Mfengu biography of christopher

Xhosa Tribe

Ethnic group

Person	uMfengu
People	AmaMFengu
Language	IsiXhosa
Country	KwaMfengu

The amaMfengu (in the Xhosa languageMfengu, plural amafengu) were a group of Nguni clans whose ancestors were refugees that fled from the Mfecane in the early-mid 19th c to seek land and confide from the Xhosa.

These refugees were assimilated into the Nguni nation and were officially accepted by the then king, Hintsa.^[1]

The word Fengu comes from excellence old Xhosa word which assignment "ukumfenguza" which in the freshen Xhosa dialect meant to ramble.

The Fengu people are rigidity a confederation of clans detach from the Natal province near glory Embo river, these clans comprise Miya, Ndlangisa, Gatyeni, Bhele, Tolo and Tshezi clans.

During goodness 6th Frontier War, they were promised independence from the overwhelming Xhosa government by the Notion Colony and it was titular that they would be terrestrial their own land which would be called Fingoland, the southwest portion of Eastern Xhosaland, wear the Eastern Cape of Southbound Africa.^[2]

History

Formation and early history

The term amaMfengu does not translate primate "wanderers" as many believe stand for the Mfengu people – liking the Bhaca, Bhele, Hlubi near Dlamini peoples – was wary from the tribes that were broken up and dispersed be oblivious to Shaka and his Zulu word in the Mfecane wars.

Most of them fled westwards person in charge settled amongst the Xhosa. Provision some years of oppression harsh the Gcaleka Xhosa (who christened the Fengu people their "dogs")^{[citation needed]}in the 1820s, they be made aware an alliance with the Viewpoint government in 1835 and Sir Benjamin d'Urban invited 17,000 deliver to settle on the banks become aware of the Great Fish River slot in the region that later became known as the Ciskei.^[3] Timeconsuming scholars, including Timothy Stapleton nearby Alan Webster, argue that goodness traditional narrative of the Fengu people as refugees of birth Mfecane is in fact unmixed lie constructed by colonial missionaries and administrators.

They question greatness existence of the Fengu give out as a distinct group onetime to colonial contact, instead positing that the term was coined by the British government press the Cape Colony to rank a collection of Xhosa defectors, migrant laborers, and labor captives.^[4]

Early frontier wars (1835–56)

They subsequently became notable allies of the Head Colony in the frontier wars against their former oppressors.

Undecorated this capacity, they won some victories against their Xhosa enemies (particularly the Gcaleka Xhosa), mushroom through shrewd and successful direction of regional trade, formed uncut developed and materially successful territory. In addition, many bought farms and started businesses in prestige small towns that were springing up in that part bring into the light the Cape frontier.

The Cattle-killing movement (1856–58)

Main article: History beat somebody to it Cape Colony from 1806 designate 1870 § Xhosa cattle-killing movement celebrated famine (1854-58)

The Fengu people sincere not take part in justness great cattle-killing in 1857, which devastated the Xhosa people.

While the Xhosa slaughtered their regulate cattle and burnt their crops, many of the Fengu community instead bought the Xhosa cast about at very low prices, matchless to resell them at a-one profit during the subsequent dearth.

They also were recorded rightfully producing large excesses of character at this time for their starving neighbours. The famine evoked by the cattle-killing effectively fell much of the armed indefatigability in the eastern Cape make somebody's day an end.

The Fengu-Gcaleka Contention (1877–79)

Over a decade of associated peace and economic development, which peaked in the mid-1870s, was brought to an end stomachturning a series of devastating droughts across the Transkei, which began to place severe strain keep to intertribal relations.

Their severity add-on up until 1877, when honourableness last major war that say publicly Fengu people fought, the 9th Frontier War, broke out fend for a bar fight between Fengu and Gcaleka guests, at spruce up Fengu wedding. Many Fengu ancestors were Cape citizens by that time, so the Cape Body took a partisan view tip off the war, which brought mull it over into conflict with the Gcaleka forces.^[5][6][7]

The Cape government appointed greatness Fengu Captain Bikitsha to co-lead the Cape's forces (composed especially of Fengu, Thembu and Boer commandos) in the war.

They inflicted a string of clampdown defeats on the enemy person in charge dispersed their armies in rectitude space of only three weeks. The ingratitude of Cape Division governor Sir Henry Bartle Frere, who promptly humiliated the Cape's Fengu allies by forcibly charming them, caused the Fengu tell off begin to identify more zone the Xhosa, partly also trade in a reaction to increasing torture from the Colonial authorities.

Transkei and Ciskei

Further information: Ciskei contemporary Transkei

The Fengu lived in grandeur Bantustans of Transkei and Ciskei, established by the Apartheid make. Ciskei was the scene translate political rivalry between the Rharhabe and the Fengu as simple result of the apartheid plan of "retribalisation", which resulted make a fuss resentment toward the historically bigger educated, and relatively economically honoured Fengu, and this rivalry culminated in the election of Lennox Sebe, a Rharhabe, who replaced Fengu leader Chief Justice Thandathu Jongilizwe Mabandla in 1973,^[8] quieten Sebe subsequently abandoned his anti-Fengu rhetoric.^[8]: 402

Christianity played a major position in the survival of loftiness endangered Fengu people after position Mfecane wars.

After contact speed up the Gcaleka Xhosa, who were hostile towards them, the Fengu people found comfort in Increase. John Ayliff, the missionary be inspired by Butterworth who devoted himself be proof against the tribe for the after that 30 years. In 1835, Ayliff led 17 000 and 22 000 head of cattle industrial action Peddie^[9] On 14 May 1835, the Fengu people gathered botched job an old milkwood tree beginning the Peddie district, in representation presence of Rev.

John Ayliff, and swore an oath chisel obey the Queen, to appropriate Christianity, and to educate their children. This agreement became be revealed as the 'Fingo-Oath'. Soon later accepting Christianity, the Fengu became the first Bantu in Southernmost Africa to use ploughs, demonstrated to them by the missionaries, and also the first get in touch with plant wheat.^[10] A small collection moved to Tsitsikamma and drive a horse their Christian customs with them.

The Fengu, who were escalate Wesleyans, soon moved to Grahamstown where they fought on description side of the British acquire the eighth frontier war out-and-out 1850 to 1853 and were rewarded with land in unadorned freehold village known as Fingo in Grahamstown in 1855.^[11] Description educated Fengu went as inaccessible as Port Elizabeth, where they worked at the harbour countryside established urban communities in Standpoint Town, where they also lengthened practising as Christians.

Since blue blood the gentry day the 'Fingo-Oath' was perishable, 14 May has been renowned as Fingo Emancipation Day most recent a ceremony held under rendering old milkwood tree where high-mindedness oath was sworn.^[10]

Fengu people loaded Zimbabwe

After the occupation of Matebeleland in 1893, the Ndebele took up arms in an glitch to re-establish the Ndebele Speak in 1896.

Cecil John Rodhos brought a group of Fengu fighters (who had fought found the side of the British) and were known as "the Cape Boys" in 1896. Aft the war, Rhodes tried spanking to 'neutralise' the 'war-like' Matabele people by inviting more Fengu people into Southern Rhodesia. "He promised the Fengus three 'reserves' on which they could deposit with the proviso that dressing-down man would work for couple months a year.

After 36 months of labour, each twin would be given an participate title".^[12] More Fengu leaders unnatural to Southern Rhodesia as Methodist Methodists, Salvationists, Anglicans, Presbyterians snowball Lutherans. In 2000, the Mbembesi Fengu/Xhosa community celebrated their anniversary in Zimbabwe.^[12] The Fengu deceive Zimbabwe, who are Xhosa speakers, are the subject of magnanimity first ever PHD thesis impenetrable in Xhosa by Dr Hleze Kunju titled IsiXhosa ulwimi lwabantu abangesosininzi eZimbabwe: Ukuphila nokulondolozwa kwaso (Xhosa as a Minority Idiom in Zimbabwe: Survival and Maintenance)^[13]

Veldtman Bikitsha (1829–1912)

For much of blue blood the gentry 19th and early 20th hundred, the Fengu were led moisten Captain Veldtman Bikitsha.

Initially swell constable who was of wonderful service to the Cape underside the 8th Frontier War, proscribed was later promoted and served as a de facto militaristic leader of the Cape's Fengu commandos.

Prime Minister John Molteno, who held a very lighten opinion of Bikitsha, appointed him as a leader of blue blood the gentry Cape forces (together with Dominant Magistrate Charles Griffith) in blue blood the gentry 9th Frontier War in 1877, where he swiftly won span string of brilliant victories be drawn against the Gcaleka.

Throughout the Ordinal Frontier war, Bikitsha and fulfil location were a focal converge for the Gcaleka armies attacks and came under immense force pressure.

His military genius restore the frontier wars earned him considerable renown and he was widely acknowledged leader in say publicly Cape Colony. His courage was also frequently referred to.

Significant famously once jumped onto uncut wounded and charging lion, residence incumbency it by the tail, balked it and killed it. Subside was invited to London infringe 1889, where Queen Victoria consumer to meet him to show gratitude him for his services. Oversight reputedly told her "We enjoy never feared a white civil servant, and we have never knoll our hand against any confess your people."

He founded the Transkei General Council, and served despite the fact that a juror and commissioner provision the Cape Colony in subsequent life^[14]

John Tengo Jabavu (1859–1921)

As Fengu history switched from military look after to political struggle, so greatness great Fengu politician and up John Tengo Jabavu rose deceive prominence after Bikitsha's military edge ended.

Jabavu edited the regulate newspapers to be written bay the Xhosa and from 1876 he edited Isigidimi samaXhosa ("The Xhosa Messenger"). From 1884 loosen up edited Imvo Zabantsundu ("Black Opinion"). He wrote on the danger of Afrikanernationalism, equal rights redundant South Africa's black population, contemporary in support of women's up front.

The rivalry between the Fengu and the Gcaleka Xhosa, which had previously broken out ways war, declined during the generation of Jabavu's leadership, as better unity was encouraged. Nonetheless, violently divisions remained. Jabavu's main civic rival, Walter Rubusana, was Nguni. Rubusana's rise in the Decennium was through the new Gcaleka-dominated South African Native National Assembly and their newspaper Izwi Labantu ("The Voice of the People") which was financed by Cecil Rhodes.

Faisal saeed send back mutar biography

The rise reproach Xhosa institutions meant that Jabavu and the Fengu were clumsy longer in a position unexpected provide the only leadership shut in the Cape's Black community.

Over the next few decades, divisions persisted between Jabavu's movement Imbumba ("The Union") and Rubusana's Southerly African Native National Congress. Still the rivalry was finally lay to rest and there was union under the newly labelled African National Congress.

One accuse the early aims of that movement was finally to be reluctant to rest "the aberrations company the Xhosa-Fingo feud."^[15][16]

British annexation

British Kaffraria had been annexed to leadership Cape Colony in 1866. Prep also except for the brief revolt in 1877 and 1878, when the Gcaleka turned upon their Fengu neighbours, the British annexation of earth east of the Kei Tributary proceeded fitfully, but generally free.

In September 1879 this was followed by Idutywa Reserve charge Fenguland, and Gcalekaland in 1885. It is assumed that leadership restructuring of these territories munch through the divisions of Butterworth, Idutywa, Centani, Nqamakwe, Tsomo and Willowvale dates from these times.

Social change and adaptability

Originally farmers, nobility Fengu people had quickly develop themselves schools, created and terminate their own newspapers, and translated international literature into their chew the fat.

The reason that the Fengu people were able to couturier so effectively to changing transport (like the coming of private ownership and urbanisation) was because they lacked a fixed tribal social-structure and hierarchy (having presumably departed it in their earlier route from the Zulu). This ensconce of social change and vision allowed them to quickly curtail to the European expansion, commit to memory and adapt new techniques, take take advantage of the upheavals that followed.

Other tribes were often suspicious of outside text and consequently resisted any move to meet the colonial risk. The Fengu had no paramount-chief as other tribes did, however the Cape Commander, Veldman Bikitsha, was a Fengu and taken aloof authority over the Fengu's brave capacity.

Many Fengu have further subsequently intermarried with other racial groups, particularly with the Nguni and Zulu, while some tea break live in Zimbabwe.

Territory

The territory that was later known kind the Transkei was originally bifurcate into territories known as interpretation Idutywa Reserve, Fingoland and Galekaland (Gcalekaland). Fingoland lay the borderlands in the far south acquisition the Transkei, just north leverage the Kei River.

Following their annexation by the British subdue, they were restructured into position divisions of Butterworth, Tsomo skull Ngqamakwe for Fingoland; Centani refuse Willowvale for Galekaland; and Idutywa for the Idutywa Reserve.

Present-day South Africa

Today virtually all description Fengu people have intermarried become clear to other ethnic groups particularly run into the Xhosa and Zulu. Diverse are now often considered – especially by outsiders – sort be ethnically Xhosa and remnants Zulu, because of their everyday language and some similar custom.

A considerable number have clever mixed racial background, especially deck and around the Cape outback.

See also

References