Mswati II of Swaziland
| Mswati II | |
|---|---|
| King of Swaziland | |
| Reign | 1840 – 1868 |
| Predecessor | Sobhuza I |
| Successor | Ludvonga II |
| Born | 1825 |
| Died | 1868 (aged 42–43) Hhohho |
| Issue | |
| House | House of Dlamini |
| Father | Sobhuza I |
| Mother | Tsandzile Ndwandwe |
Mswati II (c. 1820–1868), also known as Mswati and Mavuso III, was the king of Swaziland between 1840 and 1868. He was also the eponym of Swaziland. Mswati is considered to be one of the greatest fighting kings of Swaziland. Under his kingship, the territorial boundaries of Swaziland were greatly increased. Mswati was the son of Sobhuza I and Tsandzile Ndwandwe (known as 'LaZidze) who after ruling as Queen Mother became Queen Regent after the death of her son. After the death of Sobhuza, Mswati inherited an area which extended as far as present day Barberton in the north and included the Nomahasha district in the Portuguese territory of Mozambique. Mswati’s military power initially suppressed by infighting with his brothers Fokoti, Somcuba and Malambule was increased in the late 1850s and later on. When Mswati's armies attacked organized forces of other Bantu tribes or nations, the goal was initially plunder in the form of cattle and captives, rather than incorporation into one political unit. The arrival of Trekboers in what would become the Transvaal republic marked the first contact with Swazis and European settlers occurred during this period. Mswati greatly extended the boundaries of the Swazi territory beyond that of the present state with military outposts and royal villages outposts such as Mbhuleni, on the upper Komati River at the foot of the Mkongomo Mountains, south of Badplaas, Mekemeke which is east of the Mbayiyane Mountains, situated east of Mantibovu (Low’s Creek). The death of Mswati II in July 1868 ended the era of Swazi conquest, territorial expansion and resulted in unification of various people into one nation.
Ingwenyama Mswati II was born as a son of Somhlolo or Sobhuza I and Queen Tsandzile Ndwandwe, the daughter of Zwide Ndwandwe, the leader of the powerful Ndwandwe clan south of the Pongola River. The Swazi clans under the leadership of Sobhuza I were constantly in conflict with the Ndwandwe’s. As a result, Sobhuza made an offer to marry one of the daughters of Zwide and establish peace with his neighbors. This culminated in a party being sent to the Ndwandwe capital and Tsandzile was chosen as the wife to bear the successor to Sobhuza. Mswati's early life after the death of Sobhuza was marked by disputes over the kingship with his brothers. As a result of this Mswati and his mother were installed in their positions before either of them was properly prepared. Such circumstances during his early life are sometimes considered to have predisposed him to be fierce and decisive later in his rule. When Mswati ascended to the throne, his predecessor left him a country claimed to be reaching modern day Barberton in the north, Carolina in the west, Pongola River in the south and Lubombo Mountains in the east.
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