Chewa people

The Chewa (like the Nyanja, Tumbuka, Senga, Nsenga, Mang'anja) are a remnant of the Maravi (Malawi) people or empire.Oral records of the Chewa may be interpreted to refer to origins in Malambo, a region in the Luba area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from where they emigrated into northern Zambia, and then south and east into the highlands of Malawi.After conquering land from other Bantu peoples, they regrouped at Choma, a place associated with a mountain in northern Malawi, and the plateau of northeastern Zambia.By 1750, several 'Malawi' dynasties had consolidated their positions in different parts of central Malawi; however the Chewa, had managed to distinguish themselves from their neighbours through language, by having special tattoo marks (mphini), and by the possession of a religious system based on the nyau secret societies.Children of the same mother or female (Lubele la achite) make up a family of dependents or Mbumba.
Large ovoid vessel made by a Chewa woman in National Museum of African Art
Chewa languageMalawiBritish MuseumEnglishPortugueseChristianitytraditional Chewa religionTumbukaNyungweChichewaZimbabweZambiaMozambiqueNsengaDemocratic Republic of the CongoMunhumutapaTransvaalMang'anjaMaraviOral recordsBantu peoplesManthimbatattooNational Museum of African ArtmatrilinealDemographics of MalawiList of ChewasHastings BandaLazarus ChakweraJustin MaleweziJohn TemboFelix MlusuAaron GadamaJessie Kabwila-KapasulaIsabel Apawo PhiriChineseNyakyusaWhite MalawiansChokweIshindi-LundaKafwe TwaKanongesha-LundaLambyaLovaleLukanga TwaMambweMbundaMwangaNdwandweSubiyaTokaleya