NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Second Matabele War

The Second Matabele War, also known as the Matabeleland Rebellion took place from 1896-1897. Major Frederick Russell Burnham (1861-1947), an American explorer from California, taught Scouting to Robert Baden-Powell, becoming one of the inspirations causing Baden-Powell to eventually found the Boy Scouts. ...

In March 1896, the Matabele again revolted against the authority of the British South Africa Company in what is now celebrated in Zimbabwe as the First War of Independence. Mlimo, the Matabele spiritual leader, is credited with formenting much of the anger that led to this confrontation. He convinced the Matabele that the white settlers were responsible for the drought, locust plagues and the cattle disease rinderpest ravaging the country at the time. Through his priests, Mlimo promised that if the Matabele would make war upon the white settlers their bullets in their flight whould be changed to water and their cannon shells would become eggs. He decreed that the white settlers should be attacked and driven from the country through the Mangwe Pass on the Western edge of the Matobo Hills, which was to be left open and unguarded for this reason. Within a week of the Mlimo's call to battle, 141 white settlers were slain in Matabeleland and an additional 103 were killed in Mashonaland. In the following months large numbers of isolated settlers were also murdered. The Matabele are a branch of the Zulus who split from King Shaka in the early 1820s under the leadership of Mzilikazi, a former general in Shakas army. ... Rinderpest (RP) is a inflectious viral disease of cattle, domestic buffalo, and some species of wildlife, it is commonly reffered to as cattle plague. ... Matobo landscape. ... Matabeleland is a region in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. ... Mashonaland is a region in northern Zimbabwe. ...

When the rebellion first erupted the white settlers gave no thought to leaving the area. However, Mlimo's attack had been well timed. Earlier in the year, the British South Africa Company's Administrator General for Matabeleland, Leander Starr Jameson, had sent most of his troops and armaments to fight the Transvaal Republic in the ill-fated Jameson Raid. The British immediately sent troops to suppress the Matabele, but it would take months before they would have enough soldiers to even marginally defend their major settlements. With few troops to support them, the settlers quickly built a laager in the centre of Bulawayo on their own and mounted patrols under legendary figures such as Burnham, Baden-Powell, and Selous, who rode out to suppress the revolt. The flag of the British South Africa Company The British South Africa Company (BSAC) was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company, Ltd. ... An 1895 cartoon of Jameson from Vanity Fair Sir Leander Starr Jameson, Bt, KCMG (February 9, 1853 â€“ November 26, 1917), also known as Doctor Jim, was a British colonial statesman who was best known for his involvement in the Jameson Raid. ... The South African Republic (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek), often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, not to be confused with the Republic of South Africa, occupied the area later known as the province of Transvaal, first from 1857 to 1877, and again, after a successful Afrikaner rebellion against British rule... The Jameson Raid (December 29, 1895 - January 2, 1896) was a raid on Paul Krugers Transvaal Republic carried out by Sir Leander Starr Jameson and his Rhodesian and Bechuanaland policemen over the New Year weekend of 1895-96. ... The City of Bulawayo is highlighted in this map of Zimbabwe. ... Major Frederick Russell Burnham (1861-1947), an American explorer from California, taught Scouting to Robert Baden-Powell, becoming one of the inspirations causing Baden-Powell to eventually found the Boy Scouts. ... Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB (February 22, 1857 _ January 8, 1941) was a soldier, writer and founder of the world scouting movement. ... Frederick Courteney Selous on safari in Africa. ...

An estimated 50,000 Matabele retreated into their stronghold of the Matobo Hills near Bulawayo which became the scene of the fiercest fighting against the white settler patrols. The Matabele military defiance ended only when Burnham found and assassinated Mlimo. Burnham discovered the cave where Mlimo was hiding out and he waited for the percise moment when Mlimo performed his "invincibility" war dance before shooting Mlimo dead. Burnham, and his companion Armstrong, barely managed to return to Bulawayo alive and recount the story to their friend Baden-Powell. Upon learning of the death of Mlimo, Cecil Rhodes boldly walked unarmed into the Matabele stronghold the persuaded the impi to lay down their arms. The Second Matabele War thus ended on October 1897 and Matabeleland and Mashonaland would later be renamed Rhodesia. Cecil Rhodes. ... National motto: Sit Nomine Digna (Latin: May she be worthy of the name) Official language English Capital Salisbury Political system Parliamentary system Form of government Constitutional monarchy (until 1970) Republic (March 2, 1970) - Last President John Wrathall - Prime Minister Ian Smith Area - Total - % water 390 580 kmÂ² 1% Population - 1978...

Rhodes decreed in his will that he was to be buried in Matobo Hills, so when he died in the Cape in 1902 his body came up by train and wagon to Bulawayo. His burial was attended by Matabele chiefs, who asked that the firing party should not discharge their rifles as this would disturb the spirits. Then, for the first and probably the only time, they gave the white man the Matabele royal salute "Bayete". Rhodes is buried along side Jameson and the 34 white soldiers killed in the Shangani Patrol. A panel from the Shangani Memorial at Worlds View in Zimbabwe, c1905. ...

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