South African History
South African History
South African History
The history of South Africa covers the republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana,
Namibia, Zimbabwe and part of Angola.
However, reference is even made on part of central Africa and South Africa.
In South Africa, relief determined S much the settlement of people in the area.
On assertion to climate, land and soil, this was full of materials, like diamond and gold.
That’s why people who started in South Africa were cultivators.
Inhabitants were pastorals who lived a semi nomadic life e.g. the Bantu who were later taken by
the Europeans, occupied Transvaal and Orange Free states.
It was as a result of conducive condition that big towns like Johannesburg grew up.
South Africa has had three major races these are Africans, Europeans and Arabs (Asians).
The Europeans include French, Dutch, British and Portuguese.
The Asians mainly were found in natal since were brought in South Africa as workers in an
attempt to construct roads, railway and to work in plantations.
The Africans were the Khoikhoi, san and Bantu.
THE EARLIEST INHABITANTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
The earliest inhabitants in South Africa were the san followed by the khoi khoi and later the Bantu joined
them.
THE SAN
Explain the migration and settlement of the san or
Who were the sans?
The sans were people who were also called the hunters, bushmen, Twa or Roa.
They were short, yellow or brown skinned people
They are known to be the first inhabitants of South Africa.
They had a click sound in the language with limited vocabulary
The sans were believed to have migrated from east and central Africa.
Their migration is believed to have started at around AD 1000
This is due to the evidence got from rock paintings, which were found in South Africa similar to
those found in Tanganyika.
In reaching South Africa they settled around dammar land and Batlapin.
In south Africa they lived a hunting life in and around Kalahari Namibia deserts
They also occupied highland areas or Brakenstein, Camdembo, Winterberg and Drankensberg.
They also settled around rivers e.g. river orange, Vaal, Kei and Tugela.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SAN AND THE KHOI KHOI
Qn. Compare and contrast between the khoi khoi and the san.
Differences
The khoi khoi were taller than the san.
The khoi khoi spoke a language full of cliques and wider vocabulary compared to the san.
The khoi khoi lived in camps while the san lived in caves.
Marrying from the same clan between the khoi khoi was a taboo that was not the case among the
san.
The khoi khoi never had clan leaders while the san had a clan leader.
The khoi khoi reared sheep and cows as domestic animals while the san reared dogs as domestic
animals.
The khoi khoi had strong family ties as compared to the san.
The khoi khoi believed in magic powers while the san never believed in magic power.
The san prayed to the god kaggen while the khoi khoi prayed to tsuigoab.
Similarities
They both practiced polygamy
They had cliques in the language
They never cared for the sick and old people.
They were both hunters and food gatherers
They carried out fishing to supplement their diet.
They both stayed to the women’s family until the birth of their first born.
They both cerebrated important days like new moon.
They both used bows and poison to kill big animals.
They both lived a nomadic way of life.
BANTU SPEAKERS
CAUSES OF THEIR MIGRATION
Bantu is a linguistic word of black people who have a common word NTU or NDU in their
language.
These people originated from the west sudanic area (West Africa) i.e. Niger Congo basin.
HOW DID THE DUTCH EXPAND THEIR COLONY UP TO FISH RIVER BY 1795?
The expansion of the cape colony started with the Dutch occupation at the cape.
Their settlement at the cape was accidental in 1647
It took place because of Harlem wreckage that gave the 1st landing site at the cape.
In 1652, the Dutch merchants sent Jan van Reinbeck to set up settlement at the cape.
Three ships of the Dutch merchants sent with 120 people.
They settled along river lies beck.
The settlement proved to be expensive on the side of the Dutch merchants.
In 1657, they agreed to colonize the cape and nine soldiers were the ones to start it.
The soldiers were given land at lies beck valley and each soldier was to have 13 and a half acres
By then the colony was still small with little people.
REASONS FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE DUTCH COLONY (CAPE) UP TO FISH RIVER
BY 1795?
The expansion of the cape colony was not planned or coordinated.
Its expansion was du to economic, political and social reasons
Firstly it was due to the discontent of the Boer farmers at the cape.
The Dutch farmers wanted to get large pieces of land to increase their wealth.
The existence of unoccupied land in the interior of South Africa created the expansion.
The fixing of low prices to agricultural commodities by the company.
The need to adventure in the interior of South Africa.
Increase in population at the cape created a need for more land.
Military weakness of the Africans who could be defeated by the Boers
The nomadic and pastoral nature of the Dutch made them to expand up to the interior of South
Africa.
The soils at the cape had grown infertile therefore they wanted the interior that had more fertile
soils.
FACTORS FOR THE DECLINE OF THE DUCTH EAST INDIAN COMPANY 1795 (DEICO)
QN.what was the activities of the company at the cape?
Before 1795, the DEICO. Had practiced so many activities at the cape colony
It carried out vegetable growing and citrus juice.
It used to keep goats, sheep like merino.
They used to steel their commodity and sell their belongings to the resting ships.
The company collected taxes from the Dutch merchants
It forced Africans to provide forced labour in crop production.
In 1795, the British moved to the cape and took over administration.
It faced a lot of liberty from other European countries like France and Britain.
Their was a lot of corruption among the DEICO offices hence incurring loses.
The company had weak administration like willem don stol who failed to administer the
resources hence the company failure.
The company official failed to establish good relationship between Africans settlers and officials
which contributed to the failure of the company.
The company instituted policies which made so many settlers tofeel fed up of the place hence its
failure
The transfer of financial head quarters from Amsterdam (Holland) to London in Britain made the
company incur losses hence its decline
THE BOERS’ RESPONSE TO THE BRITISH PRESENCE AT THE CAPE BEFORE (1835)
How did the Boers respond to British presence at the cape?
The boers were not all happy about british reforms because it intervened their way of life
This made the boers to have certain response to the british between 1806-1835
The boers on the eastern and northern boaders became unsatisfied
In 1795, they revolted against the british administration at the Graafrient and swaollen dam
Boers rebelled after the slatchers neck incident where the boers were hanged
The boers disliked the british for having over taxed them and giving them few services
They hated English laws, which gave equality to all races in south Africa
The boers opposed abolition of slave trade & slavery
It caused hatred with the boers especially because of missionary works like Monrovian
The boers became suspicious about the britishg plans of improving ministers from Scotland
instead of the ducth church monsters
They resorted being brought to the court and being accused by themselves
They didn’t allow the British act of educating Africans and preaching of brother hood
They also ignored the new education system based on English as the only language used in
schools
They condemned the british for having failed to protect them against the cattle rushers ie the
Xhosa on the eatern volunteer
They rejected the abolition of the dutch rax dollar
The great trek is also a white revolution, which took place in 19th century
It was the movement of the boers into the interior of south Africa
It took place as a revolt against the british liberal policies which the boers became satisfied with
It took place under different leaders like Piet Retief at different occasions
It involved about 14000 trekkers who moved with Ox wagons carrying all movable property
Presence of un occupied land in the interior of south Africa made the boers to move in force
The boers didn’t want to be under the leadership of the brtish
The boers were pastorals who wanted water, pasture for their animals
Shortage of land at the cape due to increased population made them to trek
Many boers trekked because of adventure
The british publication of the cape colony
The cape land had lost fertility therefore they were looking for fertile land in the interior
Presence of weak African socities in the interior like Khoi-khoi made the boers to victorious in
their trek
They wanted to preserve their culture since they considered themselves God chosen race
NB. Add the british reforms in south African as causes for the great trek eg
Land mapping
Emancipation of slavery
Introduction of black circuits courts
Paying dutch priest salaries
English legal court
Introduction of English pound
Nullification of the province of queen Adelaide
Qn Describe the relationship between the Boer trekkers and the British.
At first the British didn’t stop the Boers from trekking later in 1836 laws were passed that Boers
were under the British
In addition this made the British to take over Natal in 1843
Between 1845-52 governor Sir Harry Smith of the British tried also to enter into the affairs of
orange free state and Transvaal
He managed to acquire the land between orange river and river Vaal but had enough force to
control the area
In 1852 the sand river convention was signed this gave Transvaal republic independence
WHY THE AFRIKANER NATIONALISM INCREASED AFTER 1850? or WHY DID THE
BOERS UNITE AFTER 1850?
After long stay in Africa, the Boers started calling them selves Afrikaner
Before 1850 the Dutch speaking people called themselves the Boers
Their languages, pastoral culture and religion were near to be phased out by the English culture
The development of new Afrikaner language made their crowd
The Boers priority that they didn’t join Africans
The gaining of equal rights to no rights by the British encourages their unity
The signing of sand river convention and Bloemfontain gave self-rule to the Boers
The closeness of Orange Free state and Transvaal encouraged their unity
The annexation of Griqualand by the British with the aim of stealing Boers diamond form orange
free state gave them to unite
The fear from African attacks like the Zulu, Bapedi made them to unite over their enemies
The discovery of minerals in Boer states made them to unite so that they can protect them
CAUSES OF MFECANE
EFFECTS OF MFECANE
Explain the impacts of Mfecane in South Africa
Loss of property like cattle
Increased insecurity and fear among people
There were famine because people were denied agricultural the death of Nandi
Many people were forced to migrate from Natal region
Zuu state expanded
BAMBATHA REBELLION.
Qn Why did the Bambatha conflict with the British in1906?
Bambatha rebellion was a conflict which took place between the Zulu of zondi reserve and
British
The Zulu were under the leadership of Bambatha chief
The rebellion took place during the regime of king Dinizulu
It took place after the discovery of minerals in south Africa that made many Africans to be put in
reserves get land for exploitation
Mineral discovery changed the economic social life of Africans eg youth Africans took up
temporary settlements in urban centres
Bambatha was dismissed for having failed to pay / raise the whites tax
This made him to re-organise the zulu people against the whites
The Africans used the bambatha opportunity to raise the anger/ annoyance about Cetswayo’s
exile
This portrayed long term haterage, suspicion and mistruct between the whites and the zulu hence
the war
In addition to the above they said that they want their independence
The heavy taxes imposed from the zulu people of about 1 pound per head caused the war
The making of the zulu people landless and putting them in infertile reserves caused the rebellion
The making of the Zulu people tenants on their motherland and increase of land rent
The disrespect of Dinizulu since they treated him as mere headsman but not as a king
The granting of Zulu land to the hands of British administrators at natal caused the rebellion
Forced labor and low payment to the Zulu people in urban centers led to the war
Explain the factors for the growth and expansion of Basutu nation between 185-1870.
Presence of able leaders like mosheshe
Strong and good personalities who were foresighted and intelligent
Existence of flat topped hills which were for security purposes
Well protected fortreses eg Butha mountains and Thaba Bosiu
Strong and good personalities who were foresighted and intelligent
Existence of flat –topped hills which were for security purposes
Well protected fortresses eg Burtha mountains and Thaba bosiu
Strong defensive programe of nation building and after mfecane
Assimiliation of various fleeing groups in sotho culture
Peace, patience and understanding of mosheshe
Good relationship with the neighbors
Presence of mounted horse soldiers who strengthened the military movement of the state the
opponents
Military advise provided by Europeans
The state was small and easy to control from internal and external aggression
Marriage alliances were encouraged to build strong nationalism and unite
Local affairs were left in the hands of provincial leaders that brought effieciency
Using internal treats people were united they realized that they had a common problems and
interests
Mosheshe avoided conflicts with the whites that promoted the relation between them and basuto
There was plenty of food which protected people from famine and external raids for food
ACHIEVEMENTS OF MOSHESHE.
He created unity amongst the basuto
He encouraged marriage from each community
He allowed refugees to come back
He promoted trade between basuto and Europeans
He trained a very strong army equipped with guns and horses
He created one language within the basuto
He prevented the Boers and the british from taking away the basutu nation
He maintained peace and stability within the nation
He created unit amongst the basuto despite the fact that they were many tribes within the area
He gave land and cattle to his people
He allowed missionaries to settle in his area and civilize his people
He avoided wars with others tribes
Mosheshe was noted to be one of the greatest leaders in the history of south Africa
He constructedp a new and safe capital and Thaba-Busiu
By the time he died he had protected the basuto community from white imperialism
He protected the independence of the Basuto
He led the state through a trouble some period Mfecane
He led a foundation for the present day Lesotho nation
He transferred his capital to Thaba busiu
He encouraged civilization in his nation by the missionaries
THE ROLE PLAYD BY VANDER KEMP AND JOHN PHILIP DURING MISSIONARY WORK.
J.T VAN DER KEMP.
He came to South Africa in 1779.
He was a member of London Missionary Society
He worked between the Khoi-khoi and Xhosa on the eastern frontier
He believed in equality of all races
He married a coloured who had been produced by a slave
He was blame for having encouraged laziness and idleness amongst Africans
Later he encouraged hard working amongst the Africans
He headed the fight to improve African standard of living
3. BRITISH
British got interested into the interior of south Africa after mineral discovery
They felt a heart of humanity to protect the Uitlands against kruger’s harassment
The boers humiliated the british when they interfered in their policies
British abandoned the poicy of supporting the Africans because now became the poorer
The british started associating with the boers because now were powerful ones
CECIL RHODES
REASONS FOR THE DEFEAT OF THE BAPEDI IN THE WAR BY THE WHITES
At the beginning , the Africans were successful but later defeated
The war was fought for a very longtime , which made the Africans exhausted
Africans had poor fighting weapons
The Pedi were few in number therefore they couldn’t with stand the growing number of whites
Africans like Swazi supported the whites hence defeating the Pedi
Pedi were hit with famine therefore they couldn’t fight bravely
Divisionalism among the royal family of Bapedi
The whites were determined to take over the pedi land
The pedi state was very small therefore the enemy could easily surround it
The whites hasd got experience in fighting against African resistances eg Kaffir war that is why
they defeated the pedi