MFECANE
WAR
Introduction
According to
Davies,(2003)The word Mfecane is from Zulu words meaning “Crushing”, a
period of wide spreading warfare
plundering,disturbances,destruction and migration in Zulu land and in
other parts of south Africa.
Mwijage,(2004) The term
Mfecane is a Nguni word meaning crushing, to Sotho people use the words
“Difagane” or “Lifagane” meaning forced migration and wondering or disturbances
Shillington,(2004)
Mfecane was a series of wars and population movement that took place over much
in south Africa from 1810’s to 1830’s
Alao(1994),
Mfecane is a Zulu word used to desrcibe the violent millitary outburst that
engulfed the whole southern Africa in 19th c
Evans(2012).
The word Mfecane is derived from Xhosa term “Ukufaca” to become a thing
from hunger and fetocanic starring intruders. Mfecane refers to a
period of political disruption and population migration in south Africa to
other areas during 1820’sand 1830’s Europeans called Mfecane as “wars of
calamity” by 1825, two and half millions starring homeless people wondered
about south Africa looking for respite.
Phases of Mfecane war
James (2010). The
Mfecane passed through two phases which are;
v First
phase (1800-1817)
The war took place
between the
Ø Ndwandwe
and Ngwne under Sobhuza that resulted faille of Ngwane and moed to Swaziland
Ø Mthethwa
under Dingiswayo and Ndwandwe under Swide,in 1817 Dingiswayo was killed by
Swide soldiers
v Second
phase (1817-1828)
The war took place
between
Ø Shaka
of Zulu and Mthethwa under Dingiswayo
Ø The
Shaka won the war and he was killed by his member of family and his brother
Dingane took the power in 1828 to 1840 .The origin of Mfecane war was Shaka’s
expansion policy which led to the conquering neighbouring states in 1828 to
1834 James(2010)
Causes Mfecane
v Economic
o
Control of profitable trade along
Delagao bay .A number of powerful states fought one
another over the control of trade along Delagao bay .some societies in south
Africa region began to compete more intensively for control of the
commodities traded particularly ivory,
with Portuguese through Delagao bay guns received in trade made the competition and more violence in south
Africa Spencer (2005)
o
Intensive competition for the land in South Africa .
Maize was introduced in region
18thc and it became a plentiful
staple, population grew,overfarming and over grazing depleted amount of usable land.Denoon
(1973)
o
The control of fertile Phongolo
valley or (Pongola)
Political
The rise of Shaka and his expansion policy.
Zulu state under Shaka organized constant wars of expansion against Podo, Segu,
Mthethwa, Swazi, Zwide, Ndwande and Sotho to be under his control. But these communities fought for their
control,Said (2003)
Advancement of Boers
into the interior of south Africa. when Boers moved into
interior of south Africa caused shortage of land and increased population in
south east that resulted inter tribal wars.The Boers determined to control of
fertile soil in the interior this caused
more trouble. Knight (1996)
Evolution of the age
grade military system. By the introduction of this new
military system many neighboring
communities had to flee from their original homestead for safe life, Said (2004).
Social
Population pressure. The
food produced from maize influenced more birth among the communities that
resulted the need of land and the areas for grazing their cattle.”Cattle
increased significantly as a result young men could acquire cattle easily to
provide bride wealth for wives, this led more young men to have more than one
wife which led population increase”. Roger
(2000)
Impacts of Mfecane war
q Social
ü Depopulation.
Kassin
(2012) comment on the point by saying south east of south Africa became the
land of death, misery and acute hardship the land interfered with human corpses
and skeleton.
ü Migration
of people from south Africa to other areas ,Muena
(2009) people moved from insecurity
places to security places e.g. Ndwandwe &Ngwane moved towards north of south Africa.
ü Deculturalization
& families separation. Families ,traditions and customs
broke up because people of the same society never met again due to death and
others moved to new areas of new societies .Philip (2005) says the traditional
orders was mostly radically changed in Zulu kingdom .
ü Intermarriage
among the societies when groups moved to other places
married each other. Wilison (1994) provides the societies that intermarried
e.g Hehe and Mbuga intermarried with the
central societies similarly in Mozambique
the Mosheshoe immigrant intermarried with the people they stayed with.
q Political
ü Establishment
of Boers settlement at Natal in south Africa. Richard (2012), “many
people left the Natal area during the war, hence the Boers occupied that areas
and established settlements in 1800’s”
ü )
Emergence of strong leadership. The states that
survived until the period of the European colonization of some of
leadership had created outstanding armies the put up a stiff resistances to
European conquest , James(2010
ü Decline
some states in central Africa and East Africa. States like Lozi, Rozwi and Tumbu were badly
destroyed. Kathleen(2012) Nguni migration in east Africadestroyed states
like Yao, Mwenamtapa,Thongo, Sanga and Hehe
Establishment of new empires. These includes
empires of Gaza, Sena empire and Tele empire were brought under Shoshangane had
established an empire stretching from
Limpopo to Inyanga. Wilson (1994)
ü Political
reorganization. Muena (2009) states that “political unity were constructed in such way that power was
never absolute and they discouraged force of disruption because these units
also created crosscutting alliance
ü Military
organization . Many states copied the same method of fighting e.g. Nguni,Kololo
and Ndebele copied the method of fighting from Shaka of Zulu Brian(2008)
Economic
impacts
o
Increased slave activities.
Ngoni and Ndebele took the captives of the war as slaves, according to Saidi(2003)says
“African coastal traders were easily raided, they formed themselves into
formidable gangs known as Mviti who captured people and sold them into slavery”
o
Disruption of trade along the
coast of Africa,
during the war non can dare to conduct trade, cultivation and other economic
activities Kathleen(2012)
Conclusion
Briefly is imperative
to note that Mfecane movement swept some
bantu speaking group from south Africa and left a remarkable effects in central
and East Africa region. It was turbulent time of crises that need to be remembered on the 19thc
events in political, social and economical within south Africa and the areas
around south Africa.
Sketch map of Migration
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