History of Southern Africa 1894-1918






Swaziland until 1894



Under the pressure of the Zulu, in 1815 the DLAMINI moved northward across the Pongola River, into what is called Swaziland today. Under King SOBHUZA I. they adopted the military strategy of the Zulus. In 1836, in the Battle of Lubuya, the Dlamini defeated the invading Zulu. In 1839, King Sobhuza I. died and was succeeded by his son Mswati; the name Dlamini changed to Swazi, after their new ruler. In 1845 the first mission station among the Swazi was established. In 1860, Coenraad Vermaak acquired the first Boer land concession on Swazi territory (basically the Swazi did not regard it a land concession, believing at that time to be engaged in a trade deal). In 1868, Mswati died; he was succeeded by son Ludvonga; the latter was poisoned in 1874.
In the latter half of the 19th century, Swaziland found itseld sandwiched between the Boer Zuisd-Afrikaansche Republiek, Portuguese Mocambique, British Natal and Zululand. In 1881 the Pretoria Convention was signed between the Cape Colony and the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (Transvaal) concerning Swaziland (1st Swaziland Convention); a second such convention followed in 1884.
In 1894, Swaziland, with British connivance, was declared a PROTECTORATE of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek.






HISTORIC MAPS Map of Africa 1892, from Gardiner's Atlas of English History, 1892, Swaziland not mentioned, it's territory allocated to S. African Republic


EXTERNAL
FILES
History of Swaziland from Infoplease
DOCUMENTS
REFERENCE Deutsche Botschaft, Pretoria : Swaziland vor der Unabhängigkeit (German Embassy, Pretoria : Swaziland prior to Independence), manuscript Juli 1968, in German
Article : Swaziland, in : Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events 1894 p.104 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on September 6th 2007

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