BaKalanga
Encyclopedia
The Kalanga, also known as the Bakalanga are one of the first Bantu
speaking tribes to migrate to present day Botswana
, followed by the Bakgalagadi and then the Batswana (Bakwena who then split). The Kalanga had first settled in Mapungubwe
in South Africa, the first Kalanga state. They later moved to the Great Zimbabwe ruins site in Masvingo Zimbabwe. After sometime they moved to Khami
and finally ending in Botswana. However wherever they went they left relics of their masonry and at every site a group of the Kalanga remained. The Khami state occupied south-western Zimbabwe
(now Matabeleland
) and adjacent parts of present day Botswana.
. They are estimated to number around 600 000.
The Kalanga
s are one of the largest of the so-called minority group
s in Botswana. The 1946 census
indicated that there were 22,777 (40% of the numerically largest district) Kalangas in the Bamangwato (Central) District.
The Kalanga are linked to some early African states such as Mapungubwe, Khami and the Rozvi empire.
By 1690 the Portuguese had been forced off the plateau and much of the land formerly under Mwenemutapa was controlled by the Rozwi. The Kalanga dynasties fractured into autonomous states, many of which later formed the Rozwi empire. Peace and prosperity reigned over the next two centuries and the centres of Dhlo-Dhlo, Khami, and Great Zimbabwe reached their peaks. The Mwenemutapa citadel
and palace were taken over by the Rozwi, whose Changamila extended his control over the mining
area.
Some historians say that Kalanga is a variant of Shona and that it comes from the Karanga dialect. The adulteration being its mixture with the Ndebele language. This is highly unlikely because Kalanga was the language spoken at Mapungubwe which predates the invasion by the Ndebele and predates the construction of the Great Zimbabwe kingdom. Similar stone masonry is still found in BuLozvi, Khami and dlodlo ruins where Kalanga communities still reside. Kalanga speaking communities still inhabit eastern Botswana which was not part of Matebeleland.
Tombolaikonachimwango king of the Bakalanga Balozvi and not Shaka
first used both the assegai and the "cow horn formation" known as "nlomo wa kumba/the mouth has visited" in kalanga. It was this that defeated the Portuguese several times and therefore the military genius that is accredited to Shaka was started by Changamire Dombo. This Kalanga Rozvi tribe defeated not only some Nguni generals, as another general to be defeated was Kgari whose AmaNgwato tribe was completely defeated and obliterated by the Rozvi under NeTjasike. This happened in 1830, observed by Kgosidintsi Motswasele, a Tswana who had fled to Bukalanga for refuge after his father's assassination
:
“while there with some of my supporters, the Basutus came to disturb us. We then went across to the Makalakas (Bakalanga) where the Matebele are today 1886. The Basuthus/Bakololo followed us then we fled to another portion of the makalaka's country….then Kgari made war on the makalakas to try and take their corn,but he was killed and the ngwato tribe returned to Ngwatoland"
The fall of the Kingdom of Butua came as a result of a series of invasions, beginning with the Bangwato Kgosi Kgari's ill-fated c. 1828 incursion and culminated in the onslaught of Mzilakazi's Amandebele. as mentioned before some bakalanga banyai went back to Limpopo and joined other Bakalanga who had long been there and had already formed Venda culture and language together with other ethnic groups espcially the Northern sotho. Academics confuse Kalanga with Shona (zezuru,karanga,korekore etc). Kalanga as an ethnic group:with that exact name has existed for hundreds of years and it is indeed the oldest of the so called Shona cluster.VaVenda and Chishona language are very close to the Kalanga, the phonology and vocabulary of the Venda language is very much closer to the kalanga language. Kalanga language contains Venda words which are not in the shona language: it also contains shona words which are not in the Venda language and this indeed makes it fitting to say, the Venda and Shona languages both derive from the Kalanga language.
Bantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
speaking tribes to migrate to present day Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, followed by the Bakgalagadi and then the Batswana (Bakwena who then split). The Kalanga had first settled in Mapungubwe
Mapungubwe
After Mapungubwe's fall, it was forgotten until 1932. On New Year's Eve 1932, E. S. J. van Graan, a local farmer and prospector, and his son, a former student of the University of Pretoria, discovered the wealth of artifacts on top of the hill. They reported the find to Professor Leo...
in South Africa, the first Kalanga state. They later moved to the Great Zimbabwe ruins site in Masvingo Zimbabwe. After sometime they moved to Khami
Khami
Khami is a ruined city located in what is now Zimbabwe. It was once the capital of the Kingdom of Butua of the Torwa dynasty. It is located 22 kilometers west of the modern city of Bulawayo, capital of the province of Matabeleland North. Its ruins are now a national monument in Zimbabwe. Khami is...
and finally ending in Botswana. However wherever they went they left relics of their masonry and at every site a group of the Kalanga remained. The Khami state occupied south-western Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
(now Matabeleland
Matabeleland
Modern day Matabeleland is a region in Zimbabwe divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. The region is named after its inhabitants, the Ndebele people...
) and adjacent parts of present day Botswana.
History
The Kalanga, or western Shona are closely related to the Mashona. They mainly inhabit Zimbabwe and Botswana. When they arrived in north eastern Botswana and south western Zimbabwe they had already split with the ShonaShona people
Shona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...
. They are estimated to number around 600 000.
The Kalanga
Kalanga
Kalanga may refer to:* BaKalanga people* Kalanga language* Kalanga, Togo...
s are one of the largest of the so-called minority group
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
s in Botswana. The 1946 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
indicated that there were 22,777 (40% of the numerically largest district) Kalangas in the Bamangwato (Central) District.
The Kalanga are linked to some early African states such as Mapungubwe, Khami and the Rozvi empire.
By 1690 the Portuguese had been forced off the plateau and much of the land formerly under Mwenemutapa was controlled by the Rozwi. The Kalanga dynasties fractured into autonomous states, many of which later formed the Rozwi empire. Peace and prosperity reigned over the next two centuries and the centres of Dhlo-Dhlo, Khami, and Great Zimbabwe reached their peaks. The Mwenemutapa citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
and palace were taken over by the Rozwi, whose Changamila extended his control over the mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
area.
Some historians say that Kalanga is a variant of Shona and that it comes from the Karanga dialect. The adulteration being its mixture with the Ndebele language. This is highly unlikely because Kalanga was the language spoken at Mapungubwe which predates the invasion by the Ndebele and predates the construction of the Great Zimbabwe kingdom. Similar stone masonry is still found in BuLozvi, Khami and dlodlo ruins where Kalanga communities still reside. Kalanga speaking communities still inhabit eastern Botswana which was not part of Matebeleland.
Tombolaikonachimwango king of the Bakalanga Balozvi and not Shaka
Shaka
Shaka kaSenzangakhona , also known as Shaka Zulu , was the most influential leader of the Zulu Kingdom....
first used both the assegai and the "cow horn formation" known as "nlomo wa kumba/the mouth has visited" in kalanga. It was this that defeated the Portuguese several times and therefore the military genius that is accredited to Shaka was started by Changamire Dombo. This Kalanga Rozvi tribe defeated not only some Nguni generals, as another general to be defeated was Kgari whose AmaNgwato tribe was completely defeated and obliterated by the Rozvi under NeTjasike. This happened in 1830, observed by Kgosidintsi Motswasele, a Tswana who had fled to Bukalanga for refuge after his father's assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
:
“while there with some of my supporters, the Basutus came to disturb us. We then went across to the Makalakas (Bakalanga) where the Matebele are today 1886. The Basuthus/Bakololo followed us then we fled to another portion of the makalaka's country….then Kgari made war on the makalakas to try and take their corn,but he was killed and the ngwato tribe returned to Ngwatoland"
The fall of the Kingdom of Butua came as a result of a series of invasions, beginning with the Bangwato Kgosi Kgari's ill-fated c. 1828 incursion and culminated in the onslaught of Mzilakazi's Amandebele. as mentioned before some bakalanga banyai went back to Limpopo and joined other Bakalanga who had long been there and had already formed Venda culture and language together with other ethnic groups espcially the Northern sotho. Academics confuse Kalanga with Shona (zezuru,karanga,korekore etc). Kalanga as an ethnic group:with that exact name has existed for hundreds of years and it is indeed the oldest of the so called Shona cluster.VaVenda and Chishona language are very close to the Kalanga, the phonology and vocabulary of the Venda language is very much closer to the kalanga language. Kalanga language contains Venda words which are not in the shona language: it also contains shona words which are not in the Venda language and this indeed makes it fitting to say, the Venda and Shona languages both derive from the Kalanga language.