Draft:The Four Pigs War

The Four Pigs War was a minor conflict between the Makua and Shona peoples of Sub-Saharan Africa that took place in the mid 13th century near the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe in the modern-day Masvingo Province of Zimbabwe. The conflict lasted twenty-seven days, and began when members of the Makua tribe were accused by the Shona of stealing four of their pigs. Although the war was ultimately sparked by a seemingly minor incident, the underlying causes of the Four Pigs War were deeply rooted in cultural differences between the Makua and Shona peoples as well as disputes over cropland, rangeland, and territory along the Mutirikwe River.

Background

Both the Makua and Shona people practiced subsistence agriculture, growing sorghum, African groundnuts, and beans in the fertile land surrounding the Mutirikwe River. The Makua and Shona also raised goats and pigs for food reserves during droughts. While goats were the preferred food source for both peoples, pigs were highly prized by the Shona for their important role in several religious ceremonies.

The conflict began when a Makua herder accidently allowed four of the Shona's pigs to cross into Makua territory. Upon later discovering the pigs, it was decided by the Makua elders to keep them, as the Shona had allowed them recklessly to wander onto their rangeland. Once the Shona discovered their pigs were missing, a small party of farmers were sent to search throughout the area. After two days of searching, it was believed the pigs were either killed and eaten by a large predator or had drowned trying to cross the Mutirikwe River. It wasn't until the Shona Chief Mabhe suggested the pigs might've been taken by a neighboring tribe that the Makua began to be suspected.

Several warriors from the Shona tribe were sent to confront the Makua about the possibility of them stealing their pigs. These warriors were met with immediate hostility from the Makua, and were swiftly killed.^[3] Upon the failure of the warriors to return by nightfall, a larger party of warriors along with Chief Mabhe set out the next morning to investigate and retaliate for any wrongdoings the Makua had committed.

When the Shona had arrived at the Makua village, they found blood and human hair on the soil surrounding the town's entrance. It was deduced by the group that the Shona's warriors had been killed by the Makua, and war was immediately declared.

Conflict and Resolution

The next day, the Shona began retaliatory strikes by stealing herds of livestock, setting fire to several Makua homes, and taking human prisoners. In response to these strikes, the Makua launched raids into the Shona village, targeting their crops and livestock specifically. These tit-for-tat attacks would continue for the duration of the conflict, as neither the Shona nor Makua possessed large enough standing armies to launch a full-scale war.

As the conflict stretched into it's fourth week, it became clear to the Makua that they could not win the war. The Shona had managed to capture a significant portion of the Makua's rangeland and livestock, and threatened to kill their captured animals if the war did not end. The Makua sent a small party of elders led by their Chief, Ngvuzo, along with thirty pigs to the Shona village in an attempt to broker peace.After negotiating with Chief Mabhe about reparations, it was determined that the Shona would keep one third of the rangeland captured and fifty goats in addition to the thirty pigs offered. A treaty was then signed, and peace was restored between the tribes.

In local oral traditions among both peoples, the Four Pigs War is mainly remembered as a cautionary example as to not do wrong on your neighbors.