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The Ngqika people are a
Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people See als ...
monarchy who lived west of the
Great Kei River The Great Kei River is a river in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Black Kei River and White Kei River, northeast of Cathcart. It flows for and ends in the Great Kei Estuary at the Indian Ocean wi ...
2017. Ngqika ka Mlawu, 3rd Paramount Chief of the amaRarabe. Geni. Accessed 13 March.
/ref> in what is today the
Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
of
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. They were first ruled by
Rarabe kaPhalo Rarabe ka Phalo (about 1722 - 1787) was a Xhosa Prince and the founder of the Right Hand House of the Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhos ...
who died with his son Mlawu, who was destined for chieftaincy. The clan would be named after Ngqika ka Mlawu, the son of the then late Mlawu.2017. Maqoma's final resistance. News24. Accessed 13 March.
/ref> It would be years before the child would rule his people who fought in the
Xhosa Wars The Xhosa Wars (also known as the Cape Frontier Wars or the Kaffir Wars) were a series of nine wars (from 1779 to 1879) between the Xhosa people, Xhosa Kingdom and the British Empire as well as Trekboers in what is now the Eastern Cape in Sout ...
, which were sparked by the encroachment of European settlers on Xhosa lands. The
Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
(VOC) that was responsible for trading and colonising of South African land in what is described as “founding” several urban areas like towns and cities in already populated areas of the west of South Africa. The organisation continually changed the boundaries in the
Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...
due to European invasion and migration, establishing the Great Fish River as the eastern frontier in 1778. In colonial times, the Ngqika lands were known as
British Kaffraria British Kaffraria was a British colony/subordinate administrative entity in present-day South Africa, consisting of the districts now known as Qonce and East London. It was also called Queen Adelaide's Province. The British Kaffraria was establish ...
. Later the, Apartheid government of South Africa gave them a form of independence as the former "
Ciskei Ciskei (, or ) was a Bantustan for the Xhosa people-located in the southeast of South Africa. It covered an area of , almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian O ...
" homeland. The clan were referred to as “Gaika” people by the Europeans.


Origins


Birth of a nation

Ngqika ka Mlawu was the first chief of the Ngqika and the third paramount chief of the Rharhabe Xhosas. He had nine wives. The clan was named after him when his grandfather (
Rharhabe The Rharhabe House is the second senior house (Right Hand House) of the Xhosa Kingdom. The Rharhabe house was founded by Xhosa warrior Rharhabe, who was the older brother of Gcaleka ka Phalo. History of the Rharhabe The Xhosa royal blood line st ...
, the founder of the sub-group) and father (Mlawu, who was to be the next chief) both died in 1782. Ngqika, at only four years old, was too young to rule. Ndlambe (who would eventually establish the
AmaNdlambe The AmaNdlambe or the Ndlambe is a Xhosa chiefdom located in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Founded by Chief Ndlambe, son of Chief Rharhabe and grandson of King Phalo, Ndlambe's advisors and strong army were known as the 'AmaNdlambe'. Chief Ndla ...
people) was Rharhabe's other son and Ngqika's uncle who became
regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
until the boy matured – in the tradition of the Xhosas. Ndlambe was responsible for the expansion of his tribe's territory and influence. He absorbed smaller clans (like the imiDange people) into the Ngqikas or expelled them to far lands. They were eventually invaded by European settlers from the Cape Colony who fought with them over their prime grazing land, west of the
Great Kei River The Great Kei River is a river in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Black Kei River and White Kei River, northeast of Cathcart. It flows for and ends in the Great Kei Estuary at the Indian Ocean wi ...
. Encroachment by European settlers, beginning in the Dutch colonial period, resulted in the century of
Xhosa Wars The Xhosa Wars (also known as the Cape Frontier Wars or the Kaffir Wars) were a series of nine wars (from 1779 to 1879) between the Xhosa people, Xhosa Kingdom and the British Empire as well as Trekboers in what is now the Eastern Cape in Sout ...
(commonly known as the Frontier Wars) from 1779 to 1879 involving Xhosa tribes (including the Ngqika),
Khoikhoi Khoekhoen (singular Khoekhoe) (or Khoikhoi in the former orthography; formerly also ''Hottentot (racial term), Hottentots''"Hottentot, n. and adj." ''OED Online'', Oxford University Press, March 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/88829. Accessed 13 ...
and
San people The San peoples (also Saan), or Bushmen, are members of various Khoe, Tuu, or Kxʼa-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer cultures that are the first cultures of Southern Africa, and whose territories span Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, ...
. Relations between the
European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
invaders were fluid throughout this period with the varying indigenous people and Europeans working for or against one another to secure land, resources and cattle. These groups changed allies depending on who would help advance their objectives over the years. In 1793, in collaboration with other Xhosa clans, the Ngqikas fought against white settlers during the Second Frontier War. In 1796, Ngqika turned 18 and was ready to assume his rightful place on the throne, but his uncle was reluctant to give up power. Ndlambe appealed to the tribe to retain his power but this failed. His nephew imprisoned him a year later in an attempt to stifle his power. When he escaped across the Great Fish River in 1799 with his supporters, he attempted to collude with the Cape Colony's white government to overthrow Ngqika, but the colony continued to recognise his nephew as the paramount chief. Ngqika ka Mlawu died in November 1829 after a chest illness and alcohol abuse.


List of chiefs during Xhosa Wars

Mgolombane Sandile the rightful heir of Ngqika, was only nine years old when his father died. Maqoma, born to Ngqika and Nomvakalisa Nothontho of the Ngqosini, was the chief's eldest son but because Sandile's mother was a descendant of abaThembu (a royal lineage). Her first son was thus considered the “Great Son”. Maqoma became regent until Sandile was ready to rule. The following is a list of chiefs of the Ngqika that ruled during the
Xhosa Wars The Xhosa Wars (also known as the Cape Frontier Wars or the Kaffir Wars) were a series of nine wars (from 1779 to 1879) between the Xhosa people, Xhosa Kingdom and the British Empire as well as Trekboers in what is now the Eastern Cape in Sout ...
starting with Sandile's great grandfather, Rharhabe: *Rharhabe: lived 1778 (as the leader of the
Rharhabe The Rharhabe House is the second senior house (Right Hand House) of the Xhosa Kingdom. The Rharhabe house was founded by Xhosa warrior Rharhabe, who was the older brother of Gcaleka ka Phalo. History of the Rharhabe The Xhosa royal blood line st ...
people) – 1782, ruled 1796 - 1782 * Ngqika kaMlawu: lived 1778 – 1829, ruled 1796 - 1829 *
Mgolombane Sandile Mgolombane Sandile (1820–1878) was a ruler of the Right Hand House of the Xhosa Kingdom. A dynamic leader, he led the Xhosa armies in several of the Xhosa-British Wars. Having recently been equipped with modern fire-arms, Sandile's forces succ ...
: lived 1820 – 1878, ruled 1841 - 1878 The native groups lost most of their land and were absorbed into the
Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...
during this century. The Xhosa eventually lost access to the fertile land between the
Great Kei River The Great Kei River is a river in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Black Kei River and White Kei River, northeast of Cathcart. It flows for and ends in the Great Kei Estuary at the Indian Ocean wi ...
and
Great Fish River The Great Fish River (called ''great'' to distinguish it from the Namibian Fish River) ( af, Groot-Visrivier) is a river running through the South African province of the Eastern Cape. The coastal area between Port Elizabeth and the Fish Riv ...
to encroaching European settlers. 2017. Battle of Amalinde. Buffalo City. Accessed 13 March.
/ref>


See also

*
Albany, South Africa Albany, South Africa (also known as Cape Borders, Cape Frontier, Settler Country, and Western Region) was a district in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Grahamstown was traditionally the administrative capital, cultural centre and largest town of th ...
*
History of Cape Colony from 1806 to 1870 The history of the Cape Colony from 1806 to 1870 spans the period of the history of the Cape Colony during the Cape Frontier Wars, which lasted from 1779 to 1879. The wars were fought between the European colonists and the native Xhosa who, de ...
*
British Kaffraria British Kaffraria was a British colony/subordinate administrative entity in present-day South Africa, consisting of the districts now known as Qonce and East London. It was also called Queen Adelaide's Province. The British Kaffraria was establish ...
*
Kaffraria Kaffraria was the descriptive name given to the southeast part of what is today the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Kaffraria, i.e. the land of the Kaffirs, is no longer an official designation (with the term ''kaffir'' now an offensive racial s ...
*
Military history of South Africa The military history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. It covers civil wars and wars of aggression and of self-defence both within South Africa and against it. It in ...
*
Mgolombane Sandile Mgolombane Sandile (1820–1878) was a ruler of the Right Hand House of the Xhosa Kingdom. A dynamic leader, he led the Xhosa armies in several of the Xhosa-British Wars. Having recently been equipped with modern fire-arms, Sandile's forces succ ...
*
The Battle of Amalinde The Battle of Amalinde was an armed confrontation between two Xhosa chiefs of the Rharhabe House, which took place in October 1818 just outside of what is today King Williams Town, in the East London, Eastern Cape, Eastern Cape region of South Afric ...
*
Great Kei River The Great Kei River is a river in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Black Kei River and White Kei River, northeast of Cathcart. It flows for and ends in the Great Kei Estuary at the Indian Ocean wi ...
*
Great Fish River The Great Fish River (called ''great'' to distinguish it from the Namibian Fish River) ( af, Groot-Visrivier) is a river running through the South African province of the Eastern Cape. The coastal area between Port Elizabeth and the Fish Riv ...


References


External links


List of wars
{{authority control Xhosa-speaking peoples Ethnic groups in South Africa History of South Africa