24 Facts About Xhosa Wars

Xhosa Wars were a series of nine wars between the Xhosa Kingdom and the British Empire as well as Trekboers in what is the Eastern Cape in South Africa.

The Xhosa were already established in the area and herded cattle, which led to tensions between them and the colonists; these tensions were the primary reason for the Cape Frontier Wars.

Van Plettenberg appointed Adreaan Van Jaarsveld to lead commandoes to force the Xhosa Wars to move east of the river, if they were unresponsive to requests to do so.

In 1811, the Xhosa Wars occupied the area, and flashpoint conflicts with encroaching settlers followed.

Insecurity persisted because the Xhosa Wars remained expelled from territory that was then settled by Europeans and other African peoples.

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British governor Sir Benjamin d'Urban believed that Hintsa ka Khawuta, King of the amaXhosa Wars, commanded authority over all of the Xhosa Wars tribes and therefore held him responsible for the initial attack on the Cape Colony, and for the looted cattle.

Xhosa Wars attempted to escape at the Nqabarha River but was pursued, pulled off his horse, and immobilized with shots through the back and the leg.

Stockenstrom, who professed considerable respect for the Xhosa Wars, developed a system of formal treaties to guard the border and return any stolen cattle from either side.

Seventh Xhosa Wars War is often referred to as the "War of the Axe" or the "Amatola War".

The Xhosa Wars forces were greater in number, and some of them had by this time replaced their traditional weapons with firearms.

Governor Maitland imposed a new system of treaties on the chiefs without consulting them, while a severe drought forced desperate Xhosa Wars to engage in cattle raids across the frontier in order to survive.

Large numbers of Xhosa Wars then poured across the border as the outnumbered imperial troops fell back, abandoning their outposts.

Xhosa Wars promised to use his limited authority over the frontier Ngqika to restrain cross-border attacks.

However, British Imperial General Peregrine Maitland rejected the treaty and sent an insulting letter back to the Xhosa Wars paramount-chief, demanding greater acts of submission and servility.

Large numbers of Xhosa Wars were displaced across the Keiskamma by Governor Harry Smith, and these refugees supplemented the original inhabitants there, causing overpopulation and hardship.

Those Xhosa Wars who remained in the colony were moved to towns and encouraged to adopt European lifestyles.

Large numbers of Xhosa Wars began leaving the colony's towns and mobilizing in the tribal areas.

The Xhosa Wars burned British military villages along the frontier and captured the post at Line Drift.

Xhosa Wars's policies had made enemies of the Burghers and Boer Commandos, the Fengu, and the Khoi, who formed much of the Cape's local defences.

Xhosa Wars forces were repulsed in separate attacks on Fort White and Fort Hare.

Xhosa Wars preached that the ancestors would return from the afterlife in huge numbers, drive all Europeans into the sea, and give the Xhosa bounteous gifts of horses, sheep, goats, dogs, fowls, and all manner of clothing and food in great amounts.

The Gcaleka Xhosa Wars resided predominately in the independent Gcaleka land to the east and had suffered greatly from the effects of war, alcoholism and Nongqawuse's cattle killing.

In 1877, political tensions among Xhosa Wars e began to emerge, particularly between the Mfengu, the Thembu and the Gcaleka.

Xhosa Wars demanded the free command of the Cape's indigenous forces to operate and contain the violence, making it clear that he was content to sacrifice his job rather than tolerate further British interference.