Malawi – from the Maravi kingdom to the Warm Heart of Africa
The region around Lake Malawi has been inhabited for thousands of years. Bantu-speaking farming communities settled here over time, and from around the fifteenth century the Maravi kingdom emerged, from which the country later took its name. In the nineteenth century new groups such as the Ngoni and Yao arrived, and the region was drawn into the Arab-Swahili slave trade, which caused great suffering.
The Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone reached Lake Malawi in 1859, and missions and trading companies followed. In 1891 Britain declared a protectorate, which was renamed Nyasaland in 1907. Colonial rule brought taxation, land loss and labour migration to neighbouring countries. In 1915 John Chilembwe led an uprising against colonial injustice that is remembered as an early act of resistance. From 1953 Nyasaland was joined, against strong local opposition, to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
Growing protests led to the dissolution of the federation, and on 6 July 1964 Malawi became independent under Hastings Kamuzu Banda. He soon established a one-party state and later declared himself president for life, ruling with harsh repression. In a 1993 referendum the people voted for multi-party democracy, and the first free elections followed in 1994.
Today Malawi is shaped by its great lake, its agricultural life and the friendliness that has earned it the name "the Warm Heart of Africa".
Do you have memories or family stories from your village or town in Malawi? Share them with other members in the Local History section.