Tribes of Mubata

Zama (Zhah-muh)
The largest tribe in Mubata.
The Zama have been a fierce warrior culture for centuries, and had their own successful empire that encompassed much of modern day Mubata and even parts of Qasifya. Every northern intruder in the history of Mubata has been blunted in their invasions by the Zama in Northern Mubata, also sometimes referred to as Zamaland (Zama Terre) after the ethnic group. It is the Zama that held off the Terim Caliphate from taking all of Mubata, and fought off marauding tribes from what is modern day Qasifya and Gragastavia. It is the Zama that discouraged the Gauls from advancing any further north than the Northern Mubatan border, because of their inability to be pacified. Their largest internal rivals have been the Tizi, who they blamed for not aiding them in the fight against the Caliphate.

Convinced by Hadenka Fazembe in the post-Great War period that a united, independent Mubata would be a strong force and it would be beneficial to all tribes in the two colonies, the Zama leaders joined the resistance. After independence from Gaul in 1965, the dream was shattered by ethnic infighting and the Zama leaders realized their mistake in trusting Fazembe's lies. The Zama are the dominant ethnicity in the makeup of the Mubatan Freedom Movement, the Marxist resistance that was borne out of the civil strife following independence, although the MFM crosses ethnic lines.

About 35% of the Zama are Muslims, taking influence from the surrounding Arabic tribes, while the rest are Animist and Christian.

Tizi (tee-Zee)
The second largest tribe in Mubata, the Tizi hold political control over the Republic through the Fazembe family. They have been at odds with the Zama for centuries, and both of those tribes have allied with the other surrounding smaller tribes and clans in vying for ultimate power in the area. It is not coincidental that Karalaga, the modern day capital of the Republic, is also the historic center of the Tizi empire. It was Irglanunda, the Tizi king, who initially cooperated with the Gauls and assisted them in conquering or negotiating with the other tribes.

The Tizi have a reputation of arrogance, some of it from their rich academic and literary heritage, but much of it from their tradition of political manipulation and posturing. There was a time when the Tizi were actually seen as saviors not oppressors, when they stopped a major Arab invasion from the east in the 16th Century. The modern Tizi dominated government strives to continue to capitalize on that fact.

Wakbapa (Wahc-Bu-puh)
The Wakbapa lands cover the Western savannahs of Mubata. They are similar to the Tizi in ethnicity, and have also been consistent loyal political allies, especially when the Bgenembe pushed them from the coast in the 13th century. They are known for an excellent animal husbandry tradition, but also for their care to conserve the savannah landscape. A difficult balance, for sure.

Xota (Khhoh-tuh)
This tribe's traditional rich coastal lands stretch from the Dwazebe River delta down to the start of the Southern Huzama mountains. Like the Bgenembe and Mbexi, they have maintained a strong identity through their coastal, fishing agrarian culture and trade with foreign merchants that visited the coast throughout the region’s history. They are the dominant ethnic group in Tenipako, the largest port city in Mubata. Strife in the city is not uncommon, especially between rival Xota and Tizi criminal gangs.

Mbexi (mBeh-kseh)
Another coastal tribe with rich fishing and trading traditions. Their numbers have greatly decreased over time, mostly due to assimilation with the Xota and Wakbapa. A lot of successful smuggling operations are run by Mbexi elders. Most of the modern day paganist traditions in Mubata come from them.

Nduloka (nDoo-la-kuh)
Another tribe whose numbers have diminished over time as they were assimilated into the Zama. They also suffered a lot of attrition due to being a buffer between the Zama and the Qasifyan Arab tribes in the west. The provincial capital of Ruwoga, on the Uchanga River, is the ancient Nduloka center. While most Muslims in the country come from the Zama tribe, the Nudloka tribe takes a close second for the number of Muslims.

Bgenembe (geh-Num-beh)
The Southwestern coastal tribe once had a moderate, but powerfully adept navy that terrorized the Southern Tavlyrian Ocean. Wars with the Wakbapa, Xota, and Tizi saw an eventual decline in their power and size. Gyata is still the heart of Bgenembe culture. Many modern legal traditions in the country come from the Bgenembe.