LOZI

also called Malozi, or Barotse, formerly Aluyi a complex of about 25 peoples of about 6 cultural groups inhabiting western Zambia, the area formerly known as Barotseland in Zambia and speaking Benue-Congo languages of the Niger-Congo family. Formerly, the groups were all called Barotse as subjects of the paramount chief of the dominant Barotse tribe; the Barotse nation extended into other parts of Zambia, Angola, and the Caprivi strip of Namibia. The Barotse tribe, originally known as the Aluyi, was conquered in 1838 by the Kololo of South Africa; in Kololo speech Aluyi became Barotse. In 1864 the Aluyi defeated the Kololo, and Barotse has since become Lozi (Malozi), referring to both the dominant tribe and all its subjects. The dominant tribe occupies the floodplain of the Zambezi River, and the people move between two sets of villages, in the plain and on the margin, in response to the annual flooding. They have made skillful use of varying water levels and of different soil and grass conditions to develop an elaborate economy of agriculture, animal husbandry, and fishing. The necessity for cooperation to exploit these resources has produced real social cohesion among the Lozi, but they have always been short of labour and have constantly imported people from their subject tribes and serfs from raided foreigners. These serfs had substantial rights in Lozi law, within a social hierarchy of aristocrats, commoners, and serfs. Authority was divided among various rulers at the main and other capitals, and in an elaborate system of councils at each capital.