Xhosa polities

E10174

Nguni-speaking societies chiefdoms precolonial African polities

Xhosa polities were a group of related, chiefly-led African societies in southeastern South Africa, known for their complex social structures, shared Xhosa language and culture, and resistance to colonial expansion.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form	Occurrences
Mpondomise polity	1
Ndlambe polity	1

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	Nguni-speaking societies ⓘ chiefdoms ⓘ precolonial African polities ⓘ
affectedBy	colonial land dispossession ⓘ missionary activity ⓘ
continent	Africa ⓘ
culturalPractice	ancestor veneration ⓘ divination ⓘ initiation rites ⓘ praise poetry (izibongo) ⓘ
economy	cattle herding ⓘ mixed farming ⓘ small-scale agriculture ⓘ
encountered	British settlers ⓘ Dutch settlers ⓘ
engagedIn	cattle raiding ⓘ regional trade ⓘ
ethnicGroup	Xhosa people ⓘ
governedBy	hereditary chiefs ⓘ
hasSocialStructure	age-grade system ⓘ clan-based organization ⓘ segmentary lineage system ⓘ
includes	Bhaca polity ⓘ Gcaleka polity ⓘ Mpondo polity ⓘ Xhosa polities self-linksurface differs ⓘ surface form: Mpondomise polity Xhosa polities self-linksurface differs ⓘ surface form: Ndlambe polity Gcaleka polity ⓘ surface form: Rharhabe polity Thembu people ⓘ surface form: Thembu polity
involvedIn	Frontier Wars ⓘ Xhosa Wars ⓘ
language	Xhosa ⓘ surface form: Xhosa language
legalSystem	customary law ⓘ
locatedIn	Eastern Cape ⓘ surface form: Eastern Cape region southeastern South Africa ⓘ
partOf	Nguni cultural area ⓘ
politicalStructure	alliances of related lineages ⓘ decentralized chiefdoms ⓘ
religion	indigenous Xhosa religion ⓘ
resisted	British colonial expansion ⓘ Cape Colony expansion ⓘ
sharesCultureWith	Xhosa people ⓘ
socialOrganization	clans (iziduko) ⓘ extended families (izindlu) ⓘ
succession	patrilineal inheritance ⓘ
timePeriod	18th century ⓘ 19th century ⓘ precolonial era ⓘ
used	bridewealth (lobola) ⓘ cattle as a measure of wealth ⓘ

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Cape Colony → borderConflictWith → Xhosa polities ⓘ

Xhosa polities → includes → Xhosa polities self-linksurface differs ⓘ

this entity surface form: Mpondomise polity

Xhosa polities → includes → Xhosa polities self-linksurface differs ⓘ

this entity surface form: Ndlambe polity