History of the Sena Tribe and their culture

The Sena people are most commonly found in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique, and are historically known to have lived in the Zambezi River valley. Colonial influence hit them in 1498, after the Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama traveled to Mozambique island in search of a sea route to India. The Portuguese interest in colonizing the region grew further in 1514 when Antonio Fernandez, another Portuguese explorer, confirmed that there were rich goldfields in Zambezi valley, where the Sena people lived.
By the 16th century, many Portuguese traders, farmers and missionaries had arrived in the Zambezi Valley to make the best of the opportunities.
These Portuguese settlers built farm estates in the river valleys, and employed the Sena people, among other Africans to work on the farms.
This interaction, alongside various other engagements, led to the Sena people assimilating many Portuguese customs. This is why some of this day's Sena customs reflect those of the Portuguese. It was in 1531 that Vicente Pegado founded a fair in a Muslim village along the Zambezi river. This fair served an array of purposes such as a missionary center, major trading post, colonial era garrison, and market town. Pegado named this place Sena, and it is believed that was how the Sena people got their name.
The gold trade in Sena was lucrative, and this attracted Arab traders and even more Portuguese into the region. By 1542, there was an influx of Arabs traders in Sena. The Portuguese attempted to outperform the Arabs in gold production and trading by populating the Zambezi valley more and taking control of mining and trade through various means, which mainly involved military force, as well as other strategies. By the late 16th century, the Portuguese had gained full control of the gold production and sales in the Zambezi valley.

Видео History of the Sena Tribe and their culture канала BioGreat Tv