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Thembu
The Thembu (Xhosa: AbaThembu) are a Xhosa Nation that inhabited the Kingdom of Thembuland. They were established around the 16th century as one of the Xhosa federations in the Transkeian territories. The federation was later annexed by the British Empire shortly after the death of King Sarhili.
According to Xhosa oral tradition, the Hala clan migrated along the east coast of southern Africa before settling in KwaZulu-Natal. The earliest known Thembu ancestor is Chief Mbulali Ka-Nanzinzaba, whose grandson (named uMthembu KaNtongakazi), led his people from what became the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal to Dedesi in the present-day Transkei region of South Africa. The Thembu emerged as a single political entity during the reign of Nxeko, who settled in Dedesi and was awarded chieftainship by King Togu, who later handed him independence to form a new Xhosa state. Famous descendants of Nxeko include members of the royal line of the Xhosa Kingdom and politicians like Nelson Mandela, whose father was a reigning nobleman from a junior branch of the AmaMadiba clan of kings, and Walter Sisulu.
In Xhosa, the name is abaThembu (aba- is a common prefix implying "people"). The territory of the Thembu state was historically known as Thembuland.
In the 19th century, the Thembu were frequently known as the "Tamboekie" or "Tambookie" people. This name was originally the Khoisan language term specifically for the followers of Chief Maphasa, who moved into the area west of the Great Kei River in the 1820s. However, Europeans used these terms as synonyms for "Thembu" for much of the 19th century.
The Thembu people were known as 'ǀXam bu !e' , 'ǀXam', and 'the Embo people'. In Xhosa, ǀXam bu !e translates to 'Thembu'.
AbaThembu is derived from 'ǀXam ka !ue'. ǀXam means an oryx or an antelope. The original name of AbaThembu was 'ǀXam ka !eten' (Antelope water people). In Khoemana, the word exists as 'ǀehem'.
AbaThembu spoke ǀXam or ǀXam ke (an extinct language). The Basotho used to call the Eastern Cape "Bathebu ke ing ke ma ǀXam" since it was known as an ǀXam area. There is no historical evidence of AbaThembu descending from Central Africa, but there is proof of a minority of them ascending to Central Africa due to Shaka's expansion known as 'Imfecane' (The Crushing).
The town of ǂKhomani, now known as Queenstown, used to be called /Xam land, then /Xam land later became Thembuland. ǂkhomani people still exist in the Kalahari (!kung ra ma ba), which is Upington, Eastern Cape, used to be a Cape Colony. Queenstown (now called Komani) is named after AmaQoma, Qoma means (A tree where a lion would rest). The Ntsundu people are Nǀuu people; they exist in the Northern Cape, Free State and Kalahari.
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Thembu
The Thembu (Xhosa: AbaThembu) are a Xhosa Nation that inhabited the Kingdom of Thembuland. They were established around the 16th century as one of the Xhosa federations in the Transkeian territories. The federation was later annexed by the British Empire shortly after the death of King Sarhili.
According to Xhosa oral tradition, the Hala clan migrated along the east coast of southern Africa before settling in KwaZulu-Natal. The earliest known Thembu ancestor is Chief Mbulali Ka-Nanzinzaba, whose grandson (named uMthembu KaNtongakazi), led his people from what became the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal to Dedesi in the present-day Transkei region of South Africa. The Thembu emerged as a single political entity during the reign of Nxeko, who settled in Dedesi and was awarded chieftainship by King Togu, who later handed him independence to form a new Xhosa state. Famous descendants of Nxeko include members of the royal line of the Xhosa Kingdom and politicians like Nelson Mandela, whose father was a reigning nobleman from a junior branch of the AmaMadiba clan of kings, and Walter Sisulu.
In Xhosa, the name is abaThembu (aba- is a common prefix implying "people"). The territory of the Thembu state was historically known as Thembuland.
In the 19th century, the Thembu were frequently known as the "Tamboekie" or "Tambookie" people. This name was originally the Khoisan language term specifically for the followers of Chief Maphasa, who moved into the area west of the Great Kei River in the 1820s. However, Europeans used these terms as synonyms for "Thembu" for much of the 19th century.
The Thembu people were known as 'ǀXam bu !e' , 'ǀXam', and 'the Embo people'. In Xhosa, ǀXam bu !e translates to 'Thembu'.
AbaThembu is derived from 'ǀXam ka !ue'. ǀXam means an oryx or an antelope. The original name of AbaThembu was 'ǀXam ka !eten' (Antelope water people). In Khoemana, the word exists as 'ǀehem'.
AbaThembu spoke ǀXam or ǀXam ke (an extinct language). The Basotho used to call the Eastern Cape "Bathebu ke ing ke ma ǀXam" since it was known as an ǀXam area. There is no historical evidence of AbaThembu descending from Central Africa, but there is proof of a minority of them ascending to Central Africa due to Shaka's expansion known as 'Imfecane' (The Crushing).
The town of ǂKhomani, now known as Queenstown, used to be called /Xam land, then /Xam land later became Thembuland. ǂkhomani people still exist in the Kalahari (!kung ra ma ba), which is Upington, Eastern Cape, used to be a Cape Colony. Queenstown (now called Komani) is named after AmaQoma, Qoma means (A tree where a lion would rest). The Ntsundu people are Nǀuu people; they exist in the Northern Cape, Free State and Kalahari.
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