Mfecane

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The Mfecane was a historical period of heightened military conflict and migration associated with state formation and expansion in Southern Africa. It resulted from the complex interplay of pre-existing trends of political centralisation with the effects of international trade, environmental instability, and European colonisation. The exact range of dates that comprise the Mfecane varies between sources. At its broadest, the period lasted from the late eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century, but scholars often focus on an intensive period from the 1810s to the 1840s. Traditional estimates for the death toll range from 1 million to 2 million; however, these numbers are controversial, and some recent scholars revise the mortality figure significantly downwards and attribute the root causes to complex political, economic, and environmental developments. The Mfecane is significant in that it saw the formation of new states, institutions, and ethnic identities in southeastern Africa...

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