Gcaleka
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
Transkei, Eastern Cape ( South Africa) | |
| Languages | |
| Xhosa | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, African Traditional Religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Xhosa, other Bantu peoples |
The Gcaleka are a major subgroup of the Xhosa found in the Transkei area of the Eastern Cape. Their counterparts in Ciskei are the Rharhabe (of which the primary tribe is the Ngqika).
The Gcaleka kingdom was founded by Gcaleka kaPhalo, who became chief in 1775.
History of the Gcaleka
The Xhosa royal blood line stretches from Ntu, whose successor was Mnguni, the father of Xhosa.
The whole division within the Xhosa nation stretches to the time King Phalo had both of his wives arriving on the same day, for whom he had already paid lobola, one from the Mpondo royal family[1] and one from the Thembu royal family. Since in the Xhosa nation the great wife (princess from another nation e.g Mpondo, Thembu, Zulu etc.) gives birth to the heir , Phalo had caused a dilemma within the Xhosa nation by marrying two princesses. This situation cause a great dilemma and a great out cry -some called this the ancestors' punishment- because a great wife could not be declared. The Kingdom of the Xhosa called upon its wise men, one of whom was Majeke from the great Nqabara region under the Willowvale district in the Eastern Cape. He advised that the princess which set foot first within the Xhosa Royal home (Komkhulu) should give birth to the heir. The Mpondo princess set foot first and she was then announced the Great wife of the Xhosa nation (mother of heir). The Thembu princess was then announced Right Hand house, which is second most senior but independent of the Great House.
Phalo had two 'first born' sons, Rharhabe, the eldest but from his Right House and Gcaleka, the first born from the Great House.
Until the advent of European domination in the region, reign of the Xhosa (and other tribes of the Xhosa nation) was by patrimonial descent, with the first son of the major wife (known as the Great House) becoming automatic heir, and the first son of the second wife (the highest of the lesser wives, in this case this was not the case, also known as the Right Hand House) being relegated to creating a minor chiefdom. The sons of the third wife (known as the Supporting House of the Great House) were destined to become advisers to the chief.
When the boys' father died, they were both mature men, Rharhabe was advised to cross the river Kei and rule over the Xhosa's who were resident there. Gcaleka stayed put and remained the King of all the Xhosa. The Gcaleka tribe within the Xhosa nation is now found in between the Mbashe and Kei river. Now when we combine these two tribes (amaGcaleka and amaRharhabe) we get the Xhosa nation, whose current King is Mpendulo Zwelonke Sigcawu descendant of Gcaleka himself.
See also
References
- ↑ Nongenile Masithathu Zenani; Ndumiso Bhotomane (2006). South African voices: The way we travelled : oral history and poetry. UW-Madison Libraries Parallel Press. p. 22.
- Beck, Roger B. (2000). The history of South Africa. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-313-30730-0.
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