Great Zimbabwe's 1358 Mbira Council of War and the Dande Offensive

Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History · Jul 6, 2026 · 4m · transcript

In 1358, the simmering conflict between Great Zimbabwe's king Mambo Chikanda and the exiled mbira musician-priest Dzivaguru erupted into open war. Dzivaguru had spent years building a spiritual-musical resistance movement from his base in the Dande region of the Zambezi Valley. This episode explores the Mbira Council of War — a gathering of svikiro spirit mediums, nganga healers, and mbira players who planned a coordinated uprising against the Mambo's authority. Lucas and Luna examine how Dzivaguru used sacred mbira music to rally support among the vaShona, the use of mutupo clan…