Zimbabwe: Matabele Kingdom (1838-1890)

Updated December 2007

In early 1838 the Rozwi kingdom was invaded by Nguni speaking people led by Mzilikazi. Mzilikazi, a one time general of King Shaka, the founder of the Zulu kingdom, had become estranged from the King in a conflict over cattle allocation and had fled from the Kingdom over the Drakensberg Mountains to the Highveld where he settled north of the Vaal River (Wikipedia 2007a). Here he transformed his initial following of 300 warriors into the nucleus of the Ndebele nation (though they designate theselves as "Mthwakazi") by the conquest and incorporation of the populations that they encountered. Here he found himself in conflict from 1836 onwards with the Voortrekkers (later "Boers"), who finally defeated him decisively in 1838 and forced him flee northwards across the Limpopo River (Wikipedia 2007a). Further attacks forced him northwards into Botswana and Zambia, but the tsetse fly borne sleeping sickness ravaged his cattle and he returned southwards to establish his capital around 1840 at Bulawayo (Wikipedia 2007a; Esterhuysen 2004).

In command of a population of around 20 000 people at the time of the crossing, he was able to use his superior military discipline and strategy to destroy the Rozwi kingdom. Some of the conquered were assimilated into the Ndebele while the rest were reduced to tributaries (Wikipedia 2007b; Esterhuysen 2004). Much strengthened by the consolidation of his power base he was able to successfully repel Voortrekker incursions between 1847-1851 and made peace with the Transvaal Republic in 1852 (Wikipedia 2007b). The first Christian missionaries arrived in Bulawayo in the form of Robert Moffat who was permitted to found a mission at Invati in 1858 that was affiliated with the London Missionary Society in 1861 (Encyclopedia of the Nations 2007; Columbia Encyclopedia 2005). The "discovery" of gold in 1867 near Mthwakazi (the native people had been mining gold for centuries here) further stimulated the interest of the European powers in the territory as knowledge of the discovery was disseminated (Esterhuysen 2004; Wikipedia 2007b). On the death of Mzilikazi in late 1868 his son Lobengula, acceded to the throne (Esterhuysen 2004; Wikipedia 2007b).

The Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, Cecil John Rhodes, was determined to expand British power in the north and feared especially that the path to central southern Africa would be blocked by Boer or Portuguese expansion (Esterhuysen 2004; Encyclopedia of the Nations 2007). He sent agents led by Charles Rudd to Lobengula to extract concessions, which were obtained (with some duplicity) in the form of the Rudd Concession (Esterhuysen 2004; Hanyama Undated). When Lobengula realised that the document he had signed gave away "the complete and exclusive charge over all metals and minerals in his kingdom", he attempted to repudiate it (Esterhuysen 2004; Hanyama Undated). Rhodes ignored the repudiation and used the concession to obtain, in 1889, a royal charter for the establishment of the British South Africa Company (BSAC) and to send a force in 1990 to establish a base for further expansion (Esterhuysen 2004; Encyclopedia of the Nations 2007; Hanyama Undated).

References

COLUMBIA ENCYCLOPEDIA 2005, "Zimbabwe" Sixth Edition, [www] http://www.bartelby.org/65/zi/Zimbabwe.html [opens new window] (accessed 6 Dec 2007).

ESTERHUYSEN, P 2004 "Zimbabwe: an historical overview", Institute of Strategic Studies, [www] http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-9396258_ITM [opens new window] (accessed 6 Dec 2007).

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE NATIONS 2007 "Zimbabwe: History", [www] http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Zimbabwe-HISTORY.html [opens new window] (accessed 6 Dec 2007).

HANYAMA, M UNDATED "Background to Land Reform in Zimbabwe", Embassy of Zimbabwe, [www] http://www.zimembassy.se/land_reform_document.htm [opens new window] (accessed 6 Dec 2007).

WIKIPEDIA 2007a "Mzilikazi", [www] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mzilikazi [opens new window] (accessed 6 Dec 2007).

WIKIPEDIA 2007b "Matabeleland", [www] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matabeleland [opens new window] (accessed 6 Dec 2007).