grade 10 moshoeshoe essay

IvyPanda . (2019) 'The Survival of the Sotho Under Moshoeshoe'. 30 April.

IvyPanda . 2019. "The Survival of the Sotho Under Moshoeshoe." April 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-survival-of-the-sotho-under-moshoeshoe-essay/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Survival of the Sotho Under Moshoeshoe." April 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-survival-of-the-sotho-under-moshoeshoe-essay/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Survival of the Sotho Under Moshoeshoe." April 30, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-survival-of-the-sotho-under-moshoeshoe-essay/.

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King Moshoeshoe: The living testimony of his life as the first Pan-African

  A Model of Pre-Colonial African Leadership  

By max du preez (research fellow, centre for leadership ethics in africa, university of fort hare).

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History Grade 10 2019 Term 4 November Past Papers and Memos

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History Grade 10 - Topic 4 Essay Questions and Answers

Shaka Zulu Legacy

Essay questions on Shaka Zulu’s legacy will be asked as 8-mark questions where students have to use sources to answer the question. The following article will discuss the major points of the question and refer to supporting evidence for these points.

TIP: See our technical skills pack on answering source-based paragraphs.

The above statue portraying Shaka Zulu was removed in 2010, due to difference in opinion about the portrayal of Shaka Zulu. [1] Discuss the legacy of Shaka Zulu by explaining ways in which he has been portrayed, and why he has been portrayed this way.

How has Shaka been remembered?

A myth and legacy around Shaka Zulu emerged in the early 19th Century in South Africa. It was initially believed that Shaka was the main cause of the Mfecane. [2] This has since been debated by historians, who claim that Shaka was one of many leaders that played a role in influencing South Africa during this time. This discussion shall look at different portrayals of Shaka and why he was depicted in this way.

TIP: Questions on Shaka and the Mfecane are examinable. See additional article on the historiography of the Mfecane.

How Shaka has been portrayed?

The late Winston S. Churchill , former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, once stated that, “History is written by victors.” [3] A victor is a winner and by incorporating only the winner’s interpretation into history it leads to biased representation of history. One see’s traces of the victor’s history in common portrayals of Shaka Zulu : [4]

• Some historians portray Shaka as a “military genius” who consolidated a powerful Zulu military and society resulting in the defeat of other chiefdoms. [5] Shaka was obsessed with military tactics and employed new techniques on the battlefield that allowed for the defeat of rival kingdoms.
• Shaka is also portrayed as a cruel tyrant who caused the destruction and misery of African societies during the Mfecane as he had firm control over his subjects. [6] Shaka would order the execution of those who he deemed a threat or disloyal to him or the Zulu kingdom.
• Shaka is also portrayed as a nation builder and an admirable leader who consolidated and strengthened the Zulu nation. [7]

Information or knowledge on Shaka comes from different types of sources. Historical research methodology requires that the reliability of sources has to be assessed. Questions of who produced the sources and why sources were produced can give one a better understanding of the angle taken in the information’s portrayal.

The Military Genius

Oral history and praise poems portray Shaka as a “military genius.” Here is an extract from a praise poem titled Shaka: [8]

“Dlungwana son of Ndaba! Ferocious one of the Mbelebele brigade, Who raged among the large kraals, So that until dawn the huts were being turned upside down. He who is famous without effort, son of Menzi, He who beats but is not beaten, unlike water, Axe that surpasses other axes in sharpness; Shaka, I fear to say he is Shaka, Shaka, he is the chief of the Mashobas. He of the shrill whistle, the lion; He who armed in the forest, who is like a madman, The madman who is in full view of the men. He who trudged wearily the plain going to Mfene; The voracious one of Senzangakhona, Spear that is red even on the handle… The attacker has been long attacking them: He attacked Phungashe of the Buthelezi clan, He attacked Sondaba of Mthanda as he sat in council, He attacked Macingwane at Ngonyameni, He attacked Mangcengeza of the Mbatha clan, He attacked Dladlama of the Majolas, He attacked Nxaba son of Mbhekane, He attacked Gambushe in Pondoland, He attacked Faku in Pondoland.”

In African societies, oral tradition was the main way to pass on information where speaking about history would passed down from one generation to the next. [9] Praise poems or izibongo, a Zulu word referring to praises intoned in honour of a person, are generally long. Oral tradition has accumulated accounts of people who lived through the events or who heard of these events. The following quote comes from an interview in 1903 that a Natal administrator, James Stuart, had with Jantshika Nongila whose father was a spy for Shaka : [10]

“At Dukuza, while Tshaka was sitting in company, he pointed to the cattle in the kraal and said, “No ordinary man will inherit those cattle; none but a great man will get them. The day I die the country will be overrun by locusts; it will be ruled by white men. The stars will be bright in the sky. While I am still taking care of you.”

The Cruel Tyrant

Accounts which portrayed Shaka as a cruel and bloodthirsty tyrant were based on written accounts. The only written accounts of Shaka produced during his lifetime were by British traders who visited the Zulu kingdom in the 1820s. Lots of historians based their views of Shaka on the diary of Francis Fynn, a British trader. [11] The credibility of the source is problematic as the diary did not provide an accurate daily account, but was written down from what Fynn could still remember. In addition, the British trader called Nathaniel Isaacs encouraged Fynn to write negatively about Dingane and Shaka . In a letter addressed Fynn, Isaacs said: [12]

“Make them seem as bloodthirsty as you can, and try to give an estimation of the number of people they have murdered during their reign.”

The Nation Builder

The negative depictions of Shaka by British traders were not the only colonial written records, but there were also colonial administrators in Nata l who portrayed Shaka as a nation builder. [13] In the early 1900s a Natal administrator, James Stuart, collected many oral testimonies from people who heard of stories of Shaka . For example, in 1903, Stuart interviewed Jantshika Nongila, the son of Shaka’s spy. [14] The following extract comes from original documents written by Stuart from the interviews he conducted and these original documents are currently held in the Killie Campbell Africana Library in Durban: [15]

“Almost at the same time as that of Napoleon in Europe, the career of Shaka in South Africa, instead of being full of failure, met with success and that in a truly remarkable manner. Beginning with a small and little known tribe he by degrees lifted it together with many surrounding tribes within a five hundred mile radius into becoming a great nation.”

During the twentieth century written records were produced by Zulu leaders who admired Shaka’s leadership skills. [16] The former  African National Congress (ANC)  Leader,  Albert Luthuli , wrote of Shaka in his autobiography, “Let My People Go”. [17] Luthuli wrote of Shaka as a formidable leader, but also as a leader who displayed dangerous characteristics as a dictator.

Why was Shaka portrayed in this way?

Different sources provide different perspectives and theories of Shaka’s role and influence as a leader of the Zulu kingdom . Sources display bias when they focus on one aspect of Shaka , either as a nation builder or a cruel tyrant. [18] Sources that depict Shaka as a cruel tyrant have dominated the historical narrative of the Zulu leader. These sources also place a lot of emphasis on the traditional view that Shaka Zulu was one of the main causes for the Mfecane. [19] However, from the 1980s many historians rejected the one-sided view of Shaka as merely a bloodthirsty tyrant, but placed more emphasis on his positive role as a Zulu leader.

Remember that one has to ask who and why a source was produced. Negative portrayals of Shaka by British colonial traders were written when the British saw him as a threat to their colonial influence in Natal . [20] By portraying Shaka as a threat, it could justify their subjugation of the Zulu kingdom . However, by the early 1900s Shaka had long passed on and was no longer a threat to the British colony. [21] In the early 1900s the Natal administrator, James Stuart, wanted to produce accounts of Shaka as a proficient administrator, because he wanted to provide evidence to the British colony of good African administrators so that African leaders could administer areas reserved for African land use. [22] Thus, the pool of information about Shaka provided more positive accounts of his leadership. From the 1980s, more historians rejected the biased notion of Shaka as a bloodthirsty tyrant, but have integrated different perspectives which acknowledge his intelligible leadership, without ignoring his dictatorial tendencies. [23]

This content was originally produced for the SAHO classroom by Ilse Brookes, Amber Fox-Martin & Simone van der Colff

[1] C. Ndasilo. “King Shaka statue still causing trouble”. News24. 23 August 2013. Available at: https://www.news24.com/news24/Travel/South-Africa/King-Shaka-statue-still-causing-trouble-20130823

Accessed 15 October 2020.

[2] J. Wright. “Political Mythology and the Making of Natal’s Mfecane,” Canadian Journal of African Studies. (23), (2), 1989. p. 272.

[3] History News Network. “The History of “History is Written by the Victors,” available at: https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/173752 . [online] Accessed 25 November 2020.

[4] N. Worden, J. Bottaro, P.  Visser, P. “In Search of History: Grade 10 Learner’s Book”.

[8] Ibid.”.

[9] SA History Online, “Oral Tradition and indigenous knowledge.”[online] Available at: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/oral-tradition-and-indigenous-knowledge . Accessed 25 November 2020.

[10] Testimony from the James Stuart Archive. Available at:  https://fhya.org/baleka-ka-mpitikakazi-testimony-from-the-james-stuart-archive-of-recorded-oral-evidence-relating-to-the-history-of-the-zulu-and-neighbouring-peoples-volume-1-ant-lyl [online]. Accessed 25 November 2020.

[11] H.F. Fynn. D. McK. Malcolm, J. Stuart. (eds.).  The Diary of Henry Francis Fynn. Compiled from Original Sources . (Shuter & Shooter: Pietermaritzburg, 1950.)

[12] N. Worden, J. Bottaro, P.  Visser, P. “In Search of History: Grade 10 Learner’s Book”.

[14] Testimony from the James Stuart Archive. Available at:  https://fhya.org/baleka-ka-mpitikakazi-testimony-from-the-james-stuart-archive-of-recorded-oral-evidence-relating-to-the-history-of-the-zulu-and-neighbouring-peoples-volume-1-ant-lyl [online]. Accessed 25 November 2020.

[15] N. Worden, J. Bottaro, P.  Visser, P. “In Search of History: Grade 10 Learner’s Book”.

[17] A. Luthuli. Let My People Go. (Mafube: Tafelberg, 1960).

[18] N. Worden, J. Bottaro, P.  Visser, P. “In Search of History: Grade 10 Learner’s Book”.

[19] J. Wright. “Political Mythology and the Making of Natal’s Mfecane,” Canadian Journal of African Studies. (23), (2), 1989. p. 272.

[20] N. Worden, J. Bottaro, P.  Visser, P. “In Search of History: Grade 10 Learner’s Book”.

[22] Testimony from the James Stuart Archive. Available at:  https://fhya.org/baleka-ka-mpitikakazi-testimony-from-the-james-stuart-archive-of-recorded-oral-evidence-relating-to-the-history-of-the-zulu-and-neighbouring-peoples-volume-1-ant-lyl [online]. Accessed 25 November 2020.

[23] J. Wright. “Political Mythology and the Making of Natal’s Mfecane,” Canadian Journal of African Studies. (23), (2), 1989. p. 272.

• Henry Francis, F. Stuart, J. & McK. Malcolm D. (eds.).  The Diary of Henry Francis Fynn. Compiled from Original Sources . Pietermaritzburg: Shuter & Shooter, 1950.
• History News Network. “The History of “History is Written by the Victors,” available at: https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/173752 . [online] Accessed 25 November 2020.
• Luthuli A.  Let My People Go. Mafube.  Tafelberg, 1960.
• SA History Online, “Oral Tradition and indigenous knowledge.”[online] Available at: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/oral-tradition-and-indigenous-knowledge . Accessed 25 November 2020.
• SA History Online, “The Mfecane.”[online] Available at: Insert link. Accessed tbc.
• Testimony from the James Stuart Archive. Available at:  https://fhya.org/baleka-ka-mpitikakazi-testimony-from-the-james-stuart-archive-of-recorded-oral-evidence-relating-to-the-history-of-the-zulu-and-neighbouring-peoples-volume-1-ant-lyl [online]. Accessed 25 November 2020.
• Wright, J. “Political Mythology and the Making of Natal’s Mfecane,” Canadian Journal of African Studies. (23), (2), 1989.
• Worden, N., Bottaro, J. Visser, P. “In Search of History: Grade 10 Learner’s Book”.

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8 Facts about King Moshoeshoe I: The Razor of Southern Africa

Introduction: King Moshoeshoe I , founder of Lesotho, reigned from 1822 to his death in 1870, during a period of immense tumult in southern Africa. He waged one of the most effective resistance efforts to colonialism (from the Dutch Boer settlers and British Empire) over many decades, as well as to Shaka’s military consolidation of what became Zulu Kingdom in the 1820s.

His name was originally a nickname derived from a poem he wrote as a youth, a braggadocio-filled anthem to farm animal theft that could put most hip-hop moguls to shame. From the poorly sourced Wikipedia version of the story:

During his youth, he was very brave and once organised a cattle raid against Ramonaheng and captured several herds. As was the tradition, he composed a poem praising himself where, amongst the words he used to refer to himself, said he was “like a razor which has shaved all Ramonaheng’s beards”, referring to his successful raid. In Sesotho language, a razor makes a “shoe…shoe…” sound, and after that he was affectionately called Moshoeshoe: “the shaver”.

  He also wore an appropriately supreme tophat and cape, like the badass king he was.

King Moshoeshoe I with his ministers of state (Bensusan Museum, Johannesburg – Wikimedia )

Additional claims to fame include:

• He founded his own all-new clan at age 34. Presumably on the strength of his charisma, diplomatic flair, and cattle-rustling skills. This clan established a settlement in a location that could withstand Zulu assaults. His original clan eventually grew to be Lesotho and environs.
• He never lost a major battle!
• He ruled for 48 years against a colonial onslaught. Many native rulers in Africa were unable to maintain such a strong level of sovereignty and control in their domains during the period.
• He united the various Sotho people into a Basotho nation through a combination of battle followed by compassionate diplomacy (rather than subjugation through conquest).
• He was very willing to mess with the Boers as they tried to invade. He would give them fair conditions for maintaining peaceful coexistence and then beat them back when they rebelled. Eventually, of course, they took over much of the outlying territories of his realm (as they did in many places). But he never lost control of his home kingdom.
• He beat the British military and then threw them a bone so they could make peace with dignity.
• He manipulated various Europeans to get defensive weapons and surprisingly valid foreign policy advice to fight off the settlers. He also used them to help preserve local culture in written form for future generations.
• He successfully negotiated an intervention by Queen Victoria to preserve Lesotho against all attempts at settler seizure, via protectorate status...

While this did eventually make Lesotho into a colony, it remained separate and intact from British South Africa and Apartheid South Africa both during and after its colonial phase. The monarchy still survives to this day (now in constitutional form) and the Sotho culture endures. Compared to how many of the surrounding areas fared, the decision to pitch a deal to Queen Victoria makes King Moshoeshoe I look pretty insightful.

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