OTHER STATES AND PARAMOUNTCIES IN THE POLITICAL

REVOLUTION, 1820-1835

Grade: 10Term: 3

Topic: 4 – TRANSFORMATIONS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA AFTER 1750

Sub-Topic: OTHER STATES AND PARAMOUNTCIES IN THE POLITICAL

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THE GAZA KINGDOM• The Gaza kingdom was established in the highlands of

the middle Sabi River in present-day Mozambique in the1830's by Soshangane, the Ndwandwe general who fledfrom Zululand after his defeat by Shaka's army.

• Soshangane extended his control over the area betweenthe Komati and the Zambezi rivers, incorporating thethe Komati and the Zambezi rivers, incorporating thelocal Tsonga and Shona into his state.

• The Portuguese were reduced to having to pay tribute toSoshangane.

• The kingdom lasted until 1897 when, weakened byinternal tensions, it was overthrown by the Portuguese.

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THE GAZA KINGDOM

THE GAZA KINGDOM IN PRESENT-DAY MOZAMBIQUE

SOSHANGANE, THE NDWANDWE GENERAL

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THE SWAZI KINGDOM• Sobhuza I was known as 'ngwenyama' or 'lion'. He

was also called Somhlolo or 'The Wonder'.• Sobhuza I laid the foundations of a new kingdom.• In the 1810's and 1820's he managed to save

Swaziland, which was then called Kangwane, fromconquest by the more powerful Ndwandwe and Zulukingdoms to the south.conquest by the more powerful Ndwandwe and Zulukingdoms to the south.

• After moving the centre of royal power from what isnow southern Swaziland to the north, Sobhuza ledthe conquest of many local chiefdoms and formed akingdom.

• Sobhuza ruled during the 'time of troubles'. Duringhis rule, despite such difficult times, he broughtpeace and prosperity to his subjects.

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THE SWAZI KINGDOM

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THE SWAZI KINGDOM

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SOBHUZA THE DIPLOMAT• Sobhuza I dealt with threats to his kingdom very

cleverly in order to build his nation. He was afarsighted diplomat who conducted affairs of hiskingdom with negotiation rather than war.

• Early in his rule, Sobhuza had an argument withZwide of the Ndwandwe over agricultural lands, soZwide of the Ndwandwe over agricultural lands, soinstead of fighting, he moved his people north of thePongola River in what is now Swaziland. He waspowerful enough to conquer other smallerchiefdoms living in the area.

• The new Ngwane kingdom needed the support of allthe chiefdoms they had conquered in order tosurvive. Sobhuza allowed these chiefdoms to beruled by their own chiefs, but he ramained their king.

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To keep peace and avoid the possibility of being defeated, Sobhuza did the following:

1. He married the daughter ofZwide of the Ndwandwe.

2. He paid tribute to Shaka ofthe Zulu.

3. When he made contact with agroup of Boer trekkers, hegroup of Boer trekkers, heavoided getting involved in adirect battle with them.

4. He also managed to avoid adirect battle with Dingane'sZulu forces.

• At his death, he left a strong,unified Swazi kingdom in thehands of his son Mswati.

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THE PEDI KINGDOM

• In the early 1820's, the Pedi kingdom wasconquered by the Ndwandwe. After the collapseof the Ndwandwe kingdom in 1826, the Pedikingdom re-established itself under theleadership of Sekwati.leadership of Sekwati.

• Sekwati formed a base on the mountainstronghold at Phiring. He offered protection topeople who had been displaced during the the'time of troubles'. Like Moshoeshoe andSobhuza, he expanded his authority throughdiplomacy.

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• The Pedi needed guns to defend themselves, theirland and their cattle.

• Other African chiefdoms like the Zulu and theBasotho, got large numbers of guns through tradewith colonial markets. But the Pedi had limitedpossibilities for trade as the big markets were faraway in places like Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth,Durban and Cape Town. The Pedi could thereforenot get large numbers of guns through trade.

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not get large numbers of guns through trade.• The success of the Pedi in fending off Zulu and Boer

attacks in the early 1850's and their growing powerin the late 1860's and 1870's, was due to theincreasing number of guns that they were now ableto obtain.

• In 1862, the Pedi army was made up of 12000 men,of whom one-third were equipped with guns.

THE PEDI KINGDOM

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THE MOUNTAIN STRONGHOLD AT PHIRING.

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THE MPONDO

• By the 1820's, the British had alreadyestablished themselves as a mojor force onthe eastern border of the Cape Colony.

• Many Xhosa had become dispossessed by the• Many Xhosa had become dispossessed by theBritish during frontier wars and movedeastwards.

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MOVING FRONTIERS• The upheavals, instability and conflict in the

eastern regions of southern Africa led to thedisplacement, and break up of communities.

• People moved into chiefdoms that could providesecurity, and these chiefdoms grew bigger andsecurity, and these chiefdoms grew bigger andstronger.

• Some moved to the eastern frontier of the CapeColony between the Mzimvubu and Mzimkhulurivers where the Mpondo, led by Chief Faku,were settled.

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• These migrants faced three options:

1. Give their allegiance to Faku

2. Fight the Mpondo for dominance in the area

3. Re-establish their chiefdoms on the borders ofthe Mpondo kingdom

• Many migrants chose to re-establish themselveson the borders of Faku's kingdom. This led to a

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on the borders of Faku's kingdom. This led to along period of instability and violence in theregion.

• Faku was able to strengthen his kingdom duringthe 'time of troubles' though, and defeated Zuluinvaders in 1824 and 1828.

PONDOLAND'S SUCCESS AT MAINTAINING INDEPENDENCE

• Pondoland managed to maintain itsindependence long after most African kindomslost their independence in the 19th century.

• The British annexed Pondoland in 1895, and it• The British annexed Pondoland in 1895, and itlater became the focus of rural resistance tocolonial and later apartheid rule.

• In 1960, the Mpondo showed their disapprovalof apartheid rule in a revolt that lasted for twoyears.

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THE SOUTHERN TSWANA

The decline of Tswana towns:

• By the mid 19th century, Tswanatowns in the Rustenburg-Zeerusttowns in the Rustenburg-Zeerustareas had come to an end.

• Various historical events contributedto this.

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The decline of Tswana towns: External forces

• Tswana towns ended when they were finallydestroyed during the 'time of troubles'. This periodof widespread fighting and displacement of peoplein southern Africa was at its height west of theDrakensberg in the 1820's and 1830's.

• Earlier historians believed the Difaqane was due• Earlier historians believed the Difaqane was duesolely to the aggressive militarism of the rise of theZulu state under Shaka and the Zulu state, east ofthe Drakensberg. There is no question that manyTswana settlements were destroyed by raiders, likeMzilikazi, from across the Drakensberg andelsewhere. But, external forces as an explanation forcollapse of towns are only a partial explanation.

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The decline of Tswana towns: Internal forces

• Well before the 1820's, the Tswana themselves were in acycle of aggressive raiding and competition as some chiefsgrew in power and others declined. Destruction during the'time of troubles' simply intensified a process that hadalready been underway for some time. The Griqua andKora also played a part in destabilising the Tswana fromKora also played a part in destabilising the Tswana fromthe late 18th century through increasing competition fortrade, and raiding.

• A series of droughts, particularly in the early 1820's,contributed to the general instability of this period.Famine drove whole communities to move in search ofnew places to find or grow food. The oral sources indicatethat some Tswana chiefdoms destroyed each other in thiscompetition for resources.

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What happened to the Tswana Chiefdoms?

• Tswana chiefs thought that the displacement ofMzilikazi by the Voortrekkers would mean thatthey could become independent again.

• But the Voortrekkers became their new• But the Voortrekkers became their newoverlords.

• Some Hurutshe, Kgatla and Rolong came toterms with living under the Boers but othersrelocated westwards to present-day Botswanaduring the 19th century to escape the new Boerstate, the South African Republic.

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