Tanzania is one of the most diverse countries when it comes it ethnicity. It has about 120 ethnic tribes. The Chagga people are third biggest tribe and they have always lived on the foothill of the Kilimanjaro Mountain.
Additionally, the Chagga are organized into roughly 400 clans, each of which is headed by a leader known locally as a mangi. The Chief of Chiefs, Mangi Mkuuw, has complete authority over the clans. In addition to speaking Chagga, the residents of Chagga also speak Kiswahili, the national language of Tanzania.
The Chagga people of Moshi and Kilimanjaro have lived in the vicinity of the mountain for ages. The Chagga might be one tribe but subdivided into many clans. These clans were categorized under different chiefdoms.
There once was great power among the Chagga chiefs. They served as community judges as well. In order to subjugate other clans, they would also command conflicts amongst the clans. The chiefs would also grant permission for other people to pass through their territory.
To access the peak, even the earliest European explorers of Kilimanjaro had to obtain authorization.
The Masai people
On the other hand Masai people are mostly cattle keeper and live on the other side of the Kilimanjaro Mountain on the Northern border with Kenya.
Living in both northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, the Masai are a border community.
Many individuals have commended the Masai type style, and Oxfam has declared that the Masai way of life need to be adopted worldwide.
The Masai are livestock ranchers, but they have a special method of adjusting to life in the desert. They engage in some farming as well.
They are incredibly friendly individuals that welcome a large number of visitors to the neighborhood.
The Chagga Caves
The Chagga people reside in the Kilimanjaro’s fertile regions, which also receive enough rainfall. In the past, the Masai people would assault the Chagga people to seize their territory in quest of fresh areas for grazing.
To withstand these assaults, the Chagga would excavate caverns and tunnels below the surface. They would wait for the Masai to leave the area until they were underground for some time.
You will learn how they were able to live underground for extended periods of time as you investigate.
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