Isanzu people

The Isanzu (Anyihanzu) are a Bantu ethno-linguistic group based in Mkalama District, Singida Region, Tanzania. In 1987 the Isanzu population was estimated to number 32,400 [1]. The Isanzu have matrilineal descent groups and are agriculturalists who subsist on sorghum, millet, and maize. Most Isanzu make a living as farmers and through migrant labour to other parts of the country, principally, Arusha.^[1]

Isanzuland was colonized by Germany in the late 19th century, and during the First World War, occupied by British forces. Following the war Tanganyika became a British Trust Territory and a British administration governed this area, like the rest of the Territory, through a policy of Indirect Rule until independence in 1961.^[2]