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 Social, Economic and Political Organization of African societies upto 19th C

Social organization of the Shona people

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Social organization of the Shona.
-Among the Shona, Mwene Mutapa was regarded as a divine king and was therefore venerated.When he was well, the nation was also well.
-The Shona religion was based on the Mwari cult. They believed in the all-powerful God, Mwari/Murungu. His
worship was done through several priests who were mainly produced by the Rozwi clan.
-The Shona believed in ancestral spirits. They had two kinds of spirits, Vadzimu or family spirits and Mhondoro or clan spirits. The spirits communicated through an intermediary, Svikiro, a departed family or clan spirit
-The Shona had a national spirit Chamiruka who settled clan disputes and also protected the people against injustice in the government.
-The Shona had a kinship system which was patrilineal (inheritance through the father)
-The Shona were divided into clans whose names were coined from animals like leopard, monkey, elephant etc. it was a taboo to consume meat from such animals.
-They were a polygamous community which was viewed as a means to enable the family to have enough members to provide labour.


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