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The Nyiha are an ethnic and linguistic group based in southwestern Tanzania and northeastern Zambia. In 1993 the Nyiha population was estimated to number 626,000, of which 306,000 were in Tanzania and 320,000 were in Zambia.[1] The Nyika were, and still are, scattered widely through East Africa but are found mostly in clusters near the corridor of land between lakes Nyasa, Rukwa, and Tanganyika, particularly around Mbozi and the general area of the Lyagalile district of Ufipa. In 1915 they consisted of fewer than 10,000 people from differing backgrounds, while in 1957 they were listed at over 55,000 people. They were divided into eleven or twelve unrelated chiefdoms, the chiefs being being referred to as Mwene and were centered on very heavily stockaded villages as described by Safari Conductor Andreas Bauer and Lt. Prince. During the nineteenth century their power structure remained confused, their culture and language closely related to the Safwa, with whom the Sangu had administratively joined them. The Sangu raided them after the 1850s for slaves to sell to the Arabs, killing many people, burning fields, plundering the tembes, and generally devastating the area. It was then that the Nyika began using ivory to obtain guns, build heavely fortified bomas, and concentrated their people. With all of these problems, however, the people still fought for themselves, without co-ordination. The Nyika could long remember being cooped up for days in palisaded tembes as the Wasangu threantened them. It should be no wonder that many Nyika were willing to support Kimaurunga. It was only after the increase of German power suppressed Wasangu raiding that many Nyika were finally able to leave their Bomas.
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