NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Basotho

The Basotho (Sotho-speaking people) have lived in southern Africa since around the 15th century. They are made up of three main tribes or clans, Bakoena, Bataung and Batlokwa. The Basotho nation (modern Lesotho) emerged from the genius diplomacy of Moshoeshoe I who gathered together disparate clans of Sotho origin that had dispersed across southern Africa in the early nineteenth century. Many Basotho people today live in South Africa, as a result of their ancestors moving there to work as migrant labourers, particularly in the gold mines. Sesotho is a language spoken in southern Africa. ... This article is in need of attention. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... The Zulu are an African ethnic group of about 11 million people who live mainly in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. ... The Xhosa people are a group of peoples of Bantu origins living in south-east South Africa. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Bakoena is one of the three main Basotho tribes, or clans, who speak Sesotho, the other two being Batlokoa and Bataung. ... Bataung is one of the three main Basotho tribes, or clans, who speak Sesotho, the other two being Batlokwa and Bakoena. ... Batlokoa is one of the three main Basotho tribes/clans who speak Sesotho, the other two being Bakoena and Bataung. ... King Moshoeshoe I Moshoeshoe (1786?-1870) was born at Menkhoaneng in the Northern part of present-day Lesotho. ... A foreign worker (cf expatriate), is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a citizen. ...

History

The most significant role Moshoeshoe I played as a diplomat was his acts of friendship towards his beaten enemies. He provided land and protection to various people and this strengthened the growing Basotho nation. His influence and followers grew with the integration of a number of refugees and victims of Mfecane. King Moshoeshoe I Moshoeshoe (1786?-1870) was born at Menkhoaneng in the Northern part of present-day Lesotho. ... Mfecane (isiZulu), also known as the Difaqane or Lifaqane (Sesotho), is an African expression which means something like the crushing or scattering. It describes a period of widespread chaos and disturbance in southern Africa during the period between 1815 and about 1835. ...

Establishment of a nation

By the latter part of the 1800s, Moshoeshoe established the nation of the Basotho. He was popularly known as Morena e Moholo/morena oa Basotho (Great chief/king of the Basotho).

Early missionaries

Around the 1830s, the Europeans started to move into the mainland of South Africa. Firstly, this led to missionaries from various societies setting up missions with different clans throughout the country. However, this period also marked the beginning of conflict between Europeans and African tribes. The Afrikaners, the Dutch-speaking people of mixed European descent, met the Basotho after they settled in the region of the now Free State province (bordering Lesotho on the west). In an attempt to be prepared for any possible battle, Moshoeshoe asked the missionaries to come and live among his people. He believed that in this way, it would be easier to acquire guns for protection against the Europeans and the Khoikhoi people. The missionaries introduced many new things to the Basotho society in terms of religion, western thought and even livestock and food. The first three missionaries were Thomas Arbousset, Eugene Casalis and Constant Gosselin from the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society (PEMS). They were placed at Morija, where a lot of work was done on creating orthography for the Sesotho language. The first printing press was also established here. Casalis also acted as an advisor to King Moshoeshoe in terms of matters relating to Europeans. The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Capital Bloemfontein Largest city Bloemfontein Area - Total Ranked 3rd 129,480 kmÂ² Premier Beatrice Marshoff (ANC) Population - 2001 - 1996 - Density Ranked 8th 2,706,776 2,633,504 21/kmÂ² (2001) Languages Sotho (62%) Afrikaans (14%) isiXhosa (9. ... An 18th century drawing of Khoikhoi worshipping the moon The Khoikhoi (real people) or Khoi are a historical division of the Khoisan ethnic group of south-western Africa, closely related to the Bushmen (or San, as the Khoikhoi called them). ... Sesotho is a language spoken in southern Africa. ...

Alliance with the Cape Colony

For strategic reasons and mainly for protection against Afrikaners, Basotho became allies with the British Cape Colony in 1843. During the period that followed many wars and conflicts took place between the Basotho, the Afrikaners and English. This happened at the backdrop of increased colonization in Africa by Britain and shifts in possession of the Free State region between the Afrikaners and the British. 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Annexation and independence

The British annexed Lesotho, the then Basutoland, in 1868 and it led to British rule up to independence on 4th October 1966. 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in Leap years). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-BÃ©del Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

References

See also

Categories: Ethnic groups in Africa | Ethnic groups in South Africa | Lesotho The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Anglo African is today used, somewhat loosely, to refer to a person or people of English or British ethnicity, predominantly in South Africa, but also in smaller numbers in Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Zambia. ... Asians in South Africa constitute two per cent of South Africas population, and most are of Indian origin, although there is also a small Chinese community. ... The Bushmen (also known as Khwe Khoe, Basarwa, or San) peoples of South Africa and neighbouring Botswana and Namibia, who live in the Kalahari, are part of the Khoisan group and are related to the Khoikhoi. ... The Cape Malay community is an ethnic group or community in South Africa, taking its name from what is now known as the Western Cape of South Africa and the Malay people who started this community in South Africa. ... In the South African and Namibian context, the term Coloured (also known as Bruinmense, Kleurlinge or Bruine Afrikaners) refers to a rather heterogenous group of people of mixed Khoisan, white European descent, Malay, Malagasy, Black (Bantu), and South Indian ancestry, especially in the Western Cape. ... The Griqua (Afrikaans Griekwa) are a subgroup of South Africas heterogeneous and multiracial Coloured people. ... The Ndebele people are three tribes or nations of people living in South Africa and Zimbabwe; there are three main groups of Ndebele: The Southern Transvaal Ndebele, who live around Bronkhorstspruit The Northern Transvaal Ndebele, who live in Limpopo Province (formerly Northern Transvaal or Northern Province) around the towns of... The Shangaan (Vatsonga) are a large group of people living mainly in southern Mozambique in the provinces of Gaza and Maputo. ... Tswana (singular moTswana or Motswana, plural baTswana or Batswana) is the name of a Southern African people, and of its Bantu language. ... Venda was a bantustan in northern South Africa, now part of Limpopo province. ... The Xhosa people are a group of peoples of Bantu origins living in south-east South Africa. ... The Zulu are an African ethnic group of about 11 million people who live mainly in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. ...

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