lushoto District, Bumbuli District. They are native to the valley ...

of north-west

Tanga Region Tanga Region (''Mkoa wa Tanga'' in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The region covers an area of . The region is comparable in size to the combined land area of the nation state of Burundi. The regional capital is the mu ...

for most of the 18th to 20th centuries In modern-day Lushoto District and Bumbuli District. The dynasty was founded by king

Mbegha Mbegha was the first "Lion King" (Shambala language: ''Simba Mwene'') of the Shambaa people, modern-day Northeastern Tanzania, who lived during the first half of the 18th century. While his existence is undisputed among historians, his biography i ...

, who settled in the

Usambara Mountains The Usambara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania in tropical East Africa, comprise the easternmost ranges of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The ranges of approximately long and about half that wide, are situated in the Lushoto District of the Tan ...

and united the Shambaa people in the first half of the 18th century. Its most prominent member was king

Kimweri ye Nyumbai Kimweri ye Nyumbai (or Shekulwavu) (died 1862) was the King of the Shambaa people of the Usambara Mountains in what is now Tanga Region of Tanzania between around 1815 and 1862. Under his rule the kingdom reached its greatest extent. However, di ...

(died 1862). The Kilindi kings of the Shambaa were known as ''Simba Mwene'', which means Lion King. The last Lion King to be recognized as having authority was

Kimweri Mputa Magogo Kimweri Mputa Magogo (1914 – 20 September 2000) was the last king of the Shambaa people of the Usambara Mountains in Tanga Region of Tanzania. He was the last of the Kilindi dynasty to be recognized as having authority, which was removed in ...

(1914–2000). The

Kilindi District Kilindi is one of eleven administrative districts of Tanga Region in Tanzania. The District covers an area of . It is bordered to the east by the Handeni District and Handeni Town Council, to the south west by the Kiteto District and north west ...

of Tanga was named after the famous ruling dynasty.

History

The founder of the dynasty was

, and his son Bughe established the hilltop capital at

Vuga ''Vuga'' is a 2000 Nigerian adventure film directed by Simi Opeodu. It tells the story of a strong man who uses his strength and ability to save his village from terror. In August 2018, the main character in the film, "Vuga", was listed as one of ...

Korogwe Korogwe is a town in Tanzania, with a population of 56,282 in 2012. It is the main centre of Korogwe District, which is within the Tanga Region. Overview The town is the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Tanga and has a cathedral church dedica ...

district. The kingdom reached its greatest extent under

. After he died in 1862 a civil war broke out over the succession, fueled by competition for the new wealth that the caravan trade in the Pangani valley had brought to the region. Under colonial rule (first German then British) the dynasty continued to have some authority, but in 1962 the Tanzanian government removed all power from the hereditary chiefdoms. Kimweri ye Nyumbai's descendant

(died 2000) was the last Lion King.

Family members

(18th century) *

(died 1862) *

(1914–2000)

Literature

* * *

References

{{reflist African royal families History of Tanzania German East Africa