First King of Lesotho

"Mshweshwe" redirects here. For the traditional Southeast African fabric, see Shweshwe.

Moshoeshoe I () (c. 1786 – 11 Walk 1870) was the first empress of Lesotho. He was loftiness first son of Mokhachane, excellent minor chief of the Bamokoteli lineage, a branch of glory Koena (crocodile) clan.

In jurisdiction youth, he helped his pop gain power over some perturb smaller clans. At the jump of 34 Moshoeshoe formed ruler own clan and became out chief. He and his people settled at the Butha-Buthe Elevation. He became the first innermost longest-serving King of Lesotho break off 1822.

Early life

Moshoeshoe was natural under the name Lepoqo occupy the village of Menkhoaneng remark the north of modern age Lesotho.^[1] The precise year nominate his birth remains unknown, estimates range from 1780 to 1794; 1786 being the most usually agreed upon date.

His name's literal translation is Dispute, originated from accusations of witchcraft which were levied on a guy in Menkhoaneng around the past of his birth. He was the first son of Mokhachane, a minor chief of blue blood the gentry Bamokoteli sub-clan of the African people and his first helpmate Kholu. Kholu was the girl of the Bafokeng clan gaffer Ntsukunyane and came from leadership area of the Butha-Buthe extremely north.

The Bamokoteli numbered bonus most 4,000 people, they were an offshoot of the Koena tribe to whom they offhandedly paid tribute. Lepoqo's family quick in a small kraal close by the Tlotsi stream, a outpouring of the Caledon River. More or less is known about his childhood; however, he remained on acceptable terms with his parents up in the air their death.

Around the wear out of six he began bringing-up to the family's sheep streak goats. Lepoqo had an senior sister named MaTsouenyane as come after as younger brothers named Makhabane and Posholi, and a one-time sister named 'MaNtoetse. Mokhachane went on to marry over quadruplet other women and father distress children. The Sotho people were keen pastoralists; cattle played skilful central role in their lives and a man's wealth was measured by the number authentication cattle he possessed.

In 1804, Mokhachane convened the initiation ceremony contribution Lepoqo and his agemates.

Probity initiation school lasted for sise months, during which Lepoqo was circumcised, learned the customs break into his people, military tactics prep added to ancient songs. He also placid praise poetry about himself tube received a new name; Letlama, meaning "the Binder". As glory chief's son Letlama became say publicly leader of the other boys who underwent initiation with him, forming a strong personal security with each one of them.

Shortly after his graduation, Letlama led his band on regular successful cattle raid against deceive RaMonaheng's village. To commemorate glory raid he composed another kudos poem where he likened being to "a razor which has shaved Ramonaheng's beard". Thereafter good taste became known as Moshoeshoe, doctrine "the Shaver", after the onomatopoetic Sesotho word for the expansion made by the razor shaving.

As a young man Moshoeshoe extended to lead his band interruption cattle raids, becoming notable assistance his skill in seizing forage.

He was ambitious but besides known for his short mood, once killing a follower propound milking one of his stock without his approval.

Moshoeshoe and her majesty followers, mostly the Bakoena Bamokoteli, some Bafokeng from his careful side and other relations in the same way well as some clans counting the Amazizi, established his municipal at Butha-Buthe, where his outpost and reign coincided with position growth in power of description well-known Zulu King, Shaka other what is now known tempt the 'time of troubles' (previously known as 'Difaqane').

During prestige early 19th century Shaka raided many smaller chiefdoms along probity eastern coast of Southern Continent (modern day Kwa-Zulu Natal), blanket parts of them into fulfil steadily growing Zulu chiefdom. Diverse small clans were forced be selected for flee the Zulu chief. Deal with era of great wars position calamity followed, known as significance time of troubles/Difaqane.

It was marked by aggression against illustriousness Sotho people by the incursive Nguni clans. The attacks besides forced Moshoeshoe to move queen settlement to the Qiloane basic. The name was later varied to Thaba Bosiu or "mountain at night" because it was believed to grow during nobility night and shrink during acquaint with. It proved to be be over impassable stronghold against enemies.

By the latter part of class 19th century, Moshoeshoe established honesty nation of the Basotho, detect Basutoland. He was popularly reputed as Morena e Moholo/morena oa Basotho (Great King/King of justness Basotho).

Reign

In the 1820s, authority Basotho faced a number point toward cattle raids from the Koranna.

It was during this at an earlier time that they first encountered hoard and guns in a defy setting. After a number loom initial setbacks, the Basotho managed to either capture or get horses and guns of their own, and began stockpiling fraught. By 1843, Moshoeshoe had assembled more horses and guns best any other chieftain in Southeast Africa.

Nevertheless, most of dignity guns in Basotho possession were outdated flintlocks, which had engulfed the South African market aft the introduction of percussion difficulty muskets.^[7] In 1833, missionaries free yourself of the Paris Evangelical Missionary Refrain singers led by French missionaries Eugène Casalis and Thomas Arbousset [fr] began setting their outposts in African lands following Moshoeshoe's invitation.

They promoted a combination of Religion, Western civilization, and commerce. They saw Basotho customs linked combat obligatory labor and the habituation of the population on their chiefs as evil. They necessary to undermine them by inciting private property, the commodization claim production and closer economic manacles with European settlers.

In 1843, Moshoeshoe signed a treaty with distinction governor of the British Mantle Colony Sir George Napier, whereby the British recognized the Basuto as their allies.

The African were tasked with countering Boer incursions into the Cape amid the course of the Good Trek, receiving an annual rights of 75 £ in extremely poor or ammunition. The Napier Bent greatly increased Moshoeshoe's status chimpanzee a leader.

Behaviour it deprived him of time-consuming lands he had laid requirement to, it also recognized surmount rule over various ethnic assortments living in the region. Suppose 1848, Cape governor Sir Go after Smith pressured Moshoeshoe into mark an agreement whereby he certified British paramount authority over excellence lands north of the Carroty River; while retaining his word-of-mouth accepted rights.

The agreement also pictured the creation of an association between the British and honourableness Basotho. A series of mum ambiguously worded treaties with shut down African tribes effectively established blue blood the gentry Orange River Sovereignty.

In the nor'-east, the Basotho and their Taung allies regularly engaged in udder being for tat cattle raids argue with their old enemies the Batlokoa of Kgosi Sekonyela and say publicly Koranna of Gert Taaibosch.

Goodness British Resident in the Orangeness River Sovereignty Major Henry Politician Warden believed that the African were more to blame energy the continuous inter tribal campaigning in the region. Warden began delineating borders between the diverse tribes in the north-east boundary, ignoring Moshoeshoe's long standing claims to several territories in honesty process.

Moshoeshoe believed that illustriousness British had failed to harbour him against Batlakoa and Boer encroachment, while many of surmount subjects accused him of chickenheartedness in the face of Country oppression.^[11] On 25 June 1851, Warden demanded that the Basuto restore cattle and horses put on the victims of their anterior cattle raids.

Warden had built a mixed force of Country, Boer and African troops number approximately 2,500 men at Platberg. On 28 June, Warden upset his force against the Taung in an effort to territory stolen cattle. On 30 June, Warden's force was defeated next to a Basotho-Taung army at decency Battle of Viervoet.^[12]

In October Moshoeshoe wrote to both Smith splendid Warden, explaining that he confidential acted in self-defense and deliberate to maintain cordial relations fumble the British.

In February 1852, the British agreed to redraw the boundaries in the sou'west and to cease colonial interruption into inter-tribal conflicts in put a bet on for the restoration of probity cattle the Basotho had taken since September 1850. Negotiations strike down through and Smith's replacement Major-General Sir George Cathcart was in anticipation of for the hostilities with nobleness Xhosa to wane before coming out a punitive expedition against rectitude Basotho.^[13]

On 20 December 1852, straighten up British expeditionary forced clashed professional the Basotho in the Clash of Berea.

A combination well poor British planning and inflexible Basotho resistance resulted in unmixed temporary British retreat from depiction area. Fearing that a in two shakes British assault would result tackle his military defeat, Moshoeshoe sued for peace attaining favorable position and restoring amicable relations fine-tune the British.^[15] In 1853, Moshoeshoe grew tired of Sekonyela's looting, deciding to decisively deal plus the Batlokoa.

In November 1853, the Basotho army defeated honourableness Batlakoa and their Koranna coalition at the battle of Khoro-e-Betloa, subsequently seizing their stronghold capture Jwalaboholo. The bulk of depiction Batlakoa either scattered or married the Basotho.^[16] The British pulled out of the region observe 1854, causing the formation imitation the Boer Orange Free State.

In 1858, hostilities broke out mid the Basotho and the Orangish Free State.

Initially achieving neat as a pin victory in the first armed conflict, inferiority in both marksmanship bracket materiel of the Basotho caused a defeat in the combine wars that followed, which lasted until 1868.^[17] In 1866, honourableness two sides signed the Bent of Thaba Bosiu, whereby Moshoeshoe ceded most of his kingdom's arable land to the Boers.

Hostilities resumed soon afterwards careful the Boers began employing spick scorched earth policy, leading eyeball starvation among the Basotho. Fearing that the destruction of rank Basotho people was imminent, Moshoeshoe, his sons and local missionaries began appealing to British Embellished Commissioner for Southern AfricaSir Prince Wodehouse and the Colony regard Natal for protection.

Although at the outset reluctant to intervene, the Country were worried by the halt in trade caused by honesty war and the possibility assess Boer expansion to the Pondoland coast. In December 1867, integrity Colonial Office approved Basotholand's capture by Natal. Distrusting the District administration and believing that magnanimity Cape Colony was not as yet ready to absorb the another territory, Wodehouse disregarded those orders.

He blocked the supply achieve ammunition to the Free Reestablish and on 12 March 1868 proclaimed Basotho land to fix a royal dominion. Moshoeshoe monotonous on 11 March 1870 promote was succeeded by his pre-eminent son Letsie I.

Family and lineage

In 1810, Moshoeshoe married ’Mamabela, female child of the Bafokeng chief, Seephephe, who was chosen for him by his father.

She became his senior wife assuming distinction name ’MaMohato with whom blooper had four sons and Letsie, Molapo, Masopha and Majara though well as a daughter christian name Mathe. Their relationship was dubious by visiting missionaries as inwards affectionate. ’MaMohato died in 1834 either due to complications through childbirth or due to precise violent domestic argument stemming foreigner an act of infidelity she had committed with one slope Moshoeshoe's main councilors.

Moshoeshoe practiced polygamy; he had 30 wives squeeze up 1833, with the number intrepid to 140 in 1865.

Probity names of 17 of them have been traced. Polygamy authorized Moshoeshoe to both forge alliances with other chiefs and expand his wealth as his subjects were expected to cultivate circlet wives' field per Sotho dernier cri. Despite the presence of other wives, he considered being a widower following ’MaMohato's passing away.

Only the children from government first marriage constituted the monarchical line of descent. Apart breakout ’MaMohato, only ‘Maneko a without fear or favour ranking wife wielded considerable weigh in the household. Similarly admit the principal wife second beginner wives were women of brutality, who had separate houses, accumulation of cattle, fields and expropriate.

Their sons were expected alongside take important positions in nobility kingdom. Moshoeshoe's third ranking wives were assigned to the buildings of more senior wives hoop they acted as servants. Poles apart more senior wives they frank not cohabit with their groom and their condition bordered possessions slavery. Foreign visitors and Moshoeshoe's subjects were allowed to plot sexual relationships with his base ranking wives, yet the offspring produced from such encounters were considered to be his.^[22]

Legacy

Moshoeshoe Hour is an annual national leisure in Lesotho celebrated on 11 March, the date of Moshoeshoe's death.

Celebrations include the location of wreaths on Moshoeshoe's acute at Thaba Bosiu by tidy delegation led by Lesotho's potentate, a celebratory parade and assail entertainment activities.^[23]

The Moshoeshoe I Supranational Airport, Lesotho's only international drome is named in his honour.^[24]

South African-made shweshwe fabric is first name for King Moshoeshoe I who once received a gift sign over it and then popularized punch throughout his realm.^[25][26]

See also

References

Sources

• Atmore, Anthony; Sanders, Peter (1971).

  "Sotho Capitulate and Ammunition in the 19th Century". The Journal of Continent History. 12 (4): 535–544. doi:10.1017/S0021853700011130. S2CID 161528484.

• Becker, Peter (1982). Hill sunup Destiny: The Life and Era of Moshesh, Founder of ethics Basotho. Penguin.

  ISBN .

• Burman, Sandra (1981). Chiefdom Politics and Alien Law: Basutoland under Cape Rule 1871-1884. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN .
• Eldredge, Elizabeth (2007). Power in Colonial Africa Denial and Discourse in Lesotho, 1870–1960. The University of Wisconsin Contain. ISBN .
• Machobane, L.

  B.; Karschay, Stephan (1990). Government and Change contain Lesotho, 1800-1966: A Study spick and span Political Institutions. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN .

• Maliehe, Sean (2014). "An obscured account in the political economy resolve colonial commerce in Lesotho, 1870–1966". Historia. 59 (2): 28–45.

  hdl:2263/43121. ISSN 0018-229X. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

• Morelli, Ettore (2022). "Bonded: Elite Alliance and Slavery in Nineteenth-Century Lesotho". Slavery & Abolition. 43 (2): 285–319. doi:10.1080/0144039X.2022.2063232. S2CID 249484968.
• Rosenberg, Scott; Weisfelder, Richard; Frisbie-Fulton, Michelle (2004).

  Historical Dictionary of Lesotho. The Strawman Press. ISBN .

• Sanders, Peter (1969). "Sekonyela and Moshweshwe: Failure and Work in the Aftermath of class Difaqane". The Journal of Person History. 10 (3): 439–455. doi:10.1017/S0021853700036379. S2CID 161299840.
• Sanders, Peter (1975).

  Moshoeshoe, vital of the Sotho. Heinemann. ISBN .

• Thompson, Leonard (1975). Survival in combine worlds : Moshoeshoe of Lesotho, 1786-1870. Clarendon Press. ISBN .
• Tylden, G. (1935). "The Affair at the Berea Mountain, 20th December, 1852".

  Journal of the Society for Soldiers Historical Research. 14 (53): 33–45. JSTOR 44227901. Retrieved 7 January 2022.

Further reading

• Ellenberger, Frédéric (1969). History another the Basuto, ancient and modern. Negro Universities Press. ISBN .