Study Notes on A History of Southern Africa
A History of Southern Africa: Detailed Study Notes
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Philip, John (1828), Researches in South Africa, Illustrating the Civil, Moral and Religious Condition of the Native Tribes, etc. London: James Duncan.
Plaatje, Solomon Tshekisho (1930), Mhudi: An Epic of South African Native Life a Hundred Years Ago. Lovedale: Lovedale Press & many later editions.
Rasmussen, R. Kent (1985), Migrant Kingdom: Mzilikazi's Ndebele in South Africa. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Sanders, Peter Basil (1975), Moshoeshoe, Chief of the Sotho. London: Heinemann Education.
Ross, Robert (1983), Cape of Torments: Slavery and Resistance in South Africa. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Ross, Robert (1999), Status and Respectability in the Cape Colony, 1750-1870: A Tragedy of Manners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ross, Robert (2014), The Borders of Race in Colonial South Africa: The Kat River Settlement, 1829-1856. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Shell, Robert C.-H. (1994), Children of Bondage: A Social History of the Slave Society at the Cape of Good Hope, 1652-1838. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press.
Thompson, Leonard Monteath (1976), Survival in Two Worlds: Moshoeshoe of Lesotho, 1786-1870. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Tyson, P.D. (1986), Climatic Change and Variability in Southern Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Volz, Stephen C. (2011), African Teachers on the Colonial Frontier: Tswana Evangelists and Their Communities During the Nineteenth Century. New York: Peter Lang.
Wylie, Dan (2006), Myth of Iron: Shaka in History. Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press.
Wylie, Dan (2012), Shaka. Auckland Park: Jacana Pocket Books.
VIDEOGRAPHY
DVDs and Downloads
De Voortrekkers: Or Winning a Continent (African Film Productions, 1918; DVD Villon Films c.2000, 54 mins): A silent epic Afrikaner nationalist version of the 'Great Trek' story, featuring a cast of thousands.
The Life and Times of Sara Baartman (dir. Zola Maseko, 1998, 53 mins): Documentary film about a young Khoe woman entertainer taken from Africa for exhibition in London and Paris, where she died and her body was used for racial science.
Shaka Zulu (dir. William C. Faure, 1986, 10 × 52 mins): Featuring Simon Sabela as Dingiswayo, Henry Cele as Shaka, and Robert Powell as narrator Henry Fynn, re-living the phases of Shaka's life as an amazing warrior king.
Venus Noire/Black Venus (dir. Abdellatif Kechiche, 2010, 162 mins): Depicts Sara Bartman as she is exploited by respectable scientists in Paris; contains extreme nudity.
SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA PART 1, 1868-1902
Overview of the Scramble for Africa
The term ‘Scramble for Africa’ refers to the period where European powers divided Africa into colonies, initiated by the Berlin Conference (1884-1885).
Major participants included representatives from Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, and Turkey, who agreed on territorial claims.
Causes of the Scramble
The Mineral Revolution (1867-1890s) in Southern Africa intensified colonial ambitions due to the discovery of precious minerals.
The Second Industrial Revolution fueled demand for resources, leading to increased competition among European powers for colonies.
New technologies (e.g., telegraphs, railways, steam-ships) advanced communication and transport, making overseas expansion feasible.
The rise of modern weaponry like breech-loading rifles and machine guns strengthened the military capabilities of European states.
Economic Pressures on British Imperialism
Britain's monopoly on industrial production diminished with the rise of other industrial powers (e.g., Germany, USA, France, Japan).
Economic depression (1873-79) pushed Britain to seek new overseas markets, particularly through the colonization of Africa.
Agricultural and Property Dynamics
In the Eastern Cape, individual land ownership contrasted starkly with traditional communal land use by African states, resulting in competing land values.
European settlers established capitalist agricultural systems, while African states retained communal land ownership, leading to conflicts over territorial claims.
Motivations Behind British Imperial Expansion
Historians Ronald Robinson, John Gallagher, and Alice Denny note that Britain’s push into Africa was partly motivated by protecting coastal colonies against potential threats.
Economic interests in prospective mineral wealth culminated in military actions to secure territories.
Impact of Missionaries and Explorers
Prior to full military occupation, European explorers and missionaries prepared the ground for colonial rule through mapping and establishing relations within African communities.
Their presence facilitated trade, but also undermined local economies and crafts.
The Ideological underpinnings of Imperialism
The notion of the ‘white man’s burden’ justified European domination based on perceived racial and civilizational superiority.
Scientific racism, informed by Charles Darwin's notions of 'survival of the fittest,' perpetuated justifications for colonialism.
Historical Context: Deaths of Key Leaders
The deaths of Mzilikazi (1868) and Moshoeshoe (1870) saw shifts in power dynamics, prompting European interest in succession politics within African kingdoms.
Notably, Moshoeshoe’s Lesotho grew stronger through internal governance and external literacy campaigns by French Protestant missionaries.
Conflicts: Boer Wars and Colonial Expansion
Early Boer-Lesotho wars reflected struggles for land control, with notable events including the second Boer-Lesotho war (1865-69).
Following Moshoeshoe’s death, Basutoland was annexed by the Cape Colony (1871), showcasing the theme of displacement.
Mineral Revolution and Resource Extraction
Key mineral discoveries (gold, diamonds) led to competitive claims over resources, notably during the diamond rushes in the lower Vaal River region.
Economic opportunities drew settlers and African laborers alike, contributing to both wealth generation and further military confrontations.
The Role of Capitalists in the Economy
Bartie Barnato and Cecil Rhodes emerged as dominant figures in the diamond industry, holding significant stakes alongside their methods of monopolizing and governing production.
The consolidation of diamond claims into fewer holdings exemplified capitalist tendencies and prompted labor dynamics for mining.
Colonial Governance and Military Actions
British colonial policymakers, under pressure from settlers, put in place measures for property protection leading to aggressive military engagement.
The Rhodes-led imperial aspirations shaped policies leading to the South African War and led to a restructuring of colonial governance.
Restorative Measures Following Conflict
Post-war adjustments included plans for extension of responsible government, which reflected shifting political climates within British and Boer colonies.
The birth of modern Afrikaner nationalism was catalyzed by cultural movements, as seen with the founding of the Afrikaner Bond.
The Outbreak of the First Anglo-Boer War
Tensions following the Jameson Raid and British insistence on disarmament among Afrikaner populations galvanized Boer resistance, leading to the declaration of war (october 1899).
The Course of the War
The South African War saw extensive military engagements, guerrilla tactics, and significant civilian impacts, particularly on African populations.
The eventual British military strategies shifted dynamics and embodied a broader imperial reach throughout the region.
The Aftermath
o - The conflict culminated in the Peace of Vereeniging, underlying the socio-political fissures that would continue to characterize Southern African society in the 20th century.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Philip, John (), Researches in South Africa, Illustrating the Civil, Moral and Religious Condition of the Native Tribes, etc. London: James Duncan.
Plaatje, Solomon Tshekisho (), Mhudi: An Epic of South African Native Life a Hundred Years Ago. Lovedale: Lovedale Press & many later editions.
Rasmussen, R. Kent (), Migrant Kingdom: Mzilikazi's Ndebele in South Africa. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Sanders, Peter Basil (), Moshoeshoe, Chief of the Sotho. London: Heinemann Education.
Ross, Robert (), Cape of Torments: Slavery and Resistance in South Africa. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Ross, Robert (), Status and Respectability in the Cape Colony, : A Tragedy of Manners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Ross, Robert (), The Borders of Race in Colonial South Africa: The Kat River Settlement, . New York: Cambridge University Press.
Shell, Robert C.-H. (), Children of Bondage: A Social History of the Slave Society at the Cape of Good Hope, . Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press.
Thompson, Leonard Monteath (), Survival in Two Worlds: Moshoeshoe of Lesotho, . Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Tyson, P.D. (), Climatic Change and Variability in Southern Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Volz, Stephen C. (), African Teachers on the Colonial Frontier: Tswana Evangelists and Their Communities During the Nineteenth Century. New York: Peter Lang.
Wylie, Dan (), Myth of Iron: Shaka in History. Pietermaritzburg: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press.
Wylie, Dan (), Shaka. Auckland Park: Jacana Pocket Books.
VIDEOGRAPHY
DVDs and Downloads
De Voortrekkers: Or Winning a Continent (African Film Productions, ; DVD Villon Films c., mins): A silent epic Afrikaner nationalist version of the 'Great Trek' story, featuring a cast of thousands.
The Life and Times of Sara Baartman (dir. Zola Maseko, , mins): Documentary film about a young Khoe woman entertainer taken from Africa for exhibition in London and Paris, where she died and her body was used for racial science.
Shaka Zulu (dir. William C. Faure, , mins): Featuring Simon Sabela as Dingiswayo, Henry Cele as Shaka, and Robert Powell as narrator Henry Fynn, re-living the phases of Shaka's life as an amazing warrior king.
Venus Noire/Black Venus (dir. Abdellatif Kechiche, , mins): Depicts Sara Bartman as she is exploited by respectable scientists in Paris; contains extreme nudity.
SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA PART ,
Overview of the Scramble for Africa
The term ‘Scramble for Africa’ refers to the period where European powers divided Africa into colonies, initiated by the Berlin Conference ().
Berlin Conference ( ): Established the "effective occupation" rule, which mandated that European powers must prove administrative presence in a territory. This forced the transition from mere coastal trading outposts to full military conquest and political administration of the African interior.
Major participants included representatives from Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, and Turkey, who agreed on territorial claims.
Causes and Moral Drivers of the Scramble
The Three Cs: Colonialism was driven by the perceived moral and economic mission of Christianity, Commerce, and Civilization. These values were used to justify the partition of the continent as a humanitarian and developmental project.
The Mineral Revolution () in Southern Africa intensified colonial ambitions due to the discovery of precious minerals.
The Second Industrial Revolution fueled demand for resources, leading to increased competition among European powers for colonies.
New technologies (e.g., telegraphs, railways, steam-ships) advanced communication and transport, making overseas expansion feasible.
The rise of modern weaponry like breech-loading rifles and machine guns strengthened the military capabilities of European states.
Roots of Inequity: The Impact of Mineral Discoveries
Before the late century, South Africa was seen primarily as a strategic maritime stopover for ships traveling to India and the East.
The discovery of gold and diamonds shifted the region from a strategic stopover to a site of intense imperial obsession.
This shift necessitated racialized labor control systems to ensure a steady supply of cheap, migrant labor for deep-level mining, laying the groundwork for systematic institutionalized inequality.
Economic Pressures and British Imperialism
Britain's monopoly on industrial production diminished with the rise of other industrial powers (e.g., Germany, USA, France, Japan).
Economic depression () pushed Britain to seek new overseas markets, particularly through the colonization of Africa.
The Ideological Underpinnings of Imperialism
The notion of the 'white man’s burden' justified European domination based on perceived racial and civilizational superiority.
Scientific racism, informed by Charles Darwin's notions of 'survival of the fittest,' perpetuated justifications for colonialism.
THE LEGISLATIVE ARCHITECTURE OF CONTROL
The Natives Land Act: This pivotal piece of legislation restricted African land ownership to only of the total land area of South Africa.
The act effectively turned Africans into "pariahs in the land of their birth" (as famously described by Solomon Plaatje), making it illegal for Africans to buy or lease land from Europeans outside designated reserves.
This legislation was designed to destroy the independence of African peasantry, forcing them into the wage labor market to support the mining and agricultural industries.
THE CONVERGENCE
The year is recognized as a pivotal historical moment due to the simultaneous rise of organized political resistance.
The ANC's National Protests: The South African Native National Congress (later the ANC) led major delegations and protests against the Land Act, marking the beginning of a unified national African political identity.
Gandhi’s Campaigns: also marked Mohandas Gandhi’s final major South African campaigns, including the massive strike by Indian workers in Natal and the Transvaal against discriminatory taxes and marriage laws.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND CONFLICTS
The deaths of Mzilikazi () and Moshoeshoe () saw shifts in power dynamics, prompting European interest in succession politics within African kingdoms.
Notable events include the second Boer-Lesotho war () and the annexation of Basutoland by the Cape Colony ().
The South African War () and the subsequent Peace of Vereeniging reflected the socio-political fissures that would characterize Southern African society throughout the century.