Thaba Bosiu
Thaba Bosiu | |
---|---|
Thaba Bosiu Plateau | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,804 m (5,919 ft) |
Coordinates | 29°21′01″S 27°40′17″E / 29.3503°S 27.6713°E |
Geography | |
Country | Lesotho |
Geology | |
Type of rock | Basalt and Quartzite |
Thaba Bosiu is a constituency and sandstone plateau with an area of approximately 2 km2 (0.77 sq mi) and a height of 1,804 meters above sea level. It is located between the Orange and Caledon Rivers in the Maseru District of Lesotho, 24 km east of the country's capital Maseru.[1] It was once the capital of Lesotho, having been King Moshoeshoe's stronghold.
Moshoeshoe
Thaba Bosiu was used as a hideout by
Once satisfied that they were safe, he sent the people out, but many remained under his rule. This gave birth to the Basotho nation; Thaba Bosiu served as a capital for his new Basotho nation. It also became the centre of organised resistance to European encroachment into the central plateau region of South Africa.[4][5]
Physical description
The mountain has eight springs and six passes, the main one being Khubelu pass. The other passes are known as Ramaseli, Maebeng, Mokachane, Makara and Rahebe.[6] It is flat topped and is situated in the valley of the Phuthiatsana River. It is approximately 24 km east of the junction of the Caledon River that divides Lesotho from Free State. It rises about 106m from the surrounding valley and its summit is surrounded by a belt of perpendicular cliffs some 12m on the average. Nearby, there is San rock art.[4]
In 1837, Private David Webber from the 72nd Seaforth Highlanders reached Thaba Bosiu, where he was given refuge/sanctuary. He was a good mason and carpenter, and thus built Moshoeshoe a stone house. It was a rectangular building measuring 10 metres by five metres and was divided internally into two rooms. Moshoeshoe had four other stone buildings erected as part of his compound – three of which were rectangular and one cylindrical.[5]
Beliefs
Many Basotho believe that the mountain preserved magical properties. One belief is that if an individual takes some dirt from the mountain, he will find that it is gone in the morning, having returned to the mountain.[7] As also mentioned above, news was spread as a form of intimidation to the enemies that the mountain grew larger at night.[8]
Attacks
Treaty of Thaba Bosiu
Due to being starved after the siege, the Basotho signed a treaty in April 1866 in which they agreed to surrender 3 000 cattle. They also surrendered more than two-thirds of their arable land. At the time, Basotho faced large scale starvation and thus Moshoeshoe and his subjects agreed to the Orange Free State's terms. The land they forfeited during this treaty included conquered territory on the west of the bank of the Caledon River and
In 1867, After the Third Free State–Basotho War, when Free State conquered the whole Lowlands, Moshoeshoe requested British protection which was granted in March 1868 on the eve of the Boer attack on Thaba Boisu. Lesotho became a British territory. Thaba Bosiu was the only part of the territory which had remained invincible.[10]
Thaba Bosiu Affair
On 27 December 1966,
National monument
In 1967, the Lesotho government declared the mountain a national monument. In the 1990s, the United Nation Development Programme in conjunction with the Basotho government, initiated the Preservation and Presentation of Thaba Bosiu, the national monument to preserve this historical landmark. This mountain has become a tourist attraction, with a conference centre, a cultural village and many rondavel type of accommodation.[7]
In 1996, Moshoeshoe II was buried on the mountain, joining Moshoeshoe I. To keep the cultural significance, several political organisations held meetings or rallies at Thaba Bosiu. For example, Lekhotla la Bafo (a political organisation) held many meetings on top of the mountain. In 1957, Lekhotla la Bafo held a joint meeting with the Basotoland Congress Party (BCP) at Thaba Bosiu.[7]
In 2017 the relationships between the site and its local communities was studied by Nthabiseng Mokoena.[13]
References
- ^ Thaba Bosiu; Encyclopædia Britannica 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition. 7 Apr. 2008 [1].
- ISBN 978-0-86954-137-1.
- ISBN 0-393-09166-X.
- ^ a b "What to see: Thaba Bosiu Mountain". Lesotho: The Kingdom in the sky. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9780810879829.
- ISBN 9780620503952.
- ^ ISBN 9780810879829.
- ^ Hull 1976, p. 23.
- ^ Mzolo, Shoks (4 September 2015). "Thaba Bosiu: Where the mountain is king". Mail and Guardina. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9781440849060.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ISBN 9780810879829.
- ^ Stapleton 2017, p. 300.
- ^ "Can Archaeology achieve Social Justice? | Canon Collins Educational and Legal Assistance Trust". www.canoncollins.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
External links
- Thaba Bosiu travel guide from Wikivoyage