Guhwa-Isiweni

Guhwa-Isiweni was the capital and largest city of the former diNkosi gwaTshani. It sits along a bend of the Kaliba River, the major water feature of the region. Its founding date was lost to time, as settled human habitation of the area has been continuous for over a millennium and with very little written history, however its strategic location earned it the role of the capitol of gwaTshani upon the nation's founding. 
== Etymology ==
The name Guhwa-Isiweni comes from the isiTshani language, meaning "painted cliffs". This comes from the large mesa cliffs to the southeast of the town, from which most of the city's terracotta was mined. The use of the name has most likely been since its founding hundreds of years ago, as no other names for the city are known.
== History ==
The area surrounding the city has been continuously inhabited for millions of years; the caves under the city have yielded hominin remains of an as-of-yet unknown species of human, and stone age artifacts have been found by farmers and others digging in the soil. The area was first settled by amaNimi farmers about 1700 years before present, and before then the area was visited by nomadic amaPirena. The settlement would have its huts torn down and rebuilt over several centuries.
The town was the seat of power for the Unwabu clan, who succeeded in battle by constructing a stone wall around their settlement, defending any who opposed them. During the Hundred-Year Seven-Kingdom era, the city be to grow in size as people from the peripheral villages moved to the city. However, the Unwabu army was caught outside the city, and was defeated. The Unwabu territory was divided, and when the victorious other clans founded the gwaTshani state, Guhwa-Isiweni was seen as a neutral spot to establish a new capital. 
After the collapse of the diNkosi gwaTshani, the city lost most of its population. The area around the city is still farmed by settled amaTshani, and nomads occasionally meet to trade there, but any organized community within the city has long since gone.
Category:Settlements
Category:Towns
Category:City
Category:Tshani