The rise of a raiding state: Makaba II’s Ngwaketse, c. 1780-1824
Though long acknowledged for their military prowess under Makaba II (ruled c. 1780-1824), the emergence of the Ngwaketse among the southern Tswana in the pre-difaqane era has not been sufficiently accounted for, and its significance to regional developments has gone unrecognised and unexplained. Arg...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2014-12-01
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| Series: | Contree |
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| Online Access: | https://newcontree.org.za/index.php/nc/article/view/191 |
| _version_ | 1797800432367566848 |
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| author | Fred Morton |
| author_facet | Fred Morton |
| author_sort | Fred Morton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Though long acknowledged for their military prowess under Makaba II (ruled c. 1780-1824), the emergence of the Ngwaketse among the southern Tswana in the pre-difaqane era has not been sufficiently accounted for, and its significance to regional developments has gone unrecognised and unexplained. Argued here is that the Ngwaketse embarked on territorial domination of southern Botswana during the reign of Moleta (ruled c. 1750 – c. 1780), when they subordinated previous inhabitants, introduced military training as part of initiation, and reached their apogee as a territorial entity prior to Makaba’s reign. The area that the Ngwaketse colonised (Gangwaketse) in Moleta’s time became during the reign of his son Makaba II a base for frequent stock raids among their neighbours and for building a formidable regional state. Their success was derived to an important degree from their use of the hilly terrain in northeastern Gangwaketse suited for stone-wall stock posts secure from their enemies. The Ngwaketse built their military might, in other words, by adapting to the landscape they colonised and shaping each of their settlements to varied local resources. Research is based on a correlation of oral histories, settlement locations, initiation and totemic lists, topographical and Google earth surveys, and field surveys and site mapping in parts of northeastern Gangwaketse and the Kanye area. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:35:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63e643797aa94153943c807793cf483c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0379-9867 2959-510X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:35:12Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Contree |
| spelling | doaj.art-63e643797aa94153943c807793cf483c2023-06-19T06:57:19ZengAOSISContree0379-98672959-510X2014-12-0171010.4102/nc.v71i0.191191The rise of a raiding state: Makaba II’s Ngwaketse, c. 1780-1824Fred Morton0Department of History, University of Botswana, GaboroneThough long acknowledged for their military prowess under Makaba II (ruled c. 1780-1824), the emergence of the Ngwaketse among the southern Tswana in the pre-difaqane era has not been sufficiently accounted for, and its significance to regional developments has gone unrecognised and unexplained. Argued here is that the Ngwaketse embarked on territorial domination of southern Botswana during the reign of Moleta (ruled c. 1750 – c. 1780), when they subordinated previous inhabitants, introduced military training as part of initiation, and reached their apogee as a territorial entity prior to Makaba’s reign. The area that the Ngwaketse colonised (Gangwaketse) in Moleta’s time became during the reign of his son Makaba II a base for frequent stock raids among their neighbours and for building a formidable regional state. Their success was derived to an important degree from their use of the hilly terrain in northeastern Gangwaketse suited for stone-wall stock posts secure from their enemies. The Ngwaketse built their military might, in other words, by adapting to the landscape they colonised and shaping each of their settlements to varied local resources. Research is based on a correlation of oral histories, settlement locations, initiation and totemic lists, topographical and Google earth surveys, and field surveys and site mapping in parts of northeastern Gangwaketse and the Kanye area.https://newcontree.org.za/index.php/nc/article/view/191schaperangcongcongwaketsemoletamakaba iilegassickseokepitsakanyemephatolandscapestonewall settlementsstock raidingkwenakgwatlhengtlhapingrolonghurutshekgatla mmanaanakololomoffat |
| spellingShingle | Fred Morton The rise of a raiding state: Makaba II’s Ngwaketse, c. 1780-1824 Contree schapera ngcongco ngwaketse moleta makaba ii legassick seoke pitsa kanye mephato landscape stonewall settlements stock raiding kwena kgwatlheng tlhaping rolong hurutshe kgatla mmanaana kololo moffat |
| title | The rise of a raiding state: Makaba II’s Ngwaketse, c. 1780-1824 |
| title_full | The rise of a raiding state: Makaba II’s Ngwaketse, c. 1780-1824 |
| title_fullStr | The rise of a raiding state: Makaba II’s Ngwaketse, c. 1780-1824 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The rise of a raiding state: Makaba II’s Ngwaketse, c. 1780-1824 |
| title_short | The rise of a raiding state: Makaba II’s Ngwaketse, c. 1780-1824 |
| title_sort | rise of a raiding state makaba ii s ngwaketse c 1780 1824 |
| topic | schapera ngcongco ngwaketse moleta makaba ii legassick seoke pitsa kanye mephato landscape stonewall settlements stock raiding kwena kgwatlheng tlhaping rolong hurutshe kgatla mmanaana kololo moffat |
| url | https://newcontree.org.za/index.php/nc/article/view/191 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fredmorton theriseofaraidingstatemakabaiisngwaketsec17801824 AT fredmorton riseofaraidingstatemakabaiisngwaketsec17801824 |