This conflict refers to the 18961897 ndebeleshona revolt against colonial rule by the british south africa company. To the whites it was the rhodesian bush war and to the blacks it was the second chimurenga, the first having been the failed attempt at independence that happened in 18967. The defeat of the ndebele and shona led to the total colonization of zimbabwe and the europeans firmly settled. The events of 18967 must rather be explained through an examination of the details of the conflict. The british colony of rhodesia had effectively ruled itself since the 1920s, and by the 1960s. It pitted the british south africa company against the matabele people, which led to conflict with the shona people in the rest of rhodesia. In this article, i argue that the first chimurenga, or uprising, which took place from 18961897 in southern rhodesia, now zimbabwe, was a complex set of. The influence of religious leaders such as mbuya nehanda, mlimo and sekuru kaguvi who were offering emotional and psychological support to. Chimurenga chimurenga is a shona word which means to fight or struggle. This conflict refers to the 18961897 ndebeleshona revolt against the british south africa companys administration of the territory. The first chimurenga umvukela of 18961897 was an outraged reaction by locals against white invaders. First i would like to thank my last supervisor, dr. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search.
What exists is one chimurenga originating from one source and inspired by that one source but that first broke out in matebeleland and then. Causes of the first chimurenga war its prosecution and identification of heroes the effects of land appropriation, the creation of tribal trust lands, hut taxes, racial segregation and the apartheid systems effect on education, health and cultural dissemination. It was a long while before the whites could mount a credible counter offensive. In this article, it will be argued that the first chimurenga, or uprising in southern rhodesia was a complex set of struggles over land, cattle, and taxes rather than a planned, unified movement intended to overthrow the whites. Chimurenga forces killed whites and drove away thousands of cattle the whiteman had looted. Chimurenga songs music of the revolutionary peoples war. Epic battles of first chimurenga how ndebele warriors won. Nehandaleft and kaguviright heroes of the first chimurenga. The name chimurenga was coined by sororenzou murenga, who had led his people during first matabele war in 1893.
The first chimurenga is now celebrated in zimbabwe as the first war of independence, but it is best known in the anglosaxon world as the second matabele war. It under scores the dictum that the inconsistent use of coercion by government can both speedily alienate individuals and focus their discontent upon political institutions, and that legitimacy is a political necessity, for it reduces dependence. C unfortunately, rhodes annihilated the shona with the extensive use of western weaponry such as. In the first matabele war, the ndebele had experienced the effectiveness of the settlers maxim guns, so they never mounted a significant attack against bulawayo even though over 10,000 ndebele warriors could be seen near the town. He travelled from london to salford university to ensure that i got the assistance i needed. The victory of a seemingly militant zanu zimbabwe african national union in zimbabwes 1980 independence elections, following a long guerrilla war the chimurenga against white colonialism, was greeted with jubilation. But this is exactly what does not exist in this country. The two political parties of zanu and zapu, which fought a bitter and protracted guerilla war against ian smiths racist regime from the two fronts of mozambique and zambia, began to realise the critical role women could play when the military struggle became central to the demand for majority rule in zimbabwe. In the first place, it was one of the nightmares of white. European pressure on the african people prior to 1896 was minimal and cannot be assumed to be the cause of the first chimurenga. Hole attempted to explain to his superiors how the great rising of the central shona, which had begun in june of that year and which was.
The all time classic that drove morale high during the second chimurenga with main points of the revolution disciplin4 requirements. In what was then the british colony of southern rhodesia, the black uprising took place between 1964 and 1980. Brilliant mhlanga, for the sacrifices he made and the sincere commitment he showed in ensuring that i completed my thesis within the stipulated time. The first chimurenga began at the court of chief makoni in manicaland. State six causes of the chimurenga war of 1896 1897. The first chimurenga is now celebrated in zimbabwe as the first war of independence. It will evaluate historiography available on the subject, analyzing various weaknesses in scholarship due to the. Known to the englishspeaking world as the rhodesian bush war or the zimbabwe war of independence, the second chimurenga the shone term for revolutionary struggle saw a threeway competition for control of the landlocked, southern african former british colony. It is also known in the english speaking world as the second matabele war.
The need to spread christianity and replace african traditional religion which was widely spread among africans led to the first chimurenga. In this article, it will be argued that the first chimurenga, or uprising in southern rhodesia was a complex set of struggles over land, cattle, and taxes rather than a planned, unified movement. Decisive british south africa company victory,allowing them to implement the hut tax and prepare what became rhodesia to. This triggered wars of liberation, popularly codenamed chimurenga. Many shona chiefs were killed during the first chimurenga. There was a basic similarity between the way in which rhodesian colonial historians looked at the central shona chimurenga rising of 1896 and t. Beyond the third chimurenga theological reflections on. Liberation war fighter cde george shumba, whose chimurenga name was farai tafirenyika continues to narrate events during. The uprisings, which are examples of early african resistance movements capable of fighting with their own weapons and active methods, were a. Her poems and short stories have appeared in several magazines like chimurenga, bathtub gin, canopic jar, eclectica, sentinel, african writingonline, boyne berries, farafina, kwani and several anthologies. With its wealth of documented information on the internal workings of the zimbabwean guerrilla movements, the somewhat staccato historical narrative by martin and johnson, two longtime africa correspondents, will fascinate and enlighten zimbabwewatchers. There was a basic similarity between the way in which rhodesian colonial historians looked at the central shona chimurenga rising. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus.
The first chimurenga war occurred in 189697, inspired by spirit mediums of. British encroachment into the ndebele territory, also known as matabeleland was the main reasons for the revolt. Ranger reconstruction of the organization of the chimurenga. The struggle for zimbabwe is an important book that deserves to be widely read by all south africans.
The words modern interpretation has been extended to describe a struggle for human rights, political dignity and social justice. Home notes ordinary level notes o level history notes the first chimurenga. Within the first week of fighting, 20 men of the bulawayo field force were killed and another 50 wounded. Our reporter norman muchemwa nm continues to chronicle the political. Her focus is on early resistance movements to colonialism, particularly those that took place in zimbabwe during the late nineteenth century. Particularly compelling is their account of the gradual ascendance of robert mugabe within zanus complex dual structures of military and. Traditionally, chimurenga or bongozozo is a fight in which everyone at hand participates. The resistance offered in 18967 became known as the first chimurenga by the africans but the second matabele war by the british. The first chimurenga was fought in 1896 to 1897 by the shona and the ndebele under the leadership of traditional leaders such as mbuya nehanda, sekuru kaguvi and mkwati, religious luminaries. There was no planned, organised or coordinated rebellion in matabeleland in march 1896. In 1896, a growing number within the shona rebelled against rhodes, and a combined force of ndebele and shona rose in revolt called the first chimurenga, which means war of liberation. Zimbabwes first war of independence zimbabwe gained her independence from british rule after a long struggle that began with the unilateral declaration of independence by the white prime minister ian smith in 1965 and ended in 1980 after the bush war that brought robert mugabe to power. The second matabele war, also known as the matabeleland rebellion or part of what is now known in zimbabwe as the first chimurenga, was fought between 1896 and 1897 in the area then known as rhodesia, now zimbabwe.
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