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Ama Gqunukhwebe is a chiefdom of the Xhosa Nation that was created under the reign of King Tshiwo (1670–1702) of
Ama Gqunukhwebe is a chiefdom of the Xhosa Nation that was created under the reign of King Tshiwo (1670–1702) of amaXhosa
The Xhosa people, or Xhosa-speaking people (; ) are African people who are direct kinsmen of Tswana people, Sotho people and Twa people, yet are narrowly sub grouped by European as Nguni ethnic group whose traditional homeland is primarily the ...
who was a grandfather to Gcaleka and 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 ...
. It consisted mostly of the Khoi
Khoekhoen (singular Khoekhoe) (or Khoikhoi in the former orthography; formerly also '' Hottentots''"Hottentot, n. and adj." ''OED Online'', Oxford University Press, March 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/88829. Accessed 13 May 2018. Citing G. S. ...
chiefdoms (Gonaqua The Gonaqua (or Gonaguas, meaning "borderers") were a Xhosa ethnic group, descendants of a very old union between the Khoikhoi and the Xhosa. This union predates the arrival of Europeans in South Africa. The Gonaqua have been regarded as outcasts by ...
, Hoengeniqua, Inqua and others) that had been displaced by colonists and became incorporated into the Xhosa nation.
Khwane kaLungane, a counselor and warrior under King Tshiwo, was chosen to lead the new chiefdom. This marked the start of his ''Khwane'' dynasty'','' which would lead the chiefdom for decades.
The chiefdom spanned from the Buffalo River to Zwaartkops, but most of its territory was lost after 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 Kingdom and the British Empire as well as Trekboers in what is now the Eastern Cape in South Africa. T ...
and was given to colony settlers (west of the Fish River) and the Fengu people (between the Fish and Keiskamma rivers) by the colonial government.
The chiefdom gradually grew more homogeneous, until a divide occurred when two members of the leading family, Pato and Kama, split and settled different areas of the region. In addition, Kama converted to Christianity, which further alienated himself from the royal family. Later, Kama was recognized by the Cape Colony as the true leader of the chiefdom, possibly due to his religious conversion. This further eroded the influence of Pato and the ruling family of Gqunukhwebe.
Today, the chiefdom is effectively two entities led from two different centres, with one led by the ''Pato house'' and one led by the ''Kama house''. Zolani ka-Ntlanganiso Phatho, a direct descendant of Pato, is currently next in line to be leader of the chiefdom.
References
{{authority control Xhosa-speaking peoples Ethnic groups in South Africa Sub-ethnic groups