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MASHONA

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Originally appearing in Volume V17, Page 837 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MASHONA , a See also:

Bantu-See also:negro See also:people, inhabitants of Mashonaland, See also:Southern See also:Rhodesia. The name Mashona has been derived from the contemptuous See also:term Amashuina applied by the See also:Matabele to the See also:aborigines owing to the See also:habit of the latter of taking See also:refuge in the rocky hills with which the See also:country abounds. Before the Matabele invasion about 184o most of Southern Rhodesia was occupied by the Makalanga, the Makorikori and the Banyai, all closely related. Most of them became subject to the Matabele, but although they suffered severely from their attacks, the Mashona preserved a certain See also:national unity. In 1890 the Mashona came under See also:British See also:protection (see RHODESIA). They are in See also:general a peaceful, mild-mannered people, industrious and successful farmers, skilful potters, and weavers of bark See also:cloth. The crafts, however, in which they excel are the smelting and See also:forging of See also:iron and See also:wood-See also:carving. They are also See also:great hunters; and they are very fond of See also:music, the most usual See also:instrument being the " piano " with iron keys. Bows and arrows, assegais and axes are the native weapons, but all who can get them now use guns. Up to their See also:conquest by the Matabele the Mashona worked the See also:gold diggings which are scattered over their country; indeed as See also:late as 187o certain Mashona were still extracting gold from See also:quartz (Geog. Jour. See also:April 1906).

For the. possible connexion of these people with the builders of the ruins at See also:

Zimbabwe and elsewhere, see RHODESIA: See also:Archaeology; and ZIMBABWE.

End of Article: MASHONA

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