The political fragmentation of the Malawi chiefdoms in the course of the 18th century created a power vacuum that was exploited by new migrants who established new polities in the region. The first of these new comers were the Swahili who followed the trading routes across Lake Malawi pioneered by ivory hunter and traders such as the lowoka, whom they displaced as middle-men in the expanding ivory trade with the coast. New Swahili settlements emerged in the last quarter of the 19th century. A post was established in the Luangwa valley among the Senga in the late 1870s that engaged in trade in slaves and ivory with the expanding Bemba chiefdoms of north eastern Zambia. A Dutch Reformed Church Mission (DRCM) from the Cape Colony was founded in 1889 in central Malawi amongst the Ngoni and their Chewa subjects and over the next few years missions were planted by a plethora of Protestant denominations . Middlemen in the ivory trade between the Malawi and the Swahili settlements on the Indian Ocean coast in the 18th century, they settled in small groups in the highlands of southern Malawi from about the 1830s onwards amongst the Chewa, to whom they were culturally related, pushed by Lolo/Makua raids from the south

the distinction between trade-based and tribute-based, political power seemed inappropriate in the Malawian content. ( Maravi back in the 18th and 19th century, then later changed to Malawi) The chiefdoms in Malawi was and is identified as a key source of elephant poaching due to several reasons. in the pre-colonial, many of the elephants were located near the wildlife locations where elephants were found, the chiefs had significant power and influence in the communities and could control and organise poaching activities. additionally some chiefs are believed to benefit financially from ivory poaching, either through direct involvement or through bribes from the poachers. the demand for ivory coincided with the opening up of east Africa by Arab traders and European explorers during the 19th century. although ivory was undoubtedly the " dominant export" from the region, it would be misleading to suggest that " the first trade of any dimensions involving central Africa was the trade for ivory . most of the elephant hunting , but not all being done by armed gangs of men using the imported muzzle, loading guns was devastating on the elephant population of central and east Africa. by the end of 19th century, the ivory trade was all but defunct even though it continued to have significant in a limited way until the present decade, although much of the hunting of elephant in Malawi now is illegal.

this image has perfections, it depicts the African Nyasa people handling the elephant tusks that are to be sent to London. during the 19th century ivory was a valuable commodity in the global market, Nyasaland as a British colony, was not exempted from the ivory trade which involved the killing of elephants for their tusks and the subsequent exportation of ivory to Europe and America. During that time Nyasaland was home of large elephant population which made it a prime target of ivory hunters. the ivory trade in Nyasaland was dominated by Europeans and Arab traders.

Nyasaland, now known as Malawi, was a British , protectorate, in east Africa from the late 19th century until it gained independence in 1964. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the ivory trade was a economic activity in the region. Portuguese traders were involved in the ivory in Nyasaland during the 19th century. they established trading posts along the Coast of East Africa and trading with local African tribes for ivory, which was then shipped to Europe and America. however, as Nyasaland, was under British protection , the British authorities soon began to regulate the ivory trade in the region. the British established monopoly over the trade and required all ivory to be sold through licenced British traders. as a result, the Portuguese involvement in the ivory trade in Nyasaland declined significantly, and was relatively short-lived and was ultimately overshadowed by the British and over the trade regions.

the produce of the Nyasa region and the methods of trading were well described, first in importance among the objects of trade in ivory. there are no better elephant hunting fields in central Africa that the great marches of the shire river and on the West coast of Lake Nyasa. The Arab slave- dealer was a chief collector of ivory in Malawi, with the Elephant tunks which he loads his slaves with , obtaining thereby cheap and profitable carriage to the coast. with the importance of ivory must be placed on Indian- rubber in which the country west of Nyasa, stretching towards lake Bangweolo . its export increased by the same means of which would to extent the ivory trade.

the renewal of missionary enterprise and colonization was directed towards the shire highlands and the lake Nyasa Malawi in 1875 and succeeding years. the ruling Mokololo caste maintained itself in affluence by the large royalty. it levied on the ELEPHANY IVORY obtained in the country by native and European hunters. The English elephant hunters began to object to having to pay huge portion for the ivory they had obtained. The Europeans had been to various parts of the interior to trade in ivory and their potters. Jumbe as one of the salve owners, his great source of wealth was in the large quantity of ivory brought by his men, and in the magnificent crops of rice that Malawi produces, which is farmed far wide in Nyasaland . Malawi is perhaps the richest tract of land in natural resources on the shores of lake Nyasa , there is gold in the rocks and in the river beds. Elephants and the ivory is of very good quality. in late Nyasa, the slaves and the ivory gradually became attracted towards the countries out the end of lake Nyasa.

The poaching of elephants for their ivory tusks has been driven by the demand for ivory in international markets, especially in Asia. The ivory trade is illegal, but the high prices paid for ivory have created a lucrative market for poachers and traders.