to become his vassals. Their ultimate destination, planned or not, was land located between the Maputo and Zambezi rivers. In the process, the Nguni displaced, co-opted, or slaughtered the native peoples. Upon arrival, Soshangane founded an empire to which he gave the name, Gaza (the name of his grandfather). In its initial stages, Gaza had about of land. With the arrival of the Nguni, the relative quiet that had prevailed among the local peoples and the Portuguese traders, who had established themselves along the Mozambican coast, was rudely broken by a succession of massacres and forced submissions to a new power. This created a climate of insecurity and fear that remained for decades. Founding of the Gaza Empire After a walk of nearly twenty years' duration, Soshangane and his people established the center of their power in the valley of the River Limpopo founded the village of Chaimite, and declared it his capital. Portugal, as the longest-standing European presence in those territories, decided to send an embassy to the court of Manicusse in the August of 1840. The delegation was led by Ensign Caetano Pinto dos Santos, who had instructions to establish a treaty of friendship, delivering a sword and a sash to the king in exchange for a short spear and a shield. The embassy was received, but Manicusse said that, at the moment, he saw no advantage in a treaty of friendship with the king of Portugal. (This is documented in a report, dated 18 November 1840, submitted by Ensign Caetano Pinto dos Santos and archived by the Registrar of the National Farms in Inhambane, João Caetano Dias.) Even though the sword was exchanged for the short spear, the attacks continued. So it happened that, around 1850, Mundagaz was born. A prince of royal blood and son of Mzila, Manicusse considered him a putative heir. Educated for the life of a warrior, from a young age he participated in the same annual walks his father and grandfather had taken. A dynastic crisis When Manukuza died in 1858, the competition for the throne pitted Mzila, the father of Mundagazi, and Mawewe, his uncle, against one another. After a brief period of armed strife, Mawewe emerged victorious. He decided, in 1859, to press his advantage by attacking his brothers and their families. Mzila was able to escape to the Transvaal, where he organized an army to overthrow his brother. Mundagaz