Organization of the Sotho state by 1800

Organization of the Sotho state by 1800

Political organization

Politically the state was headed by a King and chiefs, wpose position were hereditary.

The tribe was the biggest political unit among the Sotho with several thousands of people and each tribe had its own territory that is the central clan, central family and the clan.

The chief always came from the central family and clan and each tribe was made up of new members absorbed in due course and the name of the tribe was taken from the ruling clan.

The Basuto kingdom was built by the leadership of Moshoeshoe through his personality. It was made of semi- independent chiefdoms scattered by the M'fecane.

Chiefdoms included a major settlement, cattle grazing, neighboring villages and groups of hunters. Each chiefdom retained its own local leaders but Moshoeshoe was the over lord.

The local chiefs remained with some freedom and authority over their own people, but they were not united fully, as they were employed as permanent Indunas to assist in the governing of the people.

They governed with agreement of the senior members of the clan and in matters of great importance; an assembly of all regional chiefs.

The chief was very powerful and a recognized leader of all civil, military, judicial and religious matters in society.

An autocratic and unpopular chief could not last long and his subjects could desert him and join a friendly and just ruler.

These chiefs paid tribute to Moshoeshoe, which showed loyalty to him. Chiefs ruled according to local customs and accepted practice as elders advised them.

The chief was also assisted by two important councils- the inner and larger councils or assembly. The inner council consisted of the chiefs' confidential advisors and the wider assembly was called the Pitso.

These councils usually met at the royal kraal comprising of important junior chiefs and it met to transact important policy decisions. At these meetings democracy existed, as chiefs could be criticized and all adult males attended them.

The chief was a symbol of tribal unity and as a focus of loyalty in the tribe.

He had a court and appeals could be made from small courts to his court, which served as a Supreme Court. It was the only court to try murder cases.

In case of national death, the relatives of the deceased had to give a cow to the chief. Chiefs usually appointed close relatives to important positions and the council.

Among the Sotho the whole dominion was subdivided into several subdivisions, like provinces and districts; each ruled by a sub chief that had duties among others collection of taxes, to keep law and order.

The chiefs Indunas were regarded as his eyes and ears. He was chosen from the commoner families. The small-conquered groups in the kingdom were controlled by family members of Moshoeshoe

Therefore political unity and nationalism was encouraged, which was done by creating councils and a general assembly called the Pitso. This was a very important assembly in the Sotho kingdom.

All adult males in the Sotho kingdom attended the Pitso. The Pitso provided a check on the powers of the chiefs and prevention of dictatorship by the king.

The Basuto didn’t have a centralized standing army like the Zulu. Where there was a need, the age regiments were mobilized to defend the state.

The Sotho had a peaceful foreign policy. A military solution came as a last resort; that’s why everything in the kingdom didn't depend on the army, as the Zulu state.

In order to avoid war, tribute was sent to neighbors like the Ngwane, the Zulu, Ndebele and land to the Boers to avoid war.

Economic organization

Because of trade with the British at the Cape Colony, the Basuto acquired horses and firearms.

They were skilled iron workers and made use of them. Their metal industry was even reported by Dr. David Livingstone near Mabotsa.

The Sotho regarded land as the only property of the community and the chief decided how to use it, as he loaned land to other people provided it could be recovered.

Many settlements were on hilltops like Butha- Buthe and Thaba-Bosiu.

The Sotho had a mixed economy for instance growing crops and grazing animals as well as hunters.

Crops were grown in fertile valleys and cattle grazed on hilltops. Land was for community and the king was the custodian and he used to reward it on advantage or merit.

They practiced wood carving and cotton weaving.

Among the Sotho, cattle were highly valued as a source of wealth and those who possessed numerous herds of cattle were greatly respected in the community. Cattle was used for important functions like paying bride wealth and valued for milk, meat, cow dug and hides.

The Basuto carried out trade with the Europeans at the Cape in cattle, food stuff, and metal items, among others, which brought those guns for their army, consumer goods and horses.

When minerals were discovered, they moved to mines, European farms, industries and towns as laborers.

The Sotho population increased due to their advanced economy.

Social organization

They had diverse or different cultures because of the different tribal groups. They were organized in clans, which were headed by a clan leader. Each clan claimed a common ancestor.

Initiation ceremonies were an important feature in the Basuto social organization. They were entailed with circumcision followed by a period of ritual seclusion.

Initiation ceremonies had a political significance for example they marked the end of one era and the beginning of the new one.

They were performed under the authority of the king or chief and the chief could decide when initiation would occur. All boys were initiated at the same age.

Members of the same initiation group formed age regiments and in war time, age regiments fought as a group under their royal group mates. The age group system cut across loyalties of Kinship as brothers could not belong to the same group.

Women regiments also existed in certain sections and were led by one of the chiefs daughters belonging to a respective age regiment.

The society was based on family relations.

The smallest social unit among the Sotho was the homestead in which a man lived with his wife and children. Many of me homesteads were clustered and large.

A lineage was very important and a number of lineages constituted a clan with a common ancestor.

Marriage was an important social institution among the Basuto, which strengthened unity. They had polygamous marriages with women having different households