SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This thesis explores aspects of the history of the Pedi polity from 1828-1880 covering the period from the emergence of the polity in the aftermath of the difaqane until its defeat in November of 1879. It sets out to fill the lacunae in the existing literature caused by the failure to adopt a critical approach to historical sources or to provide a dynamic account of Pedi society. An analysis is provided of the changing nature and distribution of power within the polity. The economic changes and political processes at work within the society and the impact of Christianity on it are explored. The development of the polity is also examined in the context of the processes of conflict and change taking place beyond its borders. The concluding chapters of the thesis draw on the insights afforded by the examination of these themes to attempt a substantive revision of the existing explanations and accounts of the conflicts in the 1870s which culminated in the defeat of the polity and the subjection of the Pedi to colonial rule.