History of Malawi. The region formerly known as Nyasaland is a cradle of some ancient civilzations

Early History

The research has revealed that humans were inhabiting the area around Lake Malawi between 50,000 t0 60,000 years ago. The excavations dating back to 8000 BC and 1500 BC have also indicated people living in Malawi, having links with Negro and tribes from Horn of Africa. Between 1^st and 14^th century AD the San (Bushmen) people started settling in Malawi.

Later the Bantu-speaking people migrated into Malawi and laid the foundation of Maravi kingdom in the valley of Shire River between 15^th and 18^th century AD. The extent of their empire was from the great lake to River Luangwa in the west and south to Zambezi. They later spread out and conquered portions of the lands that now comprise Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Soon after that the internal strife resulted in the weakening of the kingdom. The intrusions of Arab traders also had a damaging impact on the empire. By the end of 18th century, Yao people from northern Mozambique invaded the area, overwhelmed the Malawians and made them slaves. These slaves were then sold by them to the Arab merchants who had settled in the Eastern Africa along Indian Ocean. In 1840 Malawi was invaded by Ngoni, the warrior people from present-day South Africa.

Colonial Era

The Portuguese arrived in the area in 16^thcentury and colonized the region now known as Mozambique. In 1859 David Livingstone, a Scots explorer, arrived in area of Lake Nyasa (as Lake Malawi was called in those days) and noted the slave trade being carried out. He drew the attention of other European nations towards this evil and persuaded them to stop it. As a result a number of missionaries arrived in the area. In 1873 two Presbyterian missionaries established their bases in the region. The Great Britain made a policy to thwart off the threat posed by Portuguese advancement and also to curtail the growing influence of Cecil Rhodes. In 1883 they sent a counsel in the region and in 1889 proclaimed the Shire Highland Protectorate. In 1891 the British Central African Protectorate was formally established which covered most of the land now known as Malawi. The British forces took action against the slave trade and put an end to this evil during the1890s. the region was in a state of flux at that time and the British rule brought peace and stability in the area. The influence of the Arabs came to an end with the execution of Mlozi in 1896 in Karonga. A coffee-growing estate was established by the European nations in the Shire valley which was worked by the natives. In 1915 a small revolt against the British rules surfaced but was easily put down by the government.

In 1944 the protectorate’s first political movement was formed in the shape of Nyasaland African Congress. In 1949 the government admitted, for the first time, the locals in the legislative council.

The present day Malawi, formally known as Nyasaland from 1907 to 1964 (the land of lake) is the result of colonial activity in Africa. The boundaries are artificial, cutting through areas without regard to tribal affiliations. Some borders follow natural features while others were a result of trade-off between the competing colonial power of Britain, Germany and Portugal.

Emergence of Modern Malawi

In 1953 the Federation of Nyasaland and Rhodesia was formed which was strongly resisted by the local population. It was feared by the locals that in such an arrangement the stringent white-oriented policies of South Rhodesia will be imposed upon them also. As the congress became more radical in the mid 1950s, Dr. Hasting Kamuzu Banda became the leader of the movement, which renamed the congress as Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in 1959. The protests against the British rule were launched under the leadership of Banda which led to the imposition of emergency. The Federation of Nyasaland and Rhodesia came to an end and on 6 July 1964 Malawi emerged as an independent republic.