Maps of Venda (S.20)

Difaqane - Diffusion of Sotho/Tswana Peoples (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins)



Difaqane - Diffusion of Sotho/Tswana peoples in Response to Military Incursion

Source:   G. T. Nurse, J. S. Weiner, and Trefor Jenkins. The Peoples of Southern Africa and Their Affinities. 1985. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 74.
Date Digitized:   2009

Map Description:
This map displays the main routes of dispersal of Sotho/Tswana peoples during the Difaqane (1815-1840). This name is the word in Lesotho which refers to the same event as the Mfecane. During this period, the Zulu/Mtetwa state system rose in power and began military expansion. Consolidation was common for most groups, although some fled (see the Kololo migration route) and others chose to reciprocate military action, resulting in the circular path of the Taung of Mentatisi (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins, 1985).

Other LL-MAP resources related to this project:
Mfecane - Routes of Diffusion of Nguni Peoples (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins)
San Populations Then and Now (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins)
The Khoi as Migrants and Nomads (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins)



Note: Scanned or downloaded images have been geo-registered for compatibility with our project interface. Slight imperfections are an inevitable result of the registration process. View original image(s) to see the unaltered map(s).

Mfecane - Diffusion of Nguni Peoples (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins)



Mfecane - Diffusion of Nguni peoples in response to military incursion

Source:   G. T. Nurse, J. S. Weiner, and Trefor Jenkins. 1985. The Peoples of Southern Africa and Their Affinities. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 73.
Date Digitized:   2009

Map Description:
This map displays the main routes of dispersal of Nguni peoples during the Mfecane (1815-1840). This Zulu name of the period can be loosely translated as "the crushing" or "the scattering", and is an apt description for what the Nguni peoples did. It came to pass primarily due to the military pressure from the rising Zulu/Mtetwa militarist state system, the consolidation of the Swati and the defeat of the Ndwandwe military power. (Note: although lines may intersect, the groups may not have actually met. The exception to this is the Maseko Ngoni, who fought with Shoshangane's people, the Jele Ngoni, the Rowzi and the Kololo/Lozi.) (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins, 1985).

Other LL-MAP resources related to this project:
Difaqane - Routes of Diffusion of Sotho/Tswana Peoples (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins)
San Populations Then and Now (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins)
The Khoi as Migrants and Nomads (Nurse, Weiner and Jenkins)



Note: Scanned or downloaded images have been geo-registered for compatibility with our project interface. Slight imperfections are an inevitable result of the registration process. View original image(s) to see the unaltered map(s).

Peoples, Cities and States in southern Africa ca. 1550 (Ehret)



Peoples, Cities and States in the Southern Half of Africa ca. 1550

Map Creator:   Christopher Ehret
Source:   Ehret, Christopher. 2002. The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia.
Date Created:   2002.

Map Description:
This map displays cities, kingdoms and peoples in southern Africa circa 1550 as shown by Christopher Ehret. During this period, the Portuguese slave trade had begun rapid expansion, and rival European powers had begun colonization in an attempt to begin their own competing stations. Trade routes shifted due to the new influence, and many of the great savannah states began to decline in importance while those on the coasts flourished.


Note: Scanned or downloaded images have been geo-registered for compatibility with our project interface. Slight imperfections are an inevitable result of the registration process. View original image(s) to see the unaltered map(s).

Peoples, Cities and States in southern Africa ca. 1775 (Ehret)



Peoples, states and cities in the southern half of Africa, ca. 1725-1775

Map Creator:   Christopher Ehret
Source:   2002. The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia. 430.
Date Created:   2002.

Map Description:
This map displays the important groups and locations in southern Africa from 1725-1775, including European colonies and African empires. At this time, the European slave trade was in full swing. Some African groups still resisted European colonization, and it was not long after this period that the first successful slave rebellion occurred in what is now Haiti, resulting in the formation of that country.


Note: Scanned or downloaded images have been geo-registered for compatibility with our project interface. Slight imperfections are an inevitable result of the registration process. View original image(s) to see the unaltered map(s).

Peoples, States and Cities in southern Africa from 1725-1775 (Ehret)



Peoples, states and cities in the southern half of Africa, ca. 1725-1775

Map Creator:   Christopher Ehret
Source:   2002. The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia. 430.
Date Created:   2002.

Map Description:
This map displays the important groups and locations in southern Africa from 1725-1775, including European colonies and African empires. At this time, the European slave trade was in full swing. Some African groups still resisted European colonization, and it was not long after this period that the first successful slave rebellion occurred in what is now Haiti, resulting in the formation of that country.


Note: Scanned or downloaded images have been geo-registered for compatibility with our project interface. Slight imperfections are an inevitable result of the registration process. View original image(s) to see the unaltered map(s).