About Karen Mukungurutse

She holds a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Social Work from Bindura University. She has a passion for helping others and has been involved in numerous academic and social projects.

January 2023

The purpose of the Great Zimbabwe structures

By |2022-09-15T12:37:09+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

Great Zimbabwe ruins from a distance. Image credit africazim-travel.com

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Great Zimbabwe state (Kingdom): The purpose of the Great Zimbabwe structures

  • The uses of the Great Zimbabwe structure has been the subject of much speculation
  • Some experts have tried to come up with a list of plausible uses […]
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Political Organisation of the Great Zimbabwe State

By |2022-09-15T12:37:09+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

A view inside the Great Enclosure. Image credit zarnet.ac.zw

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Great Zimbabwe state (Kingdom): Political Organisation of the Great Zimbabwe State

  • The king ruled the state and was helped to rule by his relatives,
  • the Great wives and others selected for exhibiting high levels of allegiance and loyalty

    • […]

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Social organisation of the Great Zimbabwe State

By |2022-09-15T12:37:08+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

The Zimbabwe Bird. Image credit MediaWiki

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Great Zimbabwe state (Kingdom): Social organisation of the Great Zimbabwe State

  • During its first stages of development, the state was egalitarian
  • However with population growth and expansion social classes emerged with the ruling classes exploiting the lower classes
  • The ruling class […]
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Religous organisation of the Great Zimbabwe State

By |2022-09-15T12:37:08+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

Soapstone carvings of the Zimbabwe bird. Image credit iisd.ca

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Great Zimbabwe state (Kingdom): Religous organisation of the Great Zimbabwe State

  • The Great Zimbabwe people were very religious
  • Spirit mediums of the state were chosen from any class and this fostered unity among the people
  • The Hungwe bird […]
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Trade in the Mutapa State

By |2022-09-15T12:37:07+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

Gold is one of the items traded in Mutapa kingdom. Image credit idolator.com

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: The Mutapa State (Kingdom): Trade in the Mutapa State

  • Three types of trade were done in the Mutapa state
  • That is, internal trade with the locals,
  • inter-regional trade with other states like the Ndebele […]
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Importance and effects of foreign trade in the Mutapa state

By |2022-09-15T12:37:07+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

Ivory Trade was part of the Foreign Trade in Mutapa State. Image credit watchdog.co.ug

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: The Mutapa State (Kingdom): Importance and effects of foreign trade in the Mutapa state

  • Trade played an important role in the Mutapa State

Importance of Trade in the Mutapa Kingdom

  • The cloths and beads […]
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Military of the Mutapa Organisation of the Mutapa State

By |2022-09-15T12:37:06+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

African Spear. Image credit swordsantiqueweapons.com

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: The Mutapa State (Kingdom): Military of the Mutapa Organisation of the Mutapa State

  • The Mutapa did not have a standing army
  • The army was mobilized from peasants when there was an emergency
  • The war council in the Mutapa state was known as […]
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Crisis in Nguniland: Introduction

By |2022-09-15T12:37:06+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

A Zulu regiment in a film. Image credit pininterest.com

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Crisis in Nguniland: Introduction

  • The group of Bantu speaking people who lived in the Southern-Eastern region of Southern Africa were called the Nguni
  • Nguniland was divided into three groups namely, the Zulu or Northern Kingdom, Xhosa and the […]
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The Mfecane

By |2022-09-15T12:37:06+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

The Zulu Army modern reenactment. Image credit britishempire.co.uk

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Crisis in Nguniland: The Mfecane

  • It means a time of crushing
  • It was also given a Sesotho name called Difaqane or Lifaqane
  • It was a time of widespread warfare and disorder indigenous groups in Southern Africa from about 1815 […]
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Causes of Mfecane/Difaqane

By |2022-09-15T12:37:05+02:00January 24th, 2023|Notes, O Level History Notes, Ordinary Level Notes|

Zulu soldiers at a village kraal. Image credit MediaWiki

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Crisis in Nguniland: The Mfecane

  • Rapid population growth resulted on competition for land which was needed for agricultural, grazing and residential purposes
  • This led to over-cultivation of soils and later soil erosion
  • Bigger and powerful states like the […]
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