Tumbuka (African people)

The Tumbuka (or, Kamanga, Batumbuka and Matumbuka) are a Bantu ethnic group found in Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania. Tumbuka is classified as a part of the Bantu language family, and with origins in a geographic region between the Dwangwa River to the south, the North Rukuru River to the north, Lake Malawi to the east, and the Luangwa River. They are found in the valleys near the rivers, lake as well as the highlands of Nyika Plateau, where they are frequently referred to as Henga although this is strictly speaking the name of a subdivision. Historically, the Tumbuka can be subdivided into two groups: the Tumbuka of Luba, who are the original group from Luba Kingdom, and the Tumbuka who emerged through intermarriages with non-Tumbuka neighbours. The neighbours came to settle in the Tumbuka territory long after the Tumbuka formed their kingdom. These are Tumbuka Chewa, Tumbuka Senga, Tumbuka Mlowoka, and Tumbuka Ngoni. In reality and culturally they are all Tumbuka. There are also many smaller subsidiary Tumbuka groups by origin found mainly in the north-western corner of their original kingdom between Kalonga and Isoka. Many of these belong to the Kalonga wa Nkhonde segment of the Mulonga Mbulalubilo Tumbuka. To set record straight, the Tumbuka tribe was one of the first tribes who originated from Luba in what is currently known as Democratic Republic of the Congo. That was before any formal government setup and they had been staying there for hundreds of years after breaking away from the Bantu tribes in upper central Africa. The Tumbuka tribe and other small tribes were driven out of Luba by a warrior tribe known as Kongolo. He merged with the tribes that remained in Luba after they tried to subdue the Tumbuka people and failed.