African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 334: Chapter 17: The Great Ndebele Uprising

Constantine inspected Dodoma, not only out of curiosity about the East African plateau but also to oversee local work. However, his leisurely visit to Dodoma did not last long.

April 2, 1871.

A telegram from the city of Lusaka reached Constantine’s hands—a rebellion against the East African Kingdom’s rule had erupted among the natives on the Matabele Plateau.

After reading the telegram, Constantine’s face turned grim. He gritted his teeth and said to Sivert, ”It seems we’ve been too merciful to the natives on the Matabele Plateau. After quelling this rebellion, we must show the local Ndebele people what true colonialism is!”

Generally speaking, the East African Kingdom rarely paid too much attention to Black rebellions. Most of the natives wielded extremely primitive weapons, making it difficult to inflict any harm on the East African military. Even if there were resistance movements, they were usually small-scale. But the Matabele uprising was different; it was almost as if the entire Matabele Plateau (almost the entire territory of former Zimbabwe) was in revolt, and the main force behind the rebellion was the Ndebele people.

The Ndebele people are a branch of the Zulu, not native residents of Zimbabwe. They entered Zimbabwe post-1837 and enslaved the local natives as outsiders.

They originally lived in the Zulu Kingdom, with their leader being a great general under King Chaka of the Zulu. Around 1822, when Mzilikazi led a northern expedition, disagreements with Chaka led him to break away. He and his troops migrated to the Transvaal, conquering the various tribes of the Sudanese and Tswana people along the way.

In 1836-1837, due to attacks from the Boers, they were eventually forced to leave Transvaal. The Ndebele crossed the Limpopo River, conquered the Marshall people, and occupied the vast area between the Limpopo River and the Zambezi River, establishing the Matabele Kingdom with its capital at Bulawayo.

Thus, the state established by the Ndebele, like Prussia, was founded on the military. Their ruling class, much like the Junker nobility of Prussia, comprised military aristocrats, with social organization divided according to military needs.

Men were divided into four categories. The first category, known as ”Ma Caicai,” were boys who had not yet reached conscription age; they herded livestock and received preliminary military training. The second category, called ”Ma Qiaqia,” were unmarried warriors. Warriors had to distinguish themselves in battle to marry. The third category, known as ”Mantotuo,” were married warriors. The fourth category, called ”Induna,” were military officers.

With such a social structure, the Ndebele were destined to have a strong martial spirit. The Ndebele had also engaged in battles with the Boers and Portuguese, and were not an uncivilized native people.

The reason East Africa could quickly seize the Matabele Plateau was that they capitalized on an opportunity. In 1868, Mzilikazi, the first leader of the Ndebele, died. By 1869, the entire Matabele Kingdom was mired in the chaos of a succession struggle, until 1870 when Mzilikazi’s son, Lobengula, ascended to the throne. The East African Kingdom invaded the Matabele Plateau when the Ndebele were at their weakest.

Constantine: ”Sivert, since you’re here, how do you think we should suppress this large-scale rebellion!”

As the Chief of Staff of the East African Army, Sivert analyzed, ”Your Majesty, the military forces we can mobilize at this time are mainly the border troops stationed in South Salzburg Province by Lake Malawi. The military forces within Zambia cannot be moved at will, and our troops on the Matabele Plateau are primarily concentrated along the borders with Transvaal and Mozambique. Due to communication limitations, they may not even be aware of this rebellion, and because of their border garrison duties, they dare not easily act.”

Zambia, as the hinterland of East Africa, actually does not possess strong military forces, just enough to suppress the local natives, primarily using militia. Therefore, it cannot casually deploy forces, lest the situation in Matabele Plateau be unresolved, causing instability within Zambia itself.

The East African control of Zambia differs from that of the region of Zimbabwe. It is a hard suppression-style rule, relying on the East African plateau as a rear base, and East Africa does not fear resistance from the local Zambian natives, as it can always support them from the East African plateau.

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, is different. In this area, East Africa employed an indirect rule, fully granting the local native ruling class power to temporarily maintain local stability. After digesting Zambia, the East African Kingdom planned to transform it.

Now, it seems that the indirect rule has failed, which is why Constantine is so furious. The Ndebele uprising is a severe blow to his face. In hard-ruled regions, the natives do not become a problem, but in regions where East Africa is slightly conciliatory, these natives show no respect for the East African Kingdom. This is akin to eating humble pie.

Sivert continued, ”The troops we have stationed in the region of Lake Malawi are meant to guard against the Portuguese; they are among the best in terms of mobility and equipment. So now, heading south to the Matabele Plateau, they can quickly suppress the local rebellion. Once communications are clear, the border troops on the Matabele Plateau can also actively cooperate in the suppression.”

The Ndebele rebellion broke out almost immediately because their Central Government still existed. By now, King Lobengula should have completed the integration of various forces within the kingdom. Additionally, since the East African military presence on the Matabele Plateau was constrained by Mozambique and Transvaal on the border, they were not very strong inland, allowing Lobengula to take advantage.

Lobengula was a relatively ambitious monarch. Historically, after Lobengula succeeded to the throne, he continued to strengthen Matabele’s military organization, focusing on building the army. He recruited soldiers from conquered areas to replenish his forces. Simultaneously, he emulated the Zulu military training methods, purchased modern firearms, and raised the combat effectiveness of the troops. He also encouraged intermarriages between his people and other tribes while maintaining the original social structures of conquered regions.

In this timeline, the sudden emergence of the East African Kingdom interrupted his developmental trajectory, but now it seems that even with changes in history, Lobengula still relied on his talents and became a respected and admired leader of the Ndebele people.

After all, the East African Kingdom had never encountered an individual who could organize such a large-scale uprising before. Lobengula was the first native to make the East African Kingdom take notice.

However, Constantine has already decided, this man cannot be allowed to remain. The great Ndebele uprising also served as a warning to Constantine, reminding him of the public uprising that led to Prince Heixinggen’s principality being incorporated into Prussia.

Constantine: ”Sivert, you will personally suppress the rebellion this time. I have the following demands, remember them: first, you must capture Lobengula, this terrorist. Bring him back alive or dead; second, capture all Ndebele people after the battle, I want to turn them all into slaves; third, all resisting individuals should be executed on the spot; finally, no more allowing any natives to form alliances with one another, we will rule them separately based on regions.”

Constantine firmly resolved to capture the entire Ndebele tribe and bring them to the East African Plateau for the most brutal subjugation, making them understand the consequences of offending him.

At the same time, the great Ndebele uprising also served as a warning to ensure no native forms an absolute core. Next, the East African Kingdom plans to dismantle the central government forces of all native groups within its borders to prevent the recurrence of another Ndebele-style uprising.

For the East African government, the great Ndebele uprising was a massive rebellion and the first time East Africa encountered an organized and premeditated large-scale native rebellion, necessitating a heavy-handed response.