Kingdom of Butua

The Kingdom of Butua or Butwa (c. 1450 - 1683) was a pre-colonial African state located in what is now southwestern Zimbabwe. Butua was renowned as the source of gold for Arab and Portuguese traders. The region was first mentioned in Portuguese records in 1512.

Kingdom of Butua Butua
1450–c. 1683
Status	Kingdom
Capital	Khami
Common languages	iKalanga
Religion	Belief in Mwari
Government	Monarchy
Mambo
History
• Abandonment of Zimbabwe	1450
• Conquest by Rozwi Empire	c. 1683
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Zimbabwe Rozwi Empire

Part of a series on the
History of Zimbabwe
Ancient history Leopard's Kopje c.900–1075 Mapungubwe Kingdom c.1075–1220 Zimbabwe Kingdom c.1220–1450 Butua Kingdom c.1450–1683 Mutapa Kingdom c.1450–1760
White settlement pre-1923 Rozvi Empire c.1684–1834 Mthwakazi 1838–1894 Rudd Concession 1888 BSA Company rule 1890–1923 First Matabele War 1893–1894 Second Matabele War 1896–1897 World War I involvement 1914–1918 Colony of Southern Rhodesia 1923–1980 World War II involvement 1939–1945 Malayan Emergency involvement 1948–1960 Federation with Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland 1953–1963 Rhodesian Bush War 1964–1979 Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) 1965 Rhodesia under UDI 1965–1979 Zimbabwe-Rhodesia June–Dec 1979 Lancaster House Agreement Dec 1979 British Dependency 1979–1980 Zimbabwe 1980–present Gukurahundi 1982–1987 Second Congo War 1998–2003 Coup d'état 2017

The ruins of Khami, capital of the Butua Kingdom.

Steps leading into the ancient city of Khami.

The outer wall of Khami

The kingdom was governed by the Torwa dynasty until 1683 from its capital at Khami. Its people were ancestors of the Bakalanga. In 1683, the kingdom was conquered by the Rozwi Empire.

The foundations of the Khami Ruins show a striking resemblance to the pattern of masonry at the base of the Zimbabwe Ruins. Hence the Kalanga are thought to have built Khami, Lusvingo, Mapungugwe and other ruins scattered across western Zimbabwe and east Botswana.