Griqualand West
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Griqualand West Griqualand Griekwaland-Wes | |||||||
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1800–1880 | |||||||
Griqua Flag† | |||||||
English | |||||||
Demonym(s) | Griqua | ||||||
Government | Kapteinskap | ||||||
Kaptijn | |||||||
• 1800–1820 | Adam Kok I | ||||||
• 1820–1852 | Andries Waterboer | ||||||
• 1852–1871 | Nicolaas Waterboer | ||||||
History | |||||||
• Established | 1800 | ||||||
• British rule imposed | 1871 | ||||||
• Destablished | 1880 | ||||||
Area | |||||||
Estimate | 40,000 km2 (15,000 sq mi) | ||||||
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† The Griqua flag is a vertically flipped version of the "Vierkleur" used by the South African Republic. A single source dates its origin to 1903; whether or not Griqualand West actually deployed it is uncertain.[1] |
Historical states in present-day South Africa |
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South Africa portal |
Griqualand West is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40,000 km2 that now forms part of the
In 1873 it was proclaimed as a British colony, with its capital at
Early history
The indigenous population of the area were the
Independent Griqua state
Origins of the Griqua people
The
The Dutch East India Company (VOC) did not intend the Cape Colony at the Southern tip of Africa to become a political entity. As it expanded and became more successful, its leaders did not worry about frontiers. The frontier of the colony was indeterminate and ebbed and flowed at the whim of individuals. While the VOC undoubtedly benefited from the trading and pastoral endeavours of the trekboers, it did little to control or support them in their quest for land. The high proportion of single Dutch men led to their taking indigenous women as wives and companions, and mixed-race children were born. They grew to be a sizeable population who spoke Dutch and were instrumental in developing the colony.
These children did not attain the social or legal status accorded their fathers, mostly because colonial laws recognised only Christian forms of marriage. This group became known as
Griqua migrations
Equipped with guns and horses, many of the Basters who were recruited to war chose instead to abandon their paternal society and to strike out and live a semi-nomadic existence beyond the Cape's frontier. The resulting stream of disgruntled, Dutch-speaking, trained marksmen leaving the Cape hobbled the Dutch capability to crew their commandos. It also created belligerent, skilled groups of opportunists who harassed the indigenous populations the length of the Orange River. Once free of the colonies, these groups called themselves the Oorlam. In particular, the group led by Klaas Afrikaner became notorious. He attracted enough attention from the Dutch authorities to cause him to be rendered to the colony and banished to Robben Island in 1761.
One of the most influential of these Oorlam groups was the "Griqua". In the 19th century, the Griqua controlled several political entities which were governed by Kapteins or Kaptyns (Dutch for "Captain", i.e. leader) and their Councils, with their own written constitutions. The Griqua had also largely adopted the Afrikaans language before their migrations.
Adam Kok I, the first Kaptein of the Griqua and recognised by the British, was originally a slave who had bought his own freedom. He led his people north from the interior of the Cape Colony. Probably because of discrimination against his people, they again moved north—this time outside the Cape, taking over areas previously controlled by San and Tswana people. This area, where most of the Griqua nation settled, was near the Orange River, just west of the Orange Free State, and on the southern skirts of the Transvaal. It came to be called Griqualand West, and the territory was centered on its capital "Klaarwater", later renamed Griekwastad ("Griquatown").
Waterboer dynasty and Griqualand West
While much of the Griqua people now settled, many remained nomadic, and Adam Kok's people later split into several semi-nomadic nations. After a significant schism, a portion of the Griqua nation migrated to the south-east under the leadership of Adam Kok's son Adam Kok II (to the south-east they were later to found Philippolis and then Griqualand East.[2]
In the original area, which now came to be called Griqualand West, Andries Waterboer took over control and founded the powerful Waterboer dynasty. The Waterboer Kapteins ruled the region until the influx of Europeans accompanying the discovery of diamonds, and to some degree afterwards too. In 1834, the Cape Colony recognized Waterboer's rights to his land and people. It signed a treaty with him to ensure payment for the use of the land for mining. In both Griqualands, East and West, the Griqua were demographically outnumbered by the pre-existing Bantu people and, in some areas, by European settlers, and thus the two Griqualands maintained their Griqua identity only through political control.
Diamond fields and land disputes
In the years 1870–1871 a large number of diggers moved into Griqualand West and settled on the diamond fields near the junction of the
In 1870, Transvaal President Marthinus Wessel Pretorius declared the diamond fields as Boer property and established a temporary government over the diamond fields. The administration of this body was not satisfactory to the Boers, the diggers, the Griqua or the indigenous Tswana. Tension rapidly grew between these parties until Stafford Parker, a former British sailor, organised a faction of the diggers to drive all of the Transvaal officials out of the area.
Diggers Republic (1870–71)
At the settlement of Klipdrift, on 30 July 1870 Stafford Parker declared the independent Klipdrift Republic (also known as the Digger's Republic and the Republic of Griqualand West) and was also chosen as president. Klipdrift was promptly renamed "Parkerton" after the new president, who began to collect taxes (often at gunpoint). Factions in the Republic also implored the British Empire to impose its authority and annex the territory.
By December of the same year about 10 000 British settlers made their home in the new republic. The republic sat next to the Vaal River, but existed for an extremely short time. During the following year, Boer forces unsuccessfully attempted to regain the territory through negotiation. British Governor Sir Henry Barkly was asked to mediate. Barkly set up the Keate Committee to hear evidence and, in the famous "Keate Award", ruled against the Boer Republics and in favour of Nicholas Waterboer.
Direct British rule (1871–1880)
At this juncture, Waterboer offered to place the territory under the administration of Queen Victoria. The offer was accepted, and on 27 October 1871 the district, together with some adjacent territory to which the Transvaal had laid claim, was proclaimed (under the name of Griqualand West Colony) British territory.[3][4][5]
Further territorial disputes
Territorial disputes continued, even after the British annexation. When the annexation had taken place, a party in the Orange Free State volksraad had wished to go to war with Britain but the wiser counsels of its president prevailed. The Orange Free State did not abandon its claims, believing that the diamond fields were the means of restoring the credit and prosperity of the Free State. Griqualand West was not financially viable, and carried with it enormous public debt. The matter continued for a considerable time and caused immense tension in southern Africa.
In the face of claims from the Orange Free State and the Griqua authorities, the Griqualand West Land Court was established in 1875, under
A form of resolution eventually came about in July 1876, when Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, at that time secretary of state for the colonies, granted the Free State payment "in full satisfaction of all claims which it considers it may possess to Griqualand West."[6]
In the opinion of Dr Theal, who has written the history of the
Pressure on the Cape Colony to annex the territory
After annexing Griqualand West, the British initially attempted to incorporate it into the Cape Colony, and put significant pressure on the Cape Government to annex it. The new Prime Minister of the Cape,
Local control continued to pass increasingly from the Griqua kaptijns into the hands of the growing digger community of the diamond fields. The prospect of complete dis-empowerment in a "Diamond Fields Republic" became a significant concern of the remaining Griqua.
Under pressure, the embattled Griqua leader Nicolaas Waterboer send a formal request to the Cape Government to request incorporation; a request that coincided with renewed pressure on the Cape Government to agree to the union.[7]
Union with Cape Colony (1880)
On being presented with a request from Nicholas Waterboer for union with the
The act specified that Griqualand West would have the right to elect four representatives to the Cape parliament, two for Kimberley and two for the Barkly West region. This number was doubled in 1882 (Act 39 of 1882). The Cape Government also enforced its non-racial system of Cape Qualified Franchise. This meant that all resident males could qualify for the vote, with the property-ownership qualifications for suffrage applied equally, regardless of race. This was welcomed by the Griqua, but rejected by the recently arrived diggers of the Kimberley diamond fields.[11] In the judiciary, the local Griqua attorney-general reported to the
The implementation of the act was set for 18 October 1880, when Griqualand West was formally united with the Cape Colony, followed soon afterwards by Griqualand East. [13]
Current
Today, Basters are a separate ethnic group of similarly mixed origins living in south-central Namibia; Northern Cape at Campbell and Griquatown; (the historic territory of Griqualand West); the Western Cape (around the small le Fleur Griqua settlement at Kranshoek); and at Kokstad.
The total Griqua population is unknown. The people were submerged by several factors. The most important factor were the racist policies of the Apartheid era, during which many of the Griqua people took on the mantle of "Coloured" fearing that their Griqua roots might place them at a lower level with than the blacks.
Genetic evidence indicates that the majority of the present Griqua population is descended from European, Khoikhoi and Tswana ancestors, with a small percentage of Bushman ancestry.[14]
Rulers and administrators of the territory
Independent Griqua Kaptyns (1800–1871)
- Adam Kok I (1800–1820)
(1820 split in the Griqua nation)
- Andries Waterboer (1820–1852)
- Nicolaas Waterboer (1852–1896)
(Continuation of dynasty in symbolic role until present day)
British imperial rule (1871–1880)
Source:[15]
- Commissioner Joseph Millerd Orpen(27 October 1871 – 10 January 1873)
- Administrator and then Lieutenant Governor Richard Southey (10 January 1873 – 3 August 1875)
- Lieutenant Governor William Owen Lanyon(3 August 1875 – March 1879)
- Lieutenant Governor James Rose Innes (March 1879 – 15 October 1880)
See also
- Griqua people
- Griqualand West cricket team
- Andries Stockenström (Justice)
- Griqualand West Annexation Act
- Black Flag Revolt
References
- ^ Griqualand (South Africa) on flagspot.net; Accessed 2009-07-31
- ISBN 90-808768-2-8.
- ^ "'The rock on which the future will be built' | South African History Online". Sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ISBN 9780949968623. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ "The Republic of Klipdrift is proclaimed | South African History Online". Sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ^ Theal G.: History of South Africa from 1873 to 1884, Twelve eventful Years. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. 1919.
- ^ "Griqua | South African History Online". Sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- ISBN 0-947008-90-X. p.182, "Confederation from the Barrel of a Gun"
- ^ M. Mbenga: New History of South Africa. Tafelberg, South Africa. 2007.
- ^ Roberts, Brian. 1976. Kimberley, turbulent city. Cape Town: David Philip, p. 155.
- ^ L Waldman: The Griqua Conundrum: Political and Socio-Cultural Identity in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Oxford. 2007.
- ^ Northern Cape High Court Kimberley] by Lizanne van Niekerk, Northern Cape Bar
- ISBN 9780520066113.
- ISBN 0-8214-1682-0.
- ^ "The British Empire, Imperialism, Colonialism, Colonies". www.britishempire.co.uk.