The first written records relating to modern-day…
1828 CE to 1839 CE
What these records show is that the Bangwaketse had become the predominant power in the region.
Under the rule of Makaba II, the Bangwaketse keep vast herds of cattle in well-protected desert areas, and use their military prowess to raid their neighbors.
Other chiefdoms in the area, by this time, have capitals of ten thousand or so and are fairly prosperous.
One of these famous capitals is Kaditshwene, which is the cultural capital of the Bahurutshe people, one of the principal Tswana tribes and a center of manufacturing and trading, founded in the late 1400s on the site of iron and copper ore deposits.
This equilibrium comes to end during the Mfecane period, 1823–1843, when a succession of invading peoples from South Africa enter the country.
Although the Bangwaketse are able to defeat the invading Bakololo in 1826, over time all the major chiefdoms in Botswana are attacked, weakened, and impoverished.
The Bakololo and Amandebele raid repeatedly, and take large numbers of cattle, women, and children from the Batswana—most of whom are driven into the desert or sanctuary areas such as hilltops and caves.
Groups
Topics
Regions
Southern Africa
View →Subregions
