Somnjalose Simelane
Somnjalose Simelane | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Title | Queen |
| Spouse | King Ndvungunye |
| Children | King Sobhuza I |
| Father | Nsibandze Simelane |
| Relatives | Lojiba Simelane (sister) |
Queen Somnjalose Simelane Swazi pronunciation: [somˈɲaːlose ˈsimelane]; was the main wife of King Ndvungunye and the mother of King Sobhuza I.[1] She was the younger sister of Lojiba Simelane, also a wife of King Ndvungunye, who acted as regent following Sobhuza's death in 1836.
As the main wife of King Ndvungunye, Somnjalose held a prominent position within the royal household, including her son being the heir. Somnjalose and her sister Lojiba were given to King Ndvungunye to marry by the Simelane clan when they were seeking refuge. The father of the two sisters was Nsibandze Simelane, a chief of the Simelane clan.[2][3]
They were born into the Ndlangamandla people, a smaller sub-clan of the Simelane lineage. Originally, the Simelane people resided in Empangeni, in the Zulu kingdom, but left due to ongoing conflicts in the region. They first settled south of the Pongola River, where their leader, Chief Mabonya (her brother), an elder son of Nsibandze, was killed in battle. Following his death, the Simelane people, led by Mancala, moved north to kaNgwane (the Swazi heartland), where they sought refuge with King Ndvungunye.[3]
Somnjalose's son Sobhuza I or Somhlolo was installed as the king in 1815. During the early years of King Sobhuza I’s reign, the Simelane and Mamba clans acted as a buffer against attacks from the Ndwandwe and other groups along the areas of Mahamba, Mkhondo, and Dumbe. Sobhuza I's regiments in the Shiselweni Region (Kontjingila) were led by a warrior named Mbiko Simelane. A granddaughter of Sobhuza I married Simelane chief, Ntshingila II.[2]
When Sobhuza died in 1836, Lojiba served as regent alongside Sobhuza's eldest son Prince Malambule until Mswati II came of age in 1840.[4]
Her residence at Zombodze became an important center of power during the reign of her son (Somhlolo). According to oral narratives, when King Sobhuza faced threats from neighboring kingdoms, including the Ndwandwe and Zulu forces, he moved from his Shiselweni residence to his mother's in Zombodze for protection.[5][2]
References
[edit]- ^ Dlamini, Ndumiso. "The children of King Somhlolo". Times of Swaziland. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ a b c Matsebula, J.S.M (1980): A History of Swaziland. Cape Town: Creda Press. Page 8, 15, ISBN 9780582642126
- ^ a b Philip Bonner interview series'. Philip Bonner, 1970 download PDF
- ^ Matsebula, J.S; Mlotshwa, D.K.; Mlotshwa, J M; Ntiwane, N.D (2016): The History of Emaswati in South Africa. South Africa: Mbokodo Publishers. Page 47 ISBN 9780620653848
- ^ The Simelanes. Killie Campbell Collections. Killie Campbell Africana Library. The Zulu Tribal Essay Competition