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King Mswati II (c. 1820 – August 1868), also known as Mswati and Mavuso III, was the
king of Eswatini iNgwenyama (, pl. ''tiNgewnyama'', also ''Ingwenyama'' or ''Inkosi'') is the title of the male monarch of Eswatini. In English, the title is sometimes translated as King of Eswatini. The iNgwenyama reigns together with the Ndlovukazi, a spiri ...
between 1840 and 1868. He was also the
eponym An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
of
Eswatini Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini, also known by its former official names Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa on all sides except the northeast, where i ...
. Mswati is considered to be one of the greatest fighting kings of Eswatini. Under his kingship, the territorial boundaries of Eswatini were greatly increased. Mswati was the son of
Sobhuza I King Sobhuza I (also known as Ngwane IV, Somhlolo) () was king of Eswatini Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini, also known by its former official names Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Af ...
and
Tsandzile Ndwandwe Thandile 'Tsandzile' Ndwandwe, also known as LaZidze ("daughter of Zwide"), was an ''Ndlovukati'' or senior queen of Swaziland from July 1868 until June 1875. She was the daughter of King Zwide kaLanga, the senior wife of King Sobhuza I, and ...
(known as "LaZidze") who after ruling as
Queen Mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the monarch, reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also ...
became Queen Regent after the death of her son. After the death of Sobhuza, Mswati inherited an area which extended as far as present day Barberton in the north and included the Nomahasha district in the Portuguese territory of
Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
.Hilda Beemer, The Development of the Military Organization in Swaziland, Journal of the International African Institute, Vol. 10, No. 2, Apr., 1937 Mswati's military power, initially suppressed by infighting with his brothers Fokoti,
Malambule Prince Malambule was the half-brother of King Mswati II and regent of Eswatini from 1836 until Mswati assumed the throne in 1840. He was a senior son of King Sobhuza I with Queen LaVumisa Ndwandwe.Westcott, Michael; Hamilton, Carolyn (1992): ''In ...
, and Somcuba over the kingship, was increased in the late 1850s and thereafter. When Mswati's armies attacked organized forces of other
Bantu Bantu may refer to: *Bantu languages, constitute the largest sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages *Bantu peoples, over 400 peoples of Africa speaking a Bantu language * Bantu knots, a type of African hairstyle *Black Association for National ...
tribes or nations, the goal was initially plunder in the form of cattle and captives, rather than incorporation into one political unit. During this period the arrival of
Trekboer The Trekboers ( ) were nomadic pastoralists descended from mostly Dutch colonists on the frontiers of the Dutch Cape Colony in Southern Africa. The Trekboers began migrating into the interior from the areas surrounding what is now Cape Town, su ...
s, in what would become the
Transvaal republic The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result of the Second ...
, marked the first contact between Swazis and European settlers. Mswati greatly extended the boundaries of the Swazi territory beyond that of the present state with military outposts and royal villages outposts such as Embhuleni, on the upper
Komati River The Komati River, also known as the Inkomati River or Incomati River (in Mozambique, from Portuguese Rio Incomati), is a river in South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique. Originating in north-western Eswatini, it is joined by the Crocodile Riv ...
at the foot of the Mkhingoma Mountains in
Badplaas Badplaas, current officially named eManzana, is a small town on the R38 road in eastern Mpumalanga, South Africa. The town covers a total area of 14.66 square metres per miles which is equal 37.96 KM squared of land. It was established in 1876 ...
, Mekemeke near the Mbayiyane Mountains, situated east of Mantibovu (Low's Creek) and
Malelane Malalane, alternatively rendered Malelane, is a farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa situated on the N4 national highway. The farms in the region produce sugarcane, subtropical fruit and winter vegetables. The town was proclaimed in 1949 after ...
in Nkomazi. The death of Mswati II in August 1868 ended the era of Swazi conquest, territorial expansion and resulted in unification of various people into one nation.


Early life

Ingwenyama iNgwenyama (, pl. ''tiNgewnyama'', also ''Ingwenyama'' or ''Inkosi'') is the title of the male monarch of Eswatini. In English, the title is sometimes translated as King of Eswatini. The iNgwenyama reigns together with the Ndlovukazi, a spiri ...
Mswati II was born as a son of Somhlolo or Sobhuza I and Queen
Tsandzile Ndwandwe Thandile 'Tsandzile' Ndwandwe, also known as LaZidze ("daughter of Zwide"), was an ''Ndlovukati'' or senior queen of Swaziland from July 1868 until June 1875. She was the daughter of King Zwide kaLanga, the senior wife of King Sobhuza I, and ...
, the daughter of Zwide Ndwandwe, the leader of the powerful Ndwandwe clan south of the
Pongola River The Phongolo River is a river in South Africa. It is a tributary of the Maputo River. It rises near Utrecht in northern KwaZulu-Natal, flows east through oPhongolo, is dammed at Pongolapoort, and crosses the Ubombo Mountains; then it flows nort ...
.Phillip Bonner, Transvaal/Swazi Politics in the Mid-Nineteenth Century, The Journal of African History, Vol. 19, No. 2 (1978), pp. 219–238 The Swazi clans under the leadership of Sobhuza I were constantly in conflict with the Ndwandwe's. As a result, Sobhuza made an offer to marry one of the daughters of Zwide and establish peace with his neighbors. This culminated in a party being sent to the Ndwandwe capital and Tsandzile was chosen as the wife to bear the successor to Sobhuza. Mswati's early life after the death of Sobhuza was marked by disputes over the kingship with his brothers. As a result of this Mswati and his mother were installed in their positions before either of them was properly prepared. Such circumstances during his early life are sometimes considered to have predisposed him to be fierce and decisive later in his rule. When Mswati ascended to the throne, his predecessor left him a country claimed to be reaching modern day Barberton in the north, Carolina in the west,
Pongola River The Phongolo River is a river in South Africa. It is a tributary of the Maputo River. It rises near Utrecht in northern KwaZulu-Natal, flows east through oPhongolo, is dammed at Pongolapoort, and crosses the Ubombo Mountains; then it flows nort ...
in the south and
Lubombo Mountains The Lebombo Mountains, also called Lubombo Mountains, Rivombo Mountains (), are an , narrow range of mountains in Southern Africa. They stretch from Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal in the south to Punda Maria in the Limpopo Province in South Africa in ...
in the east.


Kingship

After succeeding his father in 1850, King Mswati II commenced a career of large-scale raids and adventure. He selected, as his hunting ground, the prosperous tribal lands of the various groups to the north of Eswatini. He became rich and his crack regiments, such as the Nyatsi, Umbhula and the Malalane, brought terror to African homes as far afield as
Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...
and
Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
. His crack regiments were used more importantly against ''emakhandzambili'' chiefs in Swazi territory and others outside Eswatini. The foothills of the
Drakensberg The Drakensberg (Zulu language, Zulu: uKhahlamba, Sotho language, Sotho: Maloti, Afrikaans: Drakensberge) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, Southern Africa, Great Escarpment, which encloses the central South Africa#Geography, Sout ...
, westwards from
Malelane Malalane, alternatively rendered Malelane, is a farming town in Mpumalanga, South Africa situated on the N4 national highway. The farms in the region produce sugarcane, subtropical fruit and winter vegetables. The town was proclaimed in 1949 after ...
and Low's Creek to the Barberton mountain land, were occupied by Mbayi, also known as the Maseko people, who were held in subjection by, but were not incorporated with, the people of AbakaNgcamane Maseko. They were driven out of this area in 1852 by the Swazi regiments. They fled north and occupied the area between the
Crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large, semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term "crocodile" is sometimes used more loosely to include ...
and
Sabie River The Sabie River is a river in South Africa that forms part of the Komati River System. The catchment area of the Sabie-Sand system is 6,320 km2 in extent. The Sabie is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in South Africa, with genera ...
s. King Mswati II also used his force to influence political events in the
Gaza kingdom The Gaza Empire (1824–1895) was an African empire established by Soshangane and was located in southeastern Africa in the area of southern Mozambique and southeastern Zimbabwe. The Gaza Empire, at its height in the 1860s, covered all of ...
, east of the
Lubombo mountains The Lebombo Mountains, also called Lubombo Mountains, Rivombo Mountains (), are an , narrow range of mountains in Southern Africa. They stretch from Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal in the south to Punda Maria in the Limpopo Province in South Africa in ...
. He also defended his country against Zulu encroachment with great determination. Mswati built a line of military outposts from west to east along the 'Little Crocodile River' ( Kaap River). At each outpost he stationed some of his regiments to watch and stop the Bapedi returning to their old haunts. The posts were Mbhuleni, on the upper
Komati River The Komati River, also known as the Inkomati River or Incomati River (in Mozambique, from Portuguese Rio Incomati), is a river in South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique. Originating in north-western Eswatini, it is joined by the Crocodile Riv ...
, at the foot of the Mkhingoma Mountains, south of
Badplaas Badplaas, current officially named eManzana, is a small town on the R38 road in eastern Mpumalanga, South Africa. The town covers a total area of 14.66 square metres per miles which is equal 37.96 KM squared of land. It was established in 1876 ...
, where Ngcina Matsebula was the indvuna, and Nandzi LaMagadlela Khumalo the Nkhosikati (chieftainess), and at Mekemeke, just east of the Mbayiyane mountains (Three Sisters), situated east of Mantibovu (Low's Creek), where Mekemeke Lanyandza III was the chieftainess and Mhlahlo Vilakati the indvuna. Mekemeke is situated high up on the eastern side of the Mbayiyane mountains, from where the drift in the Crocodile River near Malelane could be observed should the Mbayi return to the area. Mswati moved his administrative capital and military posts to
Hhohho Hhohho is a region of Eswatini, located in the north western part of the country. Hhohho was named after the capital of King Mswati II, who expanded the Swazi territory to the north and west, taking in the districts of Barberton, Nelspruit, Ca ...
, on the northern bank of the Mlumati River and continued his attacks on the various tribes, which include the
Bapedi The Pedi or - also known as the Northern Sotho, Basotho ba Lebowa, bakgatla ba dithebe, Transvaal Colony, Transvaal Sotho, Marota, or Dikgoshi - are a Sotho-Tswana peoples, Sotho-Tswana ethnic group native to South Africa, Botswana, and Leso ...
, the Baphalaborwa, the Lobedu near
Duiwelskloof Modjadjiskloof (formerly Duiwelskloof) is a small town situated at the foot of the escarpment in the Limpopo province of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost count ...
, the
Venda Venda ( ), officially the Republic of Venda (; ), was a Bantustan in northern South Africa. It was fairly close to the South African border with Zimbabwe to the north, while, to the south and east, it shared a long border with another black hom ...
of
Zoutpansberg Zoutpansberg was the north-eastern division of the Transvaal, South Africa, encompassing an area of 25,654 square miles. The chief towns at the time were Pietersburg and Leydsdorp. It was divided into two districts (west and east) prior to the ...
and as far afield as the
Great Zimbabwe Great Zimbabwe was a city in the south-eastern hills of the modern country of Zimbabwe, near Masvingo. It was settled from 1000 AD, and served as the capital of the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe from the 13th century. It is the largest stone struc ...
and the plains of Mozambique. A. T. Bryant writes that in this way Mswati gradually extended borders, increased his subjects and added to the wealth and strength of his kingdom. It is clear that he had a formidable army and Bryant calls him'' 'a veritable
Shaka Shaka kaSenzangakhona (–24 September 1828), also known as Shaka (the) Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reform ...
of the north' ''. The indvuna of Hhohho was Matsafeni Mdluli fourth, brother of Labotsibeni, who later became the mother of
Ngwane V Ngwane V (also known as Mahlokohla, Bhunu, Hhili) (11 May 1876 – 10 December 1899) was the King of Swaziland from 1895 until his death on 10 December 1899. Ngwane was born the son of Mbandzeni and his mother was Labotsibeni Mdluli. He ascend ...
. Matsafeni moved to the
Nelspruit Mbombela, formerly Nelspruit, is a city in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province. Located on the Crocodile River, the city lies about by road west of the Mozambique border, east of Johannesburg and north of ...
area in 1888 and H. L. Hall named the station Mataffin, 5 km west of Nelspruit, after him. Malambule who was Mswati's half-brother, held the reins of government until the young Mswati became king of
Eswatini Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini, also known by its former official names Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa on all sides except the northeast, where i ...
in 1840. Malambule appropriated and hid some of the royal cattle for himself, colluding with his brother Fokoti to commit an act that was tantamount to treason. When Mswati found out about the cattle, he sent his men to punish Malambule. Malambule fled with his brothers Fokoti, Sidubela and Ndlela to the south of the country to seek refuge among the Kunene clan. They later fled to Zululand when Mswati sent his regiments to attack this clan for giving protection to the refugees. The disruption of rival kingdoms magnified Mswati's power and distant tribesmen sought his protection. King Mswati 2nd established loyal groups in sparsely populated chiefdoms under their own leadership, and in others, he placed royal princes and trusted commoners. These new groups and the immigrants became known as ''Emafikamuva'' ( "those who arrived after" ).


Later life

Mswati died at his royal residence at Hhohho in August, 1865, aged about forty.Phillip Bonner, ''Kings, Commoners and Concessionaires: The Evolution and Dissolution of the Swazi State,'' Cambridge University Press (1982), p. 103. He was buried at the royal burial hill at Mbilaneni, next to his father and great-grandfather. The death of Mswati II ended the era of
Swazi Swazi may refer to: * Swazi people, a people of southeastern Africa * Swazi language * Eswatini Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini, also known by its former official names Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked count ...
conquest, territorial expansion and unification of various peoples into one nation. Mswati's successor was the eleven-year-old Ludvonga. He died in 1874 without any children and
Mbandzeni Mbandzeni (also known as Dlamini IV, Umbandine, Umbandeen) (c. 1855–1889) was the King of Swaziland (now Eswatini) from 1872 until 1889. Ingwenyama Mbandzeni was the son of Mswati II and Nandzi Nkambule. His mother the wife of King Mswati ha ...
became the new King in June 1875. He was known as Dlamini IV (1875-1889). Ludvonga's older half brother Mabhedla was regarded as a threat to the crown prince and had to flee from Eswatini. He fled Eswatini in approximately 1872 or 1873 and lived for a while on the farm Stonehaven, some 8 km northwest of Low's Creek, before moving on until he settled at the Leolo mountains, near
Steelpoort Steelpoort is a mining town on the R555 road in Sekhukhune District Municipality in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is located on the border with Mpumalanga province. Mining operations around Steelpoort include the Dwarsrivier chrome mi ...
, west of
Burgersfort Burgersfort is located in the valley of the Spekboom River at the edge of the Bushveld Complex in the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality of the Limpopo province of South Africa, near the border with the Mpumalanga province. The town was named ...
. He died in 1895 and is buried on the Leolo mountains.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mswati 02 Of Swaziland 1820s births 1865 deaths Swazi monarchs 19th-century monarchs in Africa