The Zigula or Zigua (''Wazigua'' in Swahili) are a

Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...

ethnic and linguistic people hailing from far northern

Pwani Region Pwani Region (''Mkoa wa Pwani'' in Swahili) is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions. The word "''Pwani''" in Swahili means the "''coast''". The regional capital is the town of Kibaha. The Region borders the Tanga Region to the north, Mor ...

and western southern

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 mun ...

. In Tanga Region they are the majority in

Handeni District Handeni District is one of the 11 districts of Tanga Region in Tanzania. The District covers an area of . It is bordered to the west by the Kilindi District and the Handeni Urban District, to the north by the Korogwe District, to the east by t ...

, northern

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 ...

and also a historically significant population in south of the

Pangani River The Pangani River (pin-gi'nee) (also called Luffu and Jipe Ruvu, especially in older sources, and probably once called Rhaptus) is a major river of northeastern Tanzania. It has two main sources: the Jipe Ruvu River, Ruvu, which rises as River L ...

Pangani District Pangani District ( Swahili language: ''Wilaya ya Pangani'') is one of the eight districts and one of 11 administrative councils in Tanga Region in north eastern Tanzania. As of the 2012 census, the population was Pangani district was 54,025, mak ...

. They speak the

Zigula language The Zigula or Zigua language, ''Chizigua'', is a Bantu language of Tanzania and Somalia, where the Mushunguli (or Mushungulu) dialect is spoken. Mushunguli The Mushunguli or Mushungulu dialect is spoken by about 23,000 people from the Bantu e ...

. In 1993, the Zigua population was estimated to number 355,000 people. The Zigua are considered as the parent tribe of 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 ...

, the

Bondei people The Bondei People ( Swahili: ''Wabondei'') are a Bantu ethnic group based in Pangani District in east Tanga Region in northeastern Tanzania. Bondei speak a Bantu language and are related to the Shambaa ethnic group.. The name "Bondei" was given t ...

and the

Ngulu people The Ngulu people, also known as the Geja, Kingulu, Nguru, Nguu, Wayomba, ( Swahili collective: Wangulu) are a Bantu ethnolinguistic group hailing from Southern Kilindi District, western Tanga Region of Tanzania and Mvomero District of Morogoro ...

, which today all live in north-eastern

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 and ...

. For instance, the 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 was to become the leader of the

and the grandfather of the Shambaa ruler

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 ...

(†1862), was born among the Zigua.

References

{{Tanzania-ethno-group-stub Tanga Region Pangani District