Institution

Prazo

Also known as prazos

A prazo was a large estate in the Zambezi valley granted by the Portuguese crown, typically on lease for several generations. Prazo holders often ruled their lands as autonomous warlords with private armies. The spread of prazos undermined traditional authority structures in the Mutapa Empire.

Mentioned in 1 profile

Mutapa EmpireDecline

Mentioned in 1 state history

Portuguese Mozambique

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Prazo. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/prazo
MLA
“Prazo.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/prazo. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Prazo.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/prazo.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Prazo’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/prazo (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻