An early Portuguese map showing the Mutapa state
ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: The Portuguese in the Zambezi Valley: The benefits and damage of Portuguese activities to the Mutapa State
Benefits
- They introduced new farming methods.
- Introduced new crops e.g. maize and cassava.
- Introduced new mining methods.
- Brought in new goods such as cloth.
- They brought in new weapons for defense against neighbouring tribes.
Damage/ non-benefits
- They abused African men and women.
- They used forced labour which they relied on in their prazos.
- The interfered in the political system in ways that led to the eventual collapse of the Mutapa state.
- They diluted the African culture.
- They exploited Africans during trade and often did not pay fair prices for goods.
- They depleted the natural resources especially minerals within the Mutapa state.
- They left a lot of Africans landless.
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