Amateka y’amapingu, cyangwa ibikoresho bikoreshwa mu kubuza umuntu kujya aho ashatse mu gihe yafashwe n’abashinzwe umutekano, atangirira mu bihe bya kera, kugeza ku ikoranabuhanga rigezweho. Mu rugendo rwayo, byagiye bihinduka hagamijwe kongera umutekano, koroshya imikoreshereze no kurushaho kubahiriza uburenganzira n’ubusugire bw’umubiri w’ufashwe cyangwa ufunzwe.

Mu gihe cya cyera, amapingu tubona ataraduka, Abaroma n’abagiriki bakoreshaga ibintu bitandukanye mu rwego rwo gufunga imbohe n’imfungwa z’intambara, harimo imigozi ikomeye ikomoka ku bimera nk’imizabibu, cyangwa impu z’inyamaswa. Ibyo byafungwaga ku bikonjo by’amaboko (poignets) no ku maguru (ku bugombabari).

Amapingu akozwe mu mikwege n’ibyuma bifite uburyo bwo kwifunga (ratchet), yatangiye kubaho mu gihe cy’impinduramatwara mu by’inganda (Industrial Revolution), atangira gukorwa hagamijwe guhangana n’ubwiyongere bw’ubugizi bwa nabi mu Mijyi ndetse no koroshya gutwara imfungwa, zivanwa ahantu hamwe zijyanwa ahandi. Uhereye ubwo, amapingu yabaye igikoresho nyamukuru gikoreshwa n’inzego zishinzwe gukurikirana iyubahirizwa ry’amategeko ku isi hose.

Mu bihe by’Umuringa (Bronze Age) n’icyuma (Iron Age), abanyabukorikori batangiye gucura amapingu n’ingoyi z’icyuma zashoboraga kongera gukoreshwa, cyangwa zikoreshwa kenshi. Inkuru ya mbere ivuga ku mapingu, iboneka mu nyandiko y’umusizi w’Umuroma Virgil, yanditswe ahagana mu mwaka wa 70 mbere ya Yezu (70 B.C.).

Amapingu atangira gukoreshwa n’abasirikare, hari mu kinyejana cya 4 mbere ya Yezu, aho abasirikare b’Abagiriki batsinze urugamba, basanze mu magare y’Abanyakaritaje (Carthage) ububiko bunini bw’amapingu, yakoreshwaga mu kuboha no guhindura imbata imfungwa z’intambara, nabo batangira ubwo kuyakoresha.

Ayo mapingu akozwe mu byuma yakozwe bwa mbere, yafungwaga ku ntoki z’ibikumwe ku buryo bimera nk’ibifatanyirije hamwe, hanyuma ayo mapingu akazirikwa ku munyururu munini washoboraga gufatwa n’umurinzi w’imfungwa.

Ubwo buryo bwo gufunga hakoreshejwe urufunguzo,bwokorwaga ku buryo impeta z’amapingu zifungwa burundu cyangwa zigafungwa n’ingufuri ziremereye zasabaga urufunguzo rwihariye.

Ayo mapingu afunga ibikumwe (Poucettes) gusa, yakoreshwaga cyane n’abacunga amagereza. Iyo uwafashwe cyangwa imfungwa yageragezaga kwigobotora, yashoboraga kumutema, akamusigira ibikomere bikomeye.

Uko inganda ziyongera, nibwo sosiyete ya Hiatt Handcuff Company, imwe mu za mbere zakoze amapingu ku rugero runini, yashinzwe mu Bwongereza mu 1780.

Mu ntangiriro z’ikinyejana cya 19, amapingu aremereye y’icyuma yitwaga Darby ni yo yari akunze gukoreshwa. Ayo, yasabaga urufunguzo rwihariye kugira ngo afungurwe cyangwa afungwe.

Amapingu afite uburyo bwo kwifunga bushobora guhindurwa (Adjustable Ratchet), yakozwe bwa mbere mu 1862.Umuhanga w’Umunyamerika witwa W.V. Adams yabonye ipatanti yo gukora amapingu hifashishijwe uburyo bwo guhindura, bigatuma aba yoroshye kandi ashobora guhuzwa n’ingano zitandukanye z’amaboko y’abantu.

Mu 1912, nibwo undi Munyamerika George Carney yabonye ipatanti yo gukora amapingu yiswe , ‘swing-cuff’, bwatumaga umupolisi ashobora kwambika ipingu umuntu akoresheje ukuboko kumwe gusa.

Mu gihe cyo kuvugururwa kw’amapingu, agakorwa mu buryo bugezweho, iyo patanti ya Carney yaje kugurwa na sosiyete ya Peerless Handcuff Company, yahinduye cyane uburyo amapingu yakoreshwaga mu kazi ka polisi.

Mu kinyejana cya 19 kandi, ubwo hashyirwagaho inzego za mbere za polisi zigezweho, nka Scotland Yard mu Bwongereza n’imitwe ya ‘gendarmerie’ mu Bufaransa, amapingu yatangiye zatangiye gukorwa no gukoreshwa mu buryo bumwe, buhiriweho n’ibihugu bitandukanye.

Amapingu akoreshwa muri iki gihe, abenshi bazi, afungwa ku maboko yombi, yatangiye gukoreshwa mu 1926, ubwo Umupolisi w’i Paris mu Bufaransa, witwaga Albert Massenot yabonaga ipatanti y’uburyo bushya bwo gukora amapingu afungwa n’urufunguzo kandi agafata amaboko neza. Ayo yamamaye ku izina rya "Massenottes" kubera uwayahimbye.

Nyuma y’aho hagiye habaho uburyo bwo kuyavugurura, agakorwa mu byuma bikomeye ariko ataremereye, ndetse yongerwamo n’uburyo bwo gufungirwa habiri (double verrouillage /double lock), burinda ko amapingu akomeza kwifunga no kwizengurutsa ku buryo byakomeretsa ukuboko cyangwa amaboko y’uwafunzwe. Amapingu agezweho ubu, akorwa ku buryo bworoheje, bukomeye kandi bugoye kwangizwa. Ikoreshwa ryayo rigengwa n’amategeko n’amabwiriza y’ibihugu bitandukanye biyakoresha.

Mu Rwanda, ikoreshwa ry’amapingu ryatangiye mu gihe cy’ubukoroni, kuko yageze mu gihugu mu mpera z’ikinyejana cya 19, azanywe n’ubutegetsi bw’Abadage, nyuma hakurikiraho ubw’Ababiligi. Mbere y’aho hakoreshwaga uburyo butandakunye, harimo kuboha amaboko y’umufungwa hifashishijwe imigozi y’ibirere, n’indi migozi ituruka ku bimera gakondo.