Final answer:
The Mutapa Empire became great through adept management of trade routes, leveraging the wealth drawn from trade in gold and ivory, and taxation, benefitting from the decline of nearby powers like the Mali and Songhai Empires.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rise of the Mutapa Empire can be understood in the context of shifting political and climatic conditions in medieval southern Africa, following the decline of Mapungubwe and the Mali Empire. As the environment changed and droughts undercut agricultural productivity in the south, states like Great Zimbabwe emerged, known for their stone buildings and as an extension, the Mutapa Empire.
Great Zimbabwe facilitated trade in the region, notably in gold, and with the fall of the Mali Empire due to internal strife and external pressures, the Mutapa Empire grew in prominence. The Songhai Empire's decline also contributed to this shift. Trade was central to Mutapa's success, leveraging the gold and ivory trade routes extending to the Swahili coastlines.
The Mutapa Empire's rise was also attributed to its administration, which included provinces and governors that helped manage the empire's vast trade routes. By controlling these trade routes and charging taxes, the empire accumulated wealth and power.