ORIGIN OF BANTU
◦
Before
Bantu began to expand into southern Africa, they originated at the border of
Nigeria in 3000BCE. The Bantu people had agriculture, metals for tools, and
livestock. Early on in history, they began to split into two major groups: the
West and East Bantu. The reason for split is unknown but it was most likey to
find more places to inhabit. They began migrating around the Iron Age. Both the
Bushmen and the Hottentot were a branch of the nomadic or migratory Bantu
people. The Bantu are believed to have migrated to Southern Africa from East
and Central Africa as a result of wars, famine and overpopulation. The Bantu,
prior to the arrival of the Europeans, spoke a closely related language, and
estimates of their population, during the fifteenth and sixteenth century,
reached 50,000,000 people.8 The term Bantu is a philological word coined during
the nineteenth century by the European. It comes from aba ntu meaning "people,"
and is the plural of the word "man"-umu ntu. The language and customs
of the Bantu speaking people varied only slightly causing them to form close
bonds through kinsmanship and lineage ties. 9 Donald Morris describes the Bantu
people as follows:
THE CHIEF
AND THE RULE OF LAW
} The chief was the recognized leader
of all civil, military and religious matter affecting.
} The chief governed with the agreement
of the senior members of the clan
} it was usual for the chief to consult
with a small council of advisors
} In matter of great importance an assembly of all
religions chiefs was called.
} Justice was carried out in courts
presided over by the chiefs or sub-chiefs.
} In this bantu speakers chiefdoms ship
was largely hereditary, although chief
were often replaced when not effective.
} With most bantu clan in south Africa
the eldest son inherited the office of his father
} Other clans. The eldest brother of
the deceased chief took over the office
} Generally the chiefs had much power
but were not above the law (Shongwe, 2001)
} MAP TO SHOW BANTU SPREAD
} SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
} Until very recently, Bantu speaking
communities were often divided into different clans, not around National
federations, but independent groups from some hundreds to thousands of
individuals.
} The smallest unit of the political
organisational structure was the household, or Kraal, consisting of a man,
woman or women, and their children, as well as other relatives living in the
same household. The man was the head of the household and often had many wives;
and was the family's primary representative. The household and close relations
generally played an important role. Households which lived in the same valley
or on the same hill in a village were also an organisational unit, managed by a
sub-chief.
} Chiefdomship was largely hereditary,
although chiefs were often replaced when not effective. With most clans the
eldest son inherited the office of his father. With some clans the office was
left to the oldest brother of the deceased chief, and after his death again the
next oldest brother. This repeated until the last brother died. Next was the
eldest son of the original chieftain; then the oldest one of the brothers as
the leader. The chief was surrounded with a number of trusted friends or
advisors, usually relatives like uncles and brothers, rather than influential
Headmen or personal friends. The degree of the democracy depended on the
strength of the chieftain. The more powerful and more influential a chieftain
was, the lesser the influence of his people. Although the leader had much
power, he was not above the law. He could be criticized both by advisors as
well as by his people, and compensation could be demanded
} Traditionally, Bantu speakers were
not territorially minded like the Europeans, but rather group-related. As long
as sufficient land was available, they had only very vague conceptions of borders. Borders were
natural features such as rivers or mountains, which were not by any means
fixed.
} Common ideas among Bantu of South
Africa
} Communities divisions and their
common ideas
} Bantu communities
South Africa Bantu
speaking communities are roughly divided into four main groups Nguni, Sotho,Tswana, Vhavenda and Shangana Tsonga, with the Nguni representing
the largest group. These are divided as follows:-
v Northern Nguni Swati,Zulu,Ndebele,Ngoni (in
Northern Zimbabwe)
v Suthern Nguni Mfengu,Mpondo, Mpondomise,Thembu, Xhosa,
Shangane Tsonga, Sotho-Tswana, Basotho, Lozi
v Northern Sotho, Balobedu, Bapedi, Batswana, Vhavenda,
Vhalemba(speaking Tshivenda)
} Common among the two powerful
divisions of the Nguni and the Sotho–Tswana are Matrilineal societies, with
which the leaders formed the socio-political units. Similarly, food acquisition
was by cultivation and hunting
LAND OWNERSHIP
} Individual ownership of land is not
characteritics of national identity of bantu people(Beningfield,2006)
} Communial land ownership is the
accepted traditions.
} The chief decided how it was to be
ü he has the power to give other people
ü the right to use land on a temporal basis for
his own people(Beinat 2006)
ECONOMIC
ACTIVITIES
v They cultivated crops like millets,
beans, sorghum, pumpkin and water melon.
v They keep animals like cattle's,
goats and sheep.
v Cultivation was done by girls and
women.
v Animal keeping wa being done by Men
v In the 16th century maize
was introduce by the Portuguese.
} Cattle was used for exchange with
other goods
} The cattle were used to pay as wages
to poorers who worked to the reach.
} Hunting was being done by the Bantu
} They collected honey from the
forests.
} Mining of copper, tin, gold and iron`
} Economic activities cont…..
} Craft industry produced pots,
baskets, mats, leather work, ivory carving, barter trade and long distance
trade were also done. Therefore the economy was diversified.(Mugaju 1992:20-23)
} ETHNIC PARTITIONING
} South Africa's Bantu speaking
communities are roughly "divided" into four main groups:
Nguni, Sotho–Tswana, Vhavenda and Shangana Tsonga, with the Nguni representing
the largest group. These are divided as follows (this list is not exhaustive):
} Nguni
◦
Northern
Nguni
– Swati
– Zulu
– NdebeleXhosa
} Shangane Tsonga
} Sotho–Tswana
– BasoNgoni (in Northern Zimbabwe)
◦
Southern
Nguni
– Mfengu
– Mpondo
– Mpondomise
– Thembu
◦
tho
◦
Lozi
◦
Northern
Sotho
– Balobedu
– Bapedi
◦
Batswana
} Vhavenda
} Vhalemba
◦
(speaking
Tshivenda)
} Common among the two powerful
divisions of the Nguni and the Sotho–Tswana are patrilineal societies, with
which the leaders formed the socio-political units. Similarly, food acquisition
was by cultivation and hunting. The most important differences are the strongly
deviating languages, although both are Southern Bantu languages, and the
different settlement types and relationships. With the Nguni settlements were
villages widely scattered, whereas with the Sotho–Tswana settled in towns.
} FOOD ACQUISITION
} Food acquisition
} Their food acquisition was primarily
limited to agriculture and hunting, where generally the women were responsible
for agriculture and the men drew for the hunt. Except with the Tsonga (and
partially the Mpondo), fishing was surprisingly of little importance. The diet
consisted of corn (introduced from South-East Asia), meat (mostly wild game and
beef), vegetables; and milk, water and grain beer (which contained very little
alcohol compared with European beer).
} There were a number of taboos
regarding the consumption of meat. No meat of dogs, apes, crocodiles and snakes
could be eaten. Likewise taboo was the meat of some birds, like owls, crows and
vultures, as well as the flesh of certain totem animals.
} All Bantu speaking communities
commonly had clear separation between the tasks of the women and those of the
men.
} HOUSE TYPES
} Traditionally, communities live in
two different types of houses. The Nguni use the Beehive house, a circular
structure out of long poles, which is covered with grass. The huts of the
Sotho–Tswana, Venda and Shangana Tsonga use the cone and cylinder house types.
A cylindrical wall is formed out of vertical posts, which is sealed with mud
and cow dung. The roof is built from tied-together poles. The floor of both
types is compressed earth.
} The term “Bantu people” is used to
describe the roughly 60 million Africans who speak languages in the Bantu
language family. Given that there are approximately 400 of these closely
related languages, it should come as no surprise that these people are
incredibly diverse, and that societies and governments among Bantus can be
radically different. Some people feel that the term may not be entirely
appropriate, since it encompasses such a huge group of Africans; these individuals
may prefer to identify individual communities instead.
} It is estimated that the tribes that
make up this group probably began migrating from Northern Africa around 3,000
BCE. They probably brought an assortment of skills with them, including the
ability to farm and work metals such as iron, and this migration continued
until around the fourth century CE. Many of these people settled south of the
Congo River. Over time, a number of languages, including Swahili, Kirundi,
Gikuyu, Tsonga, and Basaa, developed; many of these languages share the word
“Bantu” for people, and except for a region in South-East Africa where Khoi-San
is spoken, they cover Southern Africa.
} CULTURE
} Traditionally, Bantu speakers were
not territorially minded like the Europeans, but rather group-related. As long
as sufficient land was available, they had only very vague conceptions of borders.
Borders were natural features such as rivers or mountains, which were not by
any means fixed.
} POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF BANTU
◦
The
political of organization of bantu
were divided into different
clans
◦
The
smallest Unity of the political organization
structure was household
or kraal ,consist of man and women and their
children other relatives
living in the same
household .{ Rogers B:2000}
◦
Also
inheritance of chiefdom .Chiefs
were often replaced when
not effectives with most clan
the oldest son inherited
the office of his father.
} SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF BANTU
} BANTU MUSIC
Traditionally the Nguni
are Vocalist and
instruments who favor
rattles reed flutes ,whistles
horns ,Apparently they did not originally haves drums.
} BANTU RELIGION
} Bantu had basic beliefs was
polytheistic people had to follow certain sets of rule in order to receive abundantly harvest and gifted many
other blessings. Who was also against to
this rule was punished. They also belief in many small deities that influenced
the daily affairs of the people.
v They believes life after death
REFERENCE
Guthrie, M (1967) Comparative Bantu,
Farnbouughi Gregg International Publisher south africa
Rogen B.
Beck(2000) The History of South Africa. Greenwood press America.
Funso A. F (2004)culture and customs
of south Africa. United states publishers.
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