Alagwa people

The Alagwa (or Chasi, Wasi, Waasi, Vaasi, Alawa) are an ethnic group based in the Kondoa district of the Dodoma Region in central Tanzania, an area well known for rock art. They speak the Alagwa language as a mother tongue, which belongs to the South Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. In 2001, the Alagwa population was estimated to number 30,000 individuals, and Mous (2016) estimates the number of speakers to be slightly over 10,000.[1][2] Some of the Alagwa have mixed with communities of Gorowa, Sandawe, Datooga, and Rangi. Many Alagwa speak the Rangi language and the two groups have both influenced each other. Many of the Alagwa are Muslims, following from an extended period of interactions with Swahili traders in Kondoa in the 19th century.[2]