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Northern Ndebele people
The Northern Ndebele people (/ˌɛndəˈbɛli, -ˈbiːli, -leɪ/; EN-də-BE(E)L-ee, -ay; Northern Ndebele: amaNdebele) is an ethnic group native to Zimbabwe.
The Northern Ndebele language spoken by the Ndebele people of Zimbabwe is generally the same as the isiZulu language spoken by the Zulu people of South Africa with a few pronunciation and word meaning differences. Northern Ndebele spoken in Zimbabwe and Southern Ndebele (or Transvaal Ndebele) spoken in South Africa are separate but related languages with some degree of mutual intelligibility, although the former is more closely related to Zulu. Southern Ndebele, while maintaining its Nguni roots, has been influenced by the Sotho languages.
The Northern Ndebele, specifically the Khumalo (amaNtungwa) people under Mzilikazi, were originally named Matebele in English. This name is common in older texts because it is the name the British first heard from the Sotho and Tswana peoples.[citation needed]
In the early 19th century, the Ndebele invaded and lived in territories populated by Sotho–Tswana peoples, who used the plural prefix ma- for certain types of unfamiliar people (or the Nguni prefix ama-). British explorers—who were first informed of the existence of the Northern Ndebele people by the Sotho–Tswana communities they encountered on their trip north—would have been presented with two variations of the name: the Sotho–Tswana pronunciation (Matebele) and the Ndebele pronunciation (Ndebele or amaNdebele). Under British rule, they were officially known as the Matebele. They are now commonly known as the Ndebele or amaNdebele.
In the early Nineteenth Century, the Khumalos were caught between the Ndwandwe led by Zwide and the Zulus led by Shaka. To please the Ndwandwe tribe, the Khumalo chief Mashobane married the daughter of the Ndwandwe chief Zwide and sired a son, Mzilikazi. The Ndwandwes were closely related to the Zulus and spoke the same language, Nguni, using different dialects.
When Mashobane did not tell Zwide about patrolling Mthethwa amabutho (soldiers), Zwide had Mashobane killed. Thus his son, Mzilikazi, became the leader of the Khumalo. Mzilikazi immediately mistrusted his grandfather, Zwide. Shemane was Zwide's heir and he sought refuge with Sobhuza. and took soldiers to join Shaka. Shaka was overjoyed because the Khumalos would be helpful to spy on Zwide and the Ndwandwes. After a few battles, Shaka gave Mzilikazi the extraordinary honour of being chief of the Khumalos and remaining semi-independent from the Zulu, if Zwide could be defeated. This caused immense jealousy among Shaka's older allies, but as warriors, none realized their equal in Mzilikazi.
When Zwide was defeated, Shaka acknowledged Mzilikazi's essential contributions of intelligence. Shaka himself placed the plumes on Mzilikazi's head and presented him with one of two ivory axes, the other being kept by Shaka.
The Khumalos returned in peace to their ancestral homeland. This peace lasted until Shaka asked Mzilikazi to punish a tribe to the north of the Khumalo, belonging to Raninsi a Sotho. After defeating Raninsi, Mzilikazi refused to hand over the cattle and land to Shaka. The history of the Ndebele of Zimbabwe began through that refusal and attempt to create a rival nation. Mzilikazi and his allies continued on to raid and occupy the chiefdoms of the Sotho people and the Southern Ndebele, who had been significantly weakened by the Dutch–Afrikaner settlers (Boers) from the Cape Colonies.
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Northern Ndebele people
The Northern Ndebele people (/ˌɛndəˈbɛli, -ˈbiːli, -leɪ/; EN-də-BE(E)L-ee, -ay; Northern Ndebele: amaNdebele) is an ethnic group native to Zimbabwe.
The Northern Ndebele language spoken by the Ndebele people of Zimbabwe is generally the same as the isiZulu language spoken by the Zulu people of South Africa with a few pronunciation and word meaning differences. Northern Ndebele spoken in Zimbabwe and Southern Ndebele (or Transvaal Ndebele) spoken in South Africa are separate but related languages with some degree of mutual intelligibility, although the former is more closely related to Zulu. Southern Ndebele, while maintaining its Nguni roots, has been influenced by the Sotho languages.
The Northern Ndebele, specifically the Khumalo (amaNtungwa) people under Mzilikazi, were originally named Matebele in English. This name is common in older texts because it is the name the British first heard from the Sotho and Tswana peoples.[citation needed]
In the early 19th century, the Ndebele invaded and lived in territories populated by Sotho–Tswana peoples, who used the plural prefix ma- for certain types of unfamiliar people (or the Nguni prefix ama-). British explorers—who were first informed of the existence of the Northern Ndebele people by the Sotho–Tswana communities they encountered on their trip north—would have been presented with two variations of the name: the Sotho–Tswana pronunciation (Matebele) and the Ndebele pronunciation (Ndebele or amaNdebele). Under British rule, they were officially known as the Matebele. They are now commonly known as the Ndebele or amaNdebele.
In the early Nineteenth Century, the Khumalos were caught between the Ndwandwe led by Zwide and the Zulus led by Shaka. To please the Ndwandwe tribe, the Khumalo chief Mashobane married the daughter of the Ndwandwe chief Zwide and sired a son, Mzilikazi. The Ndwandwes were closely related to the Zulus and spoke the same language, Nguni, using different dialects.
When Mashobane did not tell Zwide about patrolling Mthethwa amabutho (soldiers), Zwide had Mashobane killed. Thus his son, Mzilikazi, became the leader of the Khumalo. Mzilikazi immediately mistrusted his grandfather, Zwide. Shemane was Zwide's heir and he sought refuge with Sobhuza. and took soldiers to join Shaka. Shaka was overjoyed because the Khumalos would be helpful to spy on Zwide and the Ndwandwes. After a few battles, Shaka gave Mzilikazi the extraordinary honour of being chief of the Khumalos and remaining semi-independent from the Zulu, if Zwide could be defeated. This caused immense jealousy among Shaka's older allies, but as warriors, none realized their equal in Mzilikazi.
When Zwide was defeated, Shaka acknowledged Mzilikazi's essential contributions of intelligence. Shaka himself placed the plumes on Mzilikazi's head and presented him with one of two ivory axes, the other being kept by Shaka.
The Khumalos returned in peace to their ancestral homeland. This peace lasted until Shaka asked Mzilikazi to punish a tribe to the north of the Khumalo, belonging to Raninsi a Sotho. After defeating Raninsi, Mzilikazi refused to hand over the cattle and land to Shaka. The history of the Ndebele of Zimbabwe began through that refusal and attempt to create a rival nation. Mzilikazi and his allies continued on to raid and occupy the chiefdoms of the Sotho people and the Southern Ndebele, who had been significantly weakened by the Dutch–Afrikaner settlers (Boers) from the Cape Colonies.