Saturday 31 December 2016

WHAT LIGHT DOES THE CAREER OF LUBENGULA ON THE PROBLEMS OF AFRICAN RESISTORS AGAINST EUROPEAN COLONIAL?

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Preamble
The candidate is required to analyze the factors that undermined African resistance against European colonial rule drawing examples from the career of' Lubengula centering on the 1893 - 94 British Ndebele war.
Back ground to the question.
Lubengula succeeded his father Mzilikazi as a ruler of the Ndebele state in Central Africa
Points to consider
1. British military superiority, whereas the British were armed with the most modem weapons of the time such as the Maxim gun and canyons, the Ndebele had low grade military hard ware such as clubs, bows, and arrows. Stones and witchcraft. To worsen matters even the few guns the Ndebele had were obsolete. Just like chief Gilele of Dahomey puts it that "He who makes powder wins the battle"
2. The British had imposed an arms embargo on the Ndebele hence undermining their resistance. Just like the French did to Samoure Toure of the Mandiks.
3.The Ndebele lacked adequate military training thus applied ineffective tactics of warfare against the British South African company forces (pioneer column of Cecil Rhodes
4. The Ndebele resistors like other African resistors else' where were disunited, one group preferred to negotiate while the young generation preferred to continue fighting against the British.
5. The Africans lacked racial solidarity, the shona fought alongside the British South African company forces of Cecil Rhodes to crush the Ndebele. In fact lack of unity was the main cause of failure of the African resistors.
6. Poor leadership also undermined African resistance, its widely acceptable that by 1894 Lubengula was too old to lead a meaningful armed resistance war against the British colonizers
7. Natural calamities also undermined Lubengula led Ndebele resistance they were severely hit by rinder pest and small pox which weakened them. .
8. He contained the civil wars that followed after his enthronement.
9. Lubengula managed to contain and control the ambitions of Ndebele warrior who had wished to declare war on the whites who were settling in Matebele land.
10. He allowed missionaries to enter Matebele land. Although he restricted them from participating in the political aspects of Matebele land.
11. He tried to divert the white man's attention from his own people to the Shona. This was ensured by granting concessions based on Shona territories.
Negative contributions/failures.
1. Lubengula gave limited support o the missionaries and so they never helped in the development of Matabele land.
2. The treaties he signed like the Moffat treaty were in the future used by Europeans to colonize Matebele land.
3. He encouraged the whites to occupy part of Mash on a land which was later used as a stepping stone in the colonization of Matabele land.
4. Lubengula ruthlessly suppressed his opponents which created long term enmity. This explains why people like Lewanika of the Lozi collaborated & with the British against the Ndebele.
5. He facilitated the exploitation of central African resources through the concession of 1888.
6. Lubengula failed to establish diplomatic relations with other states, hence they never raised a failure to save him from British Colonialism
7. Lubengula was defeated in 1893 war which eventually led to his death and subsequent loss of Matebele independence.

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