CHAPTER SIX: DEFENSIVE STATES
THE BASUTO NATION
1. How did Moshoeshoe build the Basuto nation?
2. How was the Basuto state established ?
3. What techniques were used by Moshesh to build the Basuto nation?
4. What were the achievements of Moshesh?
5. What factors were responsible for the rise and expansion of the Basuto nation?
The Rise of The Basuto Nation
1. The Basuto Nation was established by Moshoeshoe who ruled form 1815-1870.
2. He was born around 1786 to Mokachane a minor chief of Kwena.
3. He belonged to the Makoteli clan.
4. Mosheshoe came to prominence during the period of Mfecane.
5. He grew up with exceptional qualities hence making him a candidate for future leadership e.g. he was intelligent.
6. His name meant the shaver because he used to shave captured cows.
7. He grew up under the wise guidance of Mtoloni.
8. By 1815, he had started building the Basuto nation.
9. Moshoehoe usr , ,,- ,u-e. patience and understanding to unite various tribes into one strong nation.
10. He co-operated with all refugees and welcomed them by giving them land and cows.
11. He took advantage of hill tops i.e. when Butha Buthe was threatened by war he changed to the most hilly Thaba Basiu.
12. To his powerful neighbours e.g Shaka and Muzilikazi, he used the diplomacy of tributes and gifts.
13. When in 1821 the Tlokwa attacked him, and were joined by Matiwane, he tricked Shaka who destroyed them.
14. He always distributed land and cattle to all his people.
15. He also encouraged many exiles to return from cape colony which included the Koranas, the Tembu, the Rolongo (etc).
16. He obtained advice from the parish envagelical mission, and the Wesley missionaries whom he even gave land.
17. He acquired horses and guns to boost his military strength.
18. He used marriage alliances i.e. he married from almost every tribe and clan.
19. He wrote to the governor of cape colony asking for forgiveness after defeating the British there by preventing more British attacks.
20. He maintained pitso councils through which democracy in open discussions took place.
21. He ably repulsed Boer attacks from 1836.
22. He signed peace treaties with the British governor Napier in 1848.
23. By 1860 Moshoeshoe was forced to sign the Thaba Busiu Treaty which had harsh terms for the Basuto i.e. The British wanted to annex Basuto land.
24. He also encouraged the Basuto culture and all the cattle in the kingdom belonged to him.
25. He died in 1870 after struggling to maintain the dignity and independence of the Basuto.
Ref. Qn:-
(a) Show the importance of Moshoeshoe of Lesotho.
(b) Why did the Basuto state grow in the 19"* Century.
Achievements of Moshoeshoe for the Basuto
1. He laid the foundation for the Basuto nation. (Present day Lesotho).
2. He successfully led the Basuto State during the hard days of the Mfecane and European colonialism.
3. He also expanded the Basuto nation especially after moving to Thaba Busui.
4. He protected the independence of the Basuto.
5. He created unity among very many tribes something that survived even after his death.
6. He created peace with no major revolt in a multi tribal nation for over 40 years.
7. He built a strong army.
8. He equipped his army with guns and horses for defence.
9. He created a new nation with one language and one culture (Basuto nation).
10. He prevented the Boers and the British from over running the Basuto nation.
11. Moshesh was one of the greatest African leaders of the 19th century.
12. He avoided wars.
13. He encouraged trade with the British.
14. He restored law and order in the state that had known anarchy.
15. He constructed a safe capital at Thaba Busiu.
16. He encouraged European civilization by allowing missionaries in his capital and listening to their advice.
17. He strengthened the economy of the Basuto through giving land and cattle to his people.
Problems faced By Moshoeshoe.
1. Boer attacks on him.
2. Boer demands for land from him.
3. In 1821 he was attacked be the Tolokwa and in 1^24 by the
1. Ngwane of Matiwane.
4. The British attacks on his kingdom especially by governor George Cathcart.
5. His confederacy state encouraged rebellion from other people.
6. Shaka and Muzirikazi also posed a threat to him.
7. The era of scramble and partition threatened his independence.
Qn:-
(a) How did he solve the problems?
The Political, Economical and Political Organisation of the Basuto
1. The state was headed by a king and the post was hereditary.
2. It was founded by Moshesh who provided strong personality and leadership to the state.
3. It was made up of a loose confederation of semi independent chiefdoms.
4. Each chiefdom retained its own local leaders.
5. Moshesh got tributes from conquered states.
6. He sometimes posted family members to spy on conquered chiefs.
7. Age regiments were called upon for defence but the Basuto had no centralized standing army.
8. The Pitso or general assembly discussed major issues.
9. The Pitso checked the powers of the chief and prevented dictatorship.
10. All adult males were free to attend the Pitso meetings.
11. Political unity and a sense of nationalism were encouraged.
12. Moshesh used peace as an instrument for easy administration.
13. He sent gifts to powerful leaders e.g Zulu.
14. The chief or king was the leader in religious, judiciary and all civil matters.
15. The Basuto had a mixed economy i.e. they grew food and raised animals.
16. The land belonged to the community but the king was the custodian.
17. Basuto traded with the Europeans.
18. Basuto kingdom had a diverse culture.
19. Sotho were organised in clans headed by clan leaders.
20. Marriage alliance strengthened unity in the Kingdom.
21. Sotho had initiation ceremonies.
MOSHOESHOE AND THE EUROPEANS
Ref. Qn:-
(a) Describe the relationship between Moshoeshoe and European
1. The French missionaries were the first whites that Moshoeshoe dealt with.
2. Moshoeshoe gave the French land and they became his personal advisers on European matters.
3. Later the Boers arrived, asked for land, which Moshoeshoe gave on a temporal basis.
4. The Boers wanted to steal the land permanently and refused to recognise Moshoeshoes' authority,
5. In 1843, he signed the Napier treaty with the British and warned the Boers not to steal the Basuto land.
6. The Basuto however continued to be threatened by the Boers leading to wars with them,
7. In 1846, Moshoeshoe pleaded with the British to intervene and solve the Basuto Boer conflict.
8. The British appointed a permanent representative based at Bloemfountein to solve the problem.
9. In 1846, the British decided to give more Basuto land to. the Boers and the Basuto Boer conflicts continued.
10. In 1848, Governor Harry Smith annexed Orange River territory to put to a stop the Basuto Boer wars.
11. Later however, major warden a British officer in charge of the Basuto Boer affairs gave more land to the Boers.
12. Actually in 1849, the warden line deprived the Basuto of 32 km of land.
13. The warden theft forced the Basuto to raid the Boers whom they defeated soundly.
14. Warden led the British and the Barolong against the Basuto to punish them but Moshoeshoe won the war soundly.
15. The angry British sent George Carthcart to destroy the Basuto once and for all.
16. Carthcart ordered Moshoeshoe to pay a fine of 10,000 cows for defeating warden.
17. Moshoeshoe supplied only 3,500 on the appointed day and asked for more time.
18. Angry Carth Cart refused and raided the Basuto but was soundly defeated by Moshoeshoe.
19. Moshesh then wrote a letter to Carthcartt begging him not to attack the Basuto again.
20. Carthart withdrew and in 1868 Moshoeshoe's request for a British protectorate was granted.
21. In 1870, Moshoeshoe died a happy man having saved his people from Boer imperialism.
The War of The Guns (1880-81)
Causes:-
1. The war of the guns was fought by the Basuto against the British cape government.
2. The long held suspicions between Africans and Whites easily led to war.
3. The whites undermined African leaders imprisoning them which annoyed the Basuto.
4. Rise of British imperialism i.e. The British wanted to colonize Africans.
5. The Basuto wanted to defend their threatened independence and hated to be controlled by white in South Africa.
6. The Basuto hated their annexation to the cape and wanted full British protection.
7. Death of Moshoeshoe the diplomat and the man who knew how to deal with the whites peacefully.
8. The Basuto were also encouraged by their long and successful resistance against the British.
9. The earlier victories against the whites by the Basuto inspired them to fight.
10. The role played by Moroosi and Lerothodi inspired many Basuto to join the rebellion.
11. The killing of Moroosi when he was resisting the imprisonment of his son and disarmament.
12. The desire for the Basuto to protect their land which was targeted by the British.
13. The appointment of the white magistrate among the Puthi was hated by many Africans.
14. Mr. Hope the new magistrate never recognised customary procedures hurting the Basuto pride.
15. The ruthless crashing of the Puthi rebellion made the Basuto worried.
16. The increment of the hut tax after defeating the Puthi annoyed many Basuto.
17. The 1878 peace preservation treaty, which gave the British the powers to disarm the Basuto, prepared the grounds for war.
18. In 1880, when the Basuto refused to hand over their guns the war got started.
Effects:-
1. Africans won the war.
2. The British promised to directly take over Basuto land.
3. The Basuto were to retain their guns only after registering them.
4. The Basuto remained with their guns and actually they didn'teven register them.
5. The British declared full protection over Basuto land.
6. It encouraged future African rebellions.
7. There was misery and suffering.
8. There was disruption of agriculture and trade.
9. There was loss of lives.
10. Basuto land survived being swallowed up by the Boers.
11. The British were humiliated.
12. It was very expensive for both.
13. In 1884 Basutoland received British protectorate.
BASUTO HISTORY DURING BRITISH RULE
After the war of the guns the British declared a protectorate over Basutoland in 1884.
British Administration In Lesotho
1. In 1885 the British granted the Basuto protectorate they had asked for since the days of Moshesh.
2. This protectorate saved the Basuto from being swallowed up by the Boers or cape colony.
3. The main system of administration used by the British was indirect rule the local chiefs because the main agents of the administration.
4. Local chiefs were given judicial powers and implemented traditional Basuto law.
5. The resident commission was the top executive helped by a number of assistant commissioners.
6. There was later the creation of a national council in 1903, which became the country's parliament.
7. The traditional Pitso of the Basuto was incorporated into this national council in 1903 which had resident commissioner, the paramount chief and 99 nominated Lesotho members.
8. The national council made laws.
9. By 1937 the national council had 22 nominated commoners who had started criticizing the council that it only catered for chiefly interests.
10. By 1945 nine district councils were set up to start proposing motions to the national council.
11. By 1950 elections to the national council were put in place and members elected to it.
12. In 1946 a national treasury was established.
13. By 1949 courts numbered 107 and their fines went to the treasury.
14. Basuto affairs were left in the hands of the paramount chief and his other chiefs.
15. Basuto chiefs collected taxes and allocated land.
Lesotho's Road To Independence
1. The Basuto struggle for independence started with Moshesh and took another turn during the war of the guns.
2. When the British protectorate was declared in 1884 Calmer independence struggles stated.
3. In 1960 the British granted the first constitution.
4. This was after the national council had demanded for constitutional reforms.
5. The 1960 constitution modernized the national council, which by now had 80 seats half of which were elected.
6. Later an executive council was put in place to advice the commissioner and the paramount chief.
7. The executive council had also 80 members with half elected ones, 22 principal chiefs, 14 chiefs representatives and four senior officials.
8. A constitutional review committee was later set up to review the 1960 constitution.
9. By the committees recommendations the British allowed the Basuto national council to pass new laws.
10. The British however retained the responsibilities for internal security, defense and foreign affairs.
11. But before this the Basutoland congress party was formed by Ntsu Mokhele, which won 73 seats out of 162 in the I960 elections.
12. In 1959 Chief Jonathan formed the Basutoland national party
13. In 1964 a new constitution was worked out.
14. The new constitution introduced an assembly of 60 members all of whom were elected.
15. In the 1965 elections BNP got 31 seats
16. Jonathan election strategy was being tolerant to South Africa yet Mockhele attacked South Africa.
17. In 1966 Basutoland got independence with Jonathan as Prime Minister and Moshesheo II as president.