User:NKUstudent/Zande people

History
The Zande were believed to be formed by a military conquest during the first half of the 18th century. They were led by two dynasties that differed in origin and political strategy. The Vungara clan created most of the political, linguistic, and cultural parts. A non-Zande dynasty, the Bandia, expanded into northern Zaire and adopted some of the Zande customs. In the early 19th century, the Bandia people ruled over the Vungara and the two groups became the Azande people. They lived in the savanna's of what is now the southeastern part of Central African Republic. After the death of a king, the king's sons would fight for succession. The losing son would often establish kingdoms in neighboring regions, making the Azande kingdom spread eastward and northward. Sudanese raids halted some of northward expansion later in the 19th century. The Azande became divided by Belgium, France, and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.

Religion
Their traditional religion involves belief in Mboli, an omnipotent god. They practice magic, oracles, and witchcraft in order to solve their everyday problems. However, the late-nineteenth century marked the beginning of many Zande converting to Christianity. 85 percent of Azande consider them self Christian, while 15 percent follow their traditional religion. More than half of Azande identify as Roman Catholic.

Witchcraft
In terms of death, the prince determined the vengeance placed on the witch or the killer. This could be done through physical killing of the witch, compensation, or lethal magic.

Art
Art is a key part of Zande culture. They are most famously known for their throwing knife called the "shongo". It shows the skill of Zande metal workers with its curved and multi-bladed features. More of their art included sculptures made from wood or clay. Many represented animals or ancestors important in their culture. Just like their sculptures, they also created thumb pianos, Sansas, that looked like people, animals, and abstract figures. These instruments were used at important celebrations: marriages and ceremonial dances.