Lewanika II
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Lewanika (c. 1842–1916) (also known as Lubosi, Lubosi Lewanika or Lewanika I) was the Lozi
Litunga The Litunga of Barotseland (Zambia, in Zambia) is the King of the Barotse people. The ''Litunga'' resides near the Zambezi River and the town of Mongu, at Lealui on the floodplain in the dry season, and on higher ground at Limulunga on the edge of ...
(King) of
Barotseland Barotseland (Lozi language, Lozi: ''Mubuso Bulozi'') is a region between Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe including half of north-western province, southern province, and parts of Lusaka Province, Lusaka, Central Province, Zambia, Central, ...
from 1878 to 1916 (with a break in 1884-5). A detailed, although biased, description of King 'Lubossi' (the spelling used) can be found in the Portuguese explorer
Alexandre de Serpa Pinto Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa Pinto, Viscount of Serpa Pinto (aka Serpa Pinto; 20 April 184628 December 1900) was a Portuguese explorer of southern Africa and a colonial administrator. Early life Serpa Pinto was born at the Quinta das Po ...
's 1878–1879 travel narrative ''Como eu atravessei a África'' (''How I Crossed Africa'', in English translation).


Biography

In December 1882, the missionary
Frederick Stanley Arnot Frederick Stanley Arnot (12 September 1858 – 14 May 1914) was a British missionary who did much to establish Christian missions in what are now Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Early years Arnot was born in Glasg ...
reached
Lealui Lealui or Lialui is the dry season residence on the Barotse Floodplain of the Litunga, king of the Lozi people of western Zambia. It is located about 14 km west of the town of Mongu and about 10 km east of the river's main channel. A ...
, the capital of Barotseland, after traveling across the
Kalahari Desert The Kalahari Desert is a large semiarid climate, semiarid sandy savanna in Southern Africa covering including much of Botswana as well as parts of Namibia and South Africa. It is not to be confused with the Angolan, Namibian, and South African ...
from Botswana. King Lewanika kept him for the next eighteen months, then allowed him to move on, but in a westward direction rather than eastward as he had planned. While detained, Arnot taught the king's children to read and undertook some evangelism. Arnot was present when Lewanika received a proposal from the
Ndebele Ndebele may refer to: *Southern Ndebele people, located in South Africa *Northern Ndebele people, located in Zimbabwe * Sumayela Ndebele (Northern Transvaal Ndebele), located in South Africa Languages *Southern Ndebele language, the language of ...
for an alliance to resist the white men. Arnot may have helped Lewanika to see the advantages of a British protectorate in terms of the greater wealth and security it would provide. Arnot left Bulozi in 1884 to recover his health and to escape a brewing rebellion against Lewanika. When Lewanika crushed the rebellion, George Westbeech described the scene: "The flat from Lia-liue to Mongu, a distance of twelve miles without a bush, is even now covered with skeletons and grinning skulls...." Before this event, his name had simply been ''Lubosi''; after it, he had taken on the name ''Lewanika'' (meaning "Conqueror"). Lewanika brought Barotseland, now part of
Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
, under
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
control in 1890, when he agreed with
Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes ( ; 5 July 185326 March 1902) was an English-South African mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896. He and his British South Africa Company founded th ...
for the region to become a
protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...
under the
British South Africa Company The British South Africa Company (BSAC or BSACo) was chartered in 1889 following the amalgamation of Cecil Rhodes' Central Search Association and the London-based Exploring Company Ltd, which had originally competed to capitalize on the expecte ...
(BSAC). However, he felt deceived by the BSAC terms as they worked in practice, and he appealed, unsuccessfully, to the
British Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
. Lewanika told Dr James Johnston how he had written to the British asking that his kingdom should be made a British Protectorate. He had waited years for a reply and then men had arrived with papers claiming that they had the power to make this happen. The King was reassured as the local missionary. Monsier Coillard, was his interpreter at the meeting and the King was reassured by Coillard's confidence in these men. Lewanika had been thankful that his wish had been granted and he had sent two enormous elephant ivory tusks as a present for Queen Victoria. Lewanika was incensed to find that the men were from a South African company and that the ivory tusks were not with Queen Victoria but as ornaments in the directors board room. Johnston assisted Lewanika in writing a letter of protest. Lewanika was to prove a great help to Johnston as he was able to command assistance for Johnston from nearby subordinate chiefs.Reality versus romance in South Central Africa
Dr J Johnston, Archive.org, Retrieved 25 September 2015
In 1902, Lewanika visited
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
for the
coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra The coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Edward VII and his wife, Alexandra of Denmark, Alexandra, as King of the United Kingdom, king and List of British royal consorts, queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, ...
, where he was treated with respect and had an audience with King Edward and an informal meeting with the
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
. When asked what he would discuss with the British sovereign, he said "When we kings meet we always have plenty to talk about".


Family

Lewanika's eldest son was named Litia, and succeeded as
Yeta III Yeta III CBE was a king of Barotseland, of the Lozi people in what is now Western Zambia. Family The parents of Yeta were King Lewanika and Queen Ma-Litia. Yeta married a woman called Kumayo who became his consort at Sefula Church in 1892. T ...
on his father´s death. His third son Imwiko succeeded his brother in 1945, but died three years later and was succeeded by a third brother, Mwanawina III. On his death in 1968, a fourth brother Mbikusita reigned as Litunga from 1968 to 1977 as
Lewanika II Lewanika (c. 1842–1916) (also known as Lubosi, Lubosi Lewanika or Lewanika I) was the Lozi people, Lozi Litunga (King) of Barotseland from 1878 to 1916 (with a break in 1884-5). A detailed, although biased, description of King 'Lubossi' (the spel ...
. A newspaper-article from 1902 mentioned two sons, Imasiku and Lubosi, who were educated in the UK at the time, and a son-in-law called Ishi-Kambai. One of his daughters worked as a teacher in his capital, and another was reported to have died while he was in the United Kingdom in 1902. Lewanika's youngest daughter was Her Royal Highness Lundambuyu Dorcas Lewanika, who ruled as Mboajikana in Kalabo District, from 1959 to 1995. She has two children Maureen Mwangala Mutau and Martin Mwanangombe Mutau, however she fostered many children and orphans. Her Grand Children from Maureen are, Lundambuyu Mwenda, (Mrs Linda Kalinda), Notulu Mwenda (Mrs Notulu Lungu), Lungowe Mwenda (Mrs Lungowe Mwapela), Mwangala Mwenda, (Mrs Mwangala Lethbridge), Nyambe Mwenda (son). Her Great Grand Children from Maureen are Kelvin Muimanenwa Mulenga, Philip Kalinda,https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipkalinda Sven Kalinda and Lundambuyu Mwapela. The Lewanika name continues to be used as part of a family name, for instance by Lewanika II's children
Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika Prince Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika (born 4 February 1948) is a Zambian politician and businessman with a princely title. He was a founding member of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy. During Rupiah Banda's presidency, he served as a Presid ...
, a
Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
n statesman and
Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika Princess Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika (born 10 July 1943, Senanga) is a Zambian politician who has served as Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia to the United States of America. She presented her credentials to U.S. President George W. Bush on 26 ...
, a former ambassador of the Republic of Zambia in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.


References


External links

{{Authority control 1840s births 1916 deaths Litungas