The Slave Trade in Mozambique: Portuguese and Prazeiros

The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering — Fexingo History · May 8, 2026 · 7m · transcript

This episode shifts focus to southeast Africa, where the slave trade operated on a vast scale but is less discussed than the Atlantic routes. Lucas and Luna explore the Portuguese prazos—massive estates in the Zambezi Valley that functioned as feudal holdings, producing ivory and slaves. They discuss the role of the Prazeiros, a mixed-race elite who controlled these lands, and the violent expansion of the slave trade under the Portuguese crown. The conversation highlights the Yao and Makua peoples, who were both victims and intermediaries in the trade. It also covers the rise of the Gaza…