The Great Zimbabwe ruins. Image credit Afrizim.com

The Great Zimbabwe ruins. Image credit Afrizim.com

ZIMSEC History O Level Notes: The Great Zimbabwe State: Reasons for the Fall of the Great Zimbabwe State

There are several reasons why the Great Zimbabwe State/Kingdom fell viz:

  • Civil wars
  • The rise of ambitious leaders who oppressed the people and declared war on each other
  • Succession disputes which often led to civil wars and factionalism.
  • The decline in trade
  • Shortage of salt
  • Overpopulation which led to shortages of resources such as pastures and arable land for farming.
  • Exhaustion of minerals
  • Refusal to pay tribute by vassal chiefs.
  • Persistent droughts.
  • The spread of deadly epidemics.
  • Diseases such as cholera and smallpox that ravaged the closely populated people.

To access more topics go to the History Notes page.