the mountains are clad in virgin tropical rainforest which has been isolated for a long period and they are a centre of endemism. historically they were inhabited by bantu, shambaa, and maasai people but in the eighteenth century, a shambaa kingdom was founded by mbegha. the kingdom eventually fell apart after a succession struggle in 1862. german colonists settled in the area which was to become german east africa, and after world war i it became part of the british mandated territory of tanganyika.