Kingdom of Butua

Kingdom of Butua was a state in Zambezi and Zimbabwe Plateau (Central and Southern Africa) that lasted from c. 1450 to 1683 CE, about 233 years. Its people spoke Bantu languages (Kongo, Shona, Zulu, Swahili, Luba, Ganda).

The Torwa dynasty ruled south-western Zimbabwe from Khami, whose terraced stone walls continue the Great Zimbabwe tradition. Changamire Dombo's Rozvi conquered it in the 1680s.

See Kingdom of Butua on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

c. 1450 to 1683 CE

Duration

233 years

Type

State

Region

Zambezi and Zimbabwe Plateau, Central and Southern Africa

Language family

Bantu

Capital

Khami

Came from

• Kingdom of Zimbabwe c. 1220 to 1450 CE

Became

• Rozvi Empire c. 1660 to 1866 CE

Events in Central and Southern Africa during its time

• 1483 Diogo Cão reaches the Congo River
• 1491 Kongo's king is baptised
• 1498 Vasco da Gama on the Swahili coast
• 1505 Portuguese sack Kilwa and Mombasa
• 1652 Founding of Cape Town
• 1665 Battle of Mbwila

Neighbours in Central and Southern Africa

• Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1700 CE
• Kingdom of Kongo c. 1390 to 1914 CE
• Kingdom of Zimbabwe c. 1220 to 1450 CE
• Kingdom of Buganda c. 1300 to 1966 CE
• Kilwa Sultanate c. 957 to 1513 CE
• Bunyoro-Kitara c. 1400 to 1899 CE
• Portuguese Mozambique 1505 to 1975 CE
• Portuguese Angola 1575 to 1975 CE
• Mutapa Empire c. 1430 to 1760 CE
• Luba Empire c. 1585 to 1889 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Middle East
• Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE, Europe
• Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE, North and West Africa
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Europe
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Middle East
• Portuguese Empire 1415 to 1999 CE, Europe
• Mali Empire c. 1235 to 1670 CE, North and West Africa
• Ayutthaya Kingdom 1351 to 1767 CE, Southeast Asia

Questions