Chaga Chieftains{Mangi}

Chiefship in chaga appears to be very specific with no influence from early ancestors. In the neary south Pare Mountains, the old clan chiefship of the Mashariki Bantu world, continued to be the ritual center of life among the early Asu and remained so, in fact, down through the nineteenth century. But among the ancentral chaga of North Pare and among their descendants who settled around Mount Kilimanajro, a new kind of chiefship, Mangi, probably originally meaning "the arranger, planner" came into being not much before 1000 AD.

Chaga Politics The Mangi Rule

The Mangi are chiefs that govern small, clan-based states. The Mangis controlled chaga affairs even during colonial times, even though some tribes did not have such control. It was also during this time that the Chaga in early to mid 1900's they installed a Mangi Mkuu (Chief of all Chieftains) to look after their affairs and speak for the chaga people. Mangi Mkuu Consolidated power from the other 3 Chagga Chieftains thus making the Chagga more powerful and in control of their affairs during Colonial times. His capital was in Marangu. The Practice of Mangi Mkuu led to their downfall during the struggle for independence. One might have expected that the most progrssive local governments in the country at that time, would have continued to support the national movement now that its aims were becoming realities, and that Mangi Mkuu would have played a leading part. The opposite was the case. Local rivalries determined the issue. And it was the chaga critics of Mangi Mkuu who ranged themselves behind the Tanganyika African National Union TANU. Significantly enough, Kilimanjaro was the last place in Tanganyika to be won by TANU, and the price of victory was the downfall of Mangi Mkuu.

Mangi Sina of Kibosho

in the same area, [Kilimanjaro region] and in permanent competition with Rindi, Sina had by 1870 developed a large army and was active in agriculture and cattle raids. He was still in control of his empire at the arrival of the Germans in 1891.

Rindi of the Chagga

Rindi of the Chagga was another major chief ruling in the Kilimanjaro region in 1860, making Moshi an important base for ivory and slave trading with Zanzibar. He signed a Treaty with the Germans in 1885 and Moshi became their headquarters and most important economic and political centre.