Mfecane
Kutoka Wikipedia, kamusi elezo huru
Mfecane (Kizulu: kutawanyika au kumegeka; kwa Kisotho "Difaqane") ni kipindi katika historia ya Afrika ya Kusini kati ya 1815 na 1840.
Yaliyomo |
[hariri] Kipindi cha vita na uhamisho wa makabila
Kipindi hiki kilikuwa na mvurugo mkubwa kutokana na vita nyingi zilizosababisha uhamisho wa makabila yaliyolazimishwa kuondoka kwao au kutafuta mahali mapya yakiendelea kuhamahama hadi Tanzania, Malawi na Zambia.
[hariri] Mafanikio ya Shaka Zulu
Harakati hii ilianzishwa na mafanikio ya ufalme wa Wazulu walioongozwa na Shaka Zulu. Shaka kama kiongozi wa kijeshi katika kundi dogo la Wanguni alibadilisha mtindo wa vita akaweza kushinda viongozi majirani na kuunganisha Wanguni katika himaya yake ya Kizulu. Mtindo huu mpya ulikuwa na mpangalio wa askari katika vikundi vyenye nidhamu kali vilivyoitwa impi na silaha mpya zilizolazimisha askari kukaribia maadui na kupigana nao ana kwa ana.
[hariri] Uhamisho mfululizo
Mafanikio ya kijeshi ya Shaka yalisababisha makabila mengine kukimbia yakiingia katika maeneo ya majirani ya kusababisha uhamisho wao. Wangoni wa eneo la Songea katika Tanzania ni kundi mojawapo lililoendelea kukimbia hasira ya Wazulu hadi kufika mbali.
Maeneo makubwa hasa katika tambarare za Afrika Kusini yalibaki bila watu kwa sababu vikundi vingi vilihamia mbali au kukimbilia maeneo ya milima penye usalama zaidi.
Mitindo ya kivita ya Kizulu ilinakiliwa haraka na makabila mengine na kipindi cha mfecane kiliona pia kutokea kwa madola mapya yenye nguvu ya kijeshi kama vile Sotho, Swazi na Ndebele.
[hariri] Kuwapa nafasi makaburu
Uharibifu uliosababishwa na mfecane uliorahisisha upanuzi wa makaburu aina ya voortrekker waliondoka katika koloni ya Rasi kuanzia 1835. Hata kama walikuwa wachache waliweza kuingia mbali katika maeneo yaliyowahi kukaliwa na makabila ya Kiafrika lakini kwa kipindi hiki kubaki bila watu.
[hariri] Chanzo cha madola ya Kiafrika yenye uwezo wa kijeshi
Vilevile mashindano ya kijeshi yalijenga madola ya Waafrika yaliyokuwa na nguvu kujitetea dhidi ya upanuzi wa jamhuri za Makaburu na baadaye ukoloni wa Uingereza. Waingereza walilazimishwa kutambua madola kama Lesotho au Uswazi kwa sababu waliogopa gharama kubwa za kuwashinda.
In South Africa itself the Mfecane caused immense suffering and devastated large areas as refugees scrambled to safety in mountain fastnesses or were killed, thus easing the way for white expansion into Natal and the Highveld. In the Cape Colony it greatly increased pressures on the eastern frontier as refugees known as Mfengu crowded in on the peoples of the Transkei. At the same time, however, as a result of the Mfecane, some of the most formidable kingdoms to oppose white penetration were created—the Sotho, Swazi, and Ndebele, as well as the Gaza of Mozambique. The impact of the Mfecane was felt far beyond South Africa, as peoples fled from Shaka's armies as far as Tanzania and Malawi in the northeast (the Ngoni) and Barotseland, in Zambia, to the northwest (the Kololo).
