THE LOST KINGDOM -THE RISE AND FALL OF THE IKALANGA MONARCHY 1 by JEFF RAMSAY (original) (raw)
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Africa, 2015
However, can we really take Kirikongo as an instance of the revolutionary triumph of egalitarianism in the savannah? A close look at the archaeological records published here shows clear evidence of deep changes at the level of a small rural community, something that is not unexpected over a period of 1,500 years. The nature of these changes suggests that communities explored, experimented with, and made choices between different models of governance, belief systems and subsistence over time. However, the revolutionary nature of such a change, although a valuable and thought-provoking working hypothesis, can hardly be demonstrated solely on the basis of the Kirikongo evidence. Too many parts are missing from the picturefor instance, evidence on the webs of alliances within the settlement, the regional historical context, and the ritual practices and beliefsfor us to surmise that change resulted from a forcible, short-term event such as the word 'revolution' implies. More archaeological research into medieval communities of the Mouhoun Bend will be requiredas is recognized by the authorto clarify the chronology and the nature of socio-political change in the area. Firstly, the chronology of change proposed here will need to be validated. Secondly, in the absence of a comparative dataset, the proposed projection onto a regional scale of the model developed for Kirikongo, a 'regional egalitarian movement', is daring. But this does not detract from the book's qualities, and I recommend it to archaeologists and historians interested in long-term socio-political developments in the Voltaic area. Although the author sometimes stretches the interpretation of available evidence, he also contributes much solid new data and stimulates fresh avenues of thought on pre-1500 West African village life.
The Fall and Decline of the Bakwena Monarchy
Botswana Notes and Records, 1996
The political detention without trial of Sebele II at Ghanzi was an important turning point in the history of Botswana. Some of its effects, such as the polarisation of relations between most of the Protectorate's dikgosi and colonial administration were immediate. Other implications were only gradually realised. For many decades thereafter the majority of the Bakwena hoped, in vain, that legitimate bogosi could be restored through Sebele, or later his sons' return to Kgosing.¬ In the long run the demise of the Protectorate's senior dynasty proved to be a precursor for the ultimate overthrow of traditional leadership throughout the nation.
This article focuses on the social dynamics of the mid-twentieth century that influenced the body of tradition championed by members of the royal family of Kekana Ndebele at Mošate, Limpopo Province South Africa. The material remains of the 1854 siege of the Kekana Ndebele under chief Mugombane I, provided a means of detecting old political alliances and contributed towards understanding variances in the narrative topography constructed by two senior members of the Royal Council, who related the history of the recovery of Mugombane II during the 1980s. While each adopted the same narrative technique to embellish the political influence of the old chiefdom, each mapped out a different set of relationships. The symbolic import of these different geographic interpretations begins to emerge when considered against the highly fractious local and regional politics of the 1960s and '70s. This article traces the history of the oral narrative and the two storytellers to reveal the political bent and intention of each author.
2005
The paper shows that in Botswana traditional attitudes are changing allowing women to challenge old age patriarchal customs previously barring them from being appointed chiefs in their own right. The paper traces incidents in the his torical literature to reveal occasions when royal women were allowed to rule but only as regents and in many cases as influential female royals. This is fol lowed by a discussion of the recent appointment of women who have for the first time been installed as chiefs in their own right. Next, an examination of the kind of public issues the female chiefs have addressed since their appoint ment and the controversy generated by some of their pronouncements and views is made. The argument in this paper is that the recent appointment of women as chiefs should be understood within the wider context of the tremen dous and noteworthy progress the country is making in promoting the status of women in social, economic and political life.
New Contree
The chieftaincies in Kranskop in Umvoti seized the opportunity to exercise independence from the Zulu royal family, an opportunity which the advent of British imperialism provided. These chieftaincies decided to support the invading colonial forces during the Anglo-Zulu War of January to September 1879 and participated actively in the colonial armed forces which fought the Usuthu section of the Zulu royal family during the 1880s. They also provided active military support to the Natal colonial forces during the Poll Tax uprisings of 1906. This article retraces the genesis of the dispute over the chieftainship at MaMbulu in Kranskop between the Ngubane and the Nzama families. The consolidation of the Zulu Kingdom by King Shaka does not tell the whole story because some chiefdoms maintained their own autonomy. Examples are the shift in allegiance by the Ngubane to the British side because of political conflicts, and the move away from King Shaka by the Nzama chiefdom. It will be shown that the context which made it possible for the Nzama people to come under the leadership of the Ngubane can be linked to the different relations that King Shaka kaSenzangakhona, the founder of the Zulu Kingdom, shared with the various chieftaincies on its western boundary during the 1820s.