Varying Views Towards The ‘Mfecane’ | | Aidan Bizony | 05-Aug-13 | | Essay Topic IV: The Varying Views Towards The ‘Mfecane’ During the course of this essay‚ I will be comparing the views of Professors Carolyn Hamilton and Julian Cobbing. I have just two very simple reasons for choosing these historians: they have both achieved high accolades in their various fields and the fact that Hamilton and Cobbing don’t exactly see eye-to-eye on the history of the Mfecane makes a somewhat entertaining
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PRE COLONIAL AFRICAN STATES SOUTHERN (1800-1900) THE MFECANE This is a Nguni term which for forced migrations of various Nguni speaking communities. This took place in the South Eastern part of South Africa in the period between 1810-1860. The Nguni speaking communities include the following: Xhosa‚ Swazi‚ Zulu‚ and Ndebele etc. Many historians have found it difficult to explain the causes of these migrants however population and land pressure amongst these groups living between Drakensbura
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Topic – Discuss the causes of the Mfecane‚ taking into consideration the variety of historiography on this event. Although no one can pinpoint exactly what caused the Mfecane‚ most believe the causes emerged at the end of the eighteenth and the start of the nineteenth centuries. Based on the historiography covering this event‚ historians believed many elements caused the Mfecane. Originally‚ everyone believed it was exclusively due to the rise and expansion of the Zulu nation under the rule of
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Julian Cobbing against ‘The mfecane’ Has the mfecane a future? In recent times historians known as “Africanists” revived the topic of the mfecane in the early 1960s and it was well exploited and was also used to justify certain aspects of Apatheid. The word ‘mfecane’ is a characterised product of the South African liberal history that is used by the Apartheid regime state to legitimate South Africa’s racially and unequal land division. In the 1970s the mfecane has become the most widely used terms
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THE CAUSES OF THE MFECANE AND WHY IT SPREAD SO FAR The Mfecane refers to a period of time in Southern Africa where there was political transformation and population migration during the 1820s and 1830s. The word Mfecane is a Zulu word meaning "crushing" or "scattering"‚which was exactly what happened during the Mfecane. There are various reasons about what led to the Mfecane‚such as environmental factors‚lack of food and certain chiefdoms expanding and extending their power‚some of these reasons
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Issue Analysis: The impact of the Mfecane on the Cape Colony E.K. Mashingaidze’s article‚ "The impact of the Mfecane on the Cape Colony‚" dealt with the impact that the movement had on the lives of those included in the movement. These individuals were the Nguni- speaking and Sotho- speaking people of Southern Africa. The article points out how this movement brought upon major changes to the way these groups lived and the outcomes in the end. Mashingaidze discusses how black- white relations between
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relevant is the study of the Mfecane to South African History and our contemporary (present) society?” What are the different theories on the Mfecane and how have these changed over time. (See your textbook references and the Jeff Guy lectures) You can also look at Giliomee and Mbenga pages 124-127 and 139 particularly (a copy is available in the classroom – BUT I WILL HAVE PHOTOCOPIES MADE IF YOU REQUEST THEM). Look at some of the older interpretations of the Mfecane – and compare these with more
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extreme pressure for the Zulu to find new land because of drought caused an expansion in territory and led to a series of wars for control which was dubbed Mfecane. The Mfecane was a period of warfare between different ethnic groups which led to many changes in the political structure of Southern Africa. This series of wars called the Mfecane was revolutionary during 1817-1828 (www.bbc.co.uk) and it was mainly due to the abolition of the Trans Atlantic slave trade‚ coupled with the increase in
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influence of British colonial government in 1834; led to settlement of regions north of Orange River and Natal. • Mfecane: Wars of 19th century in southern Africa; created by Zulu expansion under Shaka; revolutionized political organization of southern Africa. • Swazi: New African state formed on model of Zulu chiefdom; survived mfecane. • Lesotho: Southern African state that survived mfecane; not based on Zulu model; less emphasis on military organization‚ less authoritarian
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Shaka Zulu was a fierce warrior‚ brilliant military strategist‚ Leader expecting complete fearlessness from his warriors‚ and a murderous ruler. The Zulu nation today still takes pride in this revolutionary leader‚ who carved out the Zulu empire from simple beginnings. But Shaka was also brutal and fearless. During his reign he would execute men at will. The constant wars Shaka engaged in and the arbitrary executions eventually led to his downfall‚ when he was stabbed to death by a half-brother.
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