Machame

Kingdom of Machame
Kwamangi ya Mashame
Machame Kingdom 19th Century
Machame is located in Tanzania
Machame
Shown within Tanzania
Alternative nameUfalme wa Machame
LocationMachame Kaskazini,
Moshi District,
Kilimanjaro Region,
 Tanzania
Coordinates3°12′00″S 37°13′59″E / 3.20000°S 37.23306°E / -3.20000; 37.23306
TypeSettlement
History
MaterialEarth structure
Foundedc.17th century CE
Abandoned1962
CulturesChagga states
Associated withMangi Rengua and Mangi Mamkinga of Machame
Site notes
ConditionEndangered
OwnershipWard Government
Public accessAllowed
Architecture
Architectural stylesChagga
Machame and Masama Map

Machame or Kingdom of Machame (Kwamangi ya Mashame in Kichagga), (Ufalme wa Machame in Swahili) was a historic sovereign Chagga state located in modern day Machame Kaskazini ward in Hai District of Kilimanjaro Region in Tanzania. Historically, the Machame kingdom was in 1889 referred by Hans Meyer as a great African giant,[1] the kingdom was also the largest and most populous of all the Chagga sovereign states on Kilimanjaro,[2] whose ruler as early as 1849 was reckoned as a giant African king with influence extending throughout all Chagga states except Rombo.[3]

By the 1860s, a German explorer Von der Decken (popularly known to the Chagga as Baroni), presented Machame as a confederation of western Chagga states comprising Narumu, Kindi, Kombo, to as far as the Western end of Kibongoto (Siha), each with their own chiefs under the king of Machame.[4] 'Baroni' observed that by that time only two of the Chagga states had some autonomy from the king of Machame, namely, Lambongo (later Kibosho under powerful chief Sina) and Kilema.

  1. ^ Meyer, Hans (1890). Ostafrikanische Gletscherfahrten (trans. Across East African Glaciers, by C.H.S. Calder, 1891): Duncker & Humblot.
  2. ^ Stevens, Thomas (1890). Scouting for Stanley in East Africa: Cassell Publishing Co., NY.
  3. ^ Rebmann, J.(1858). Bericht einer Reise zum Kilimandscharo, in J. L. Krapf, Reisen in Ost-Afrika ausgeführt in den Jahren 1837-55. Stuttgart, Kornthal.
  4. ^ Kersten, Otto (1869). Baron Carl Claus von der Decken's Reisen in Ost-Afrika in den Jahren 1859-1865: C.F. Winter.