Masalanabo Modjadji II (died 1894) was the second

Rain Queen Queen Modjadji, or the Rain Queen, is the hereditary queen of Balobedu, a people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the clouds and rainfall. She is know ...

of the South African

Balobedu The Lobedu or Balobedu ''(''also known as the BaLozwi or Bathobolo'')'' are a southern African ethnic group that speak a Northern Sotho dialect. Their area is called Bolobedu. The name "balobedu" means "the mineral miners", lobela or go loba � ...

people.

Reign

Masalanabo reigned from 1854 to 1894. She was preceded by Maselekwane Modjadji I. During the native "location policies" of the early 1890s,

Commandant-General Commandant-general is a military rank in several countries and is generally equivalent to that of major-general. Argentina Commandant general is the highest rank in the Argentine National Gendarmerie, and is held by the national director of the ...

Piet Joubert Petrus Jacobus Joubert (20 January 1831 – 28 March 1900), better known as Piet Joubert (''Slim Piet'', Smart Pete), was a South African politician who served as the commandant–general of the South African Republic from 1880 to 1900. He als ...

(1834–1900) surrounded the Rain Queen's home until she was forced to give herself up. Historian Louis Changuion wrote, "It would be the first time that white people would see the Rain Queen." However, what happened was not what they had expected. "After four days," Changuion continues, an elderly black woman was carried out on a litter, accompanied by her chief indunas, to negotiate with the white people. It was a great disappointment to the men watching the proceedingsof ' She-who-must-be-obeyed' there was no trace. She was not the white woman of the legends. It is told that Joubert presented her with a "kappie" (bonnet) and a blanket." According to the book ''Realm of a rain-queen'', Joubert was shown not the real Rain Queen, but an impersonator. A mysterious figure who only rarely appeared in public, Masalanabo had no children. She died childless At some point the royal council designated the daughter of "great wife" and sister Princess Leakhali as heir to the throne. Khesethoane inherited the throne. Princess Leakhali was a commoner through his father and she was born out of wedlock . Also the father of Queen Khesetoane was a commoner. Masalanabo committed

ritual suicide A suicide method is any means by which a person may choose to end their life. Suicide attempts do not always result in death, and a non-fatal suicide attempt can leave the person with serious physical injuries, long-term health problems, or ...

in 1894, after having named Leakhali as her successor. She was succeeded by Khetoane Modjadji III.

Legacy

Among other female authorities in Africa, Masalanabo Modjadji is said to be the inspiration for

H. Rider Haggard Sir Henry Rider Haggard (; 22 June 1856 – 14 May 1925) was an English writer of adventure fiction romances set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost world literary genre. He was also involved in land reform t ...

's novel '' She: A History of Adventure''. However, the praise for the influence of female authority on the book is not without criticism. Critics argue that the representation of womanhood in the book and similar works in the field of

literary tourism Literary tourism is a type of cultural tourism that deals with places and events from literary texts as well as the lives of their authors. This could include visiting particular place associated with a novel or a novelist, such as a writer's hom ...

did not only mirror and further imperialist initiatives but "''She'' is also a thinly disguised allegorical admonition to recognize and dispel the threat that the New Woman posed to late-Victorian society".

References

Year of birth missing 1894 deaths Rain Queens 19th-century women monarchs 19th-century monarchs in Africa 1890s suicides Suicides in Africa {{SouthAfrica-bio-stub