THE REBELLION IN NATAL 1906

[jainso31]

The Bambatha Uprising was a Zulu revolt against British Rule and Taxation in Natal,SA in 1906.The revolt was led by Bambatha Kamancinza (1860-1906) leader of the Amazondi Clan of the Zulu people who lived in the Mpanza Valley.
Over 4000 British tropps were deployed with automatic rifles and m/c guns-they killed between 3000 and 4000 Zulus at Moire Gorge and Bambatha was taken, killed and beheaded during this battle.
Mahatma Gandhi,who was there as a stretcher bearer,mainly treated the Zulus.Hev said afterwards that this was not a war but a MAN HUNT!!:mad:
Some further details given in the link -if so desired.

jainso31

http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol135hp.html

[Brett Hendey]

jainso

You have become very good at picking subjects that interest me! Since I was born and brought up in Natal and since I have lived much of my adult life here, the Natal Rebellion is one of my favourite subjects.

I will add something to this thread later, but for the moment I have just one comment. No British (i.e. Imperial) troops took part in this rebellion, only forces from the Colony of Natal, with a little help from the Cape Colony and Transvaal. In fact, there was a great deal of opposition from Britain towards the events in Natal. I recently pointed out on another forum that one of the harshest critics was Winston Churchill, who had made a name for himself in Natal a few years earlier during the Anglo-Boer War. He referred to Natal as the "hooligan Colony"!

Regards
Brett

[jainso31]

Hi Brett- glad you you saw this thread.Obviously the first link was quite wrong when it mentioned British troops and Militia; as opposed SA Police and Local Militia.If there was opposition to this action -why then, did the British government issue a medal for service in this apparent massacre??:(

jainso31

[Brett Hendey]

The Natal Rebellion Medal was instituted by the Government of the Colony of Natal. Had this been a Colonial campaign managed by the British and in which British troops were involved, the medal that would have been awarded would have been the Africa General Service Medal, which was issued for minor campaigns in Africa between 1902 and 1956. It would have carried a 'Natal' clasp. This medal was awarded for 52 separate conflicts in Africa, and it replaced the East and West Africa Medal (1887-1900), which had already been issued for 21 separate conflicts.

The Imperial army was kept very busy keeping order in the Empire. Apart from the African examples given above, the India General Sevice Medal (1854-1895) was issued for 55 separate campaigns and actions on the Indian subcontinent.

The British government was probably pleased that they were spared the expense of putting down the Natal Rebellion and then having to pay for the medal commemorating the affair.

At about the same time that the Natal colonists were being ignored in their hour of need by the British government, the German government saw to it that its troops were kept occupied in keeping in order the "restless natives" in their African colonies (e.g. German South West Africa).

Regards
Brett

[jainso31]

Thank you Brettt for clearing up the medal "issue"-I wondered why it was so rare.Whai I do not understand is why the indigenous populace took issue with a Zulu uprising against the British Gov't and Taxation-why did they involve themselves-was it a vendetta??
jainso31

[Brett Hendey]

In order to fully understand the reasons for the 1906 Rebellion and the relationship between Natal Colonists and the Zulus, one has to go back to the 1820's and 1830's, when Natal was first being settled by Europeans.

What happened in Natal was little or no different to what happened in other countries colonised by the Euroeans. A culturally more advanced people triumphed over the native peoples and then kept them in check. This worked very well in the Americas and in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, where native populations were relatively low and easily contained. It didn't work well in Africa and Asia, where the indigenous people generally far outnumbered the European settlers. This meant that the native peoples had to be reminded from time to time about who was in control. Most often control was exerted after the "natives got restless" and needed to be taught a lesson and given a reminder who had the upper hand.

In the case of Natal, the first trouble with the Zulus came when Dutch (later known as Afrikaners) "voortrekkers" (pioneers) moved away from the Cape Colony in order to escape the control of the British. They settled in Natal in the 1830's and soon crossed swords with the Zulus. The Dutch got annoyed when the British started to settle in Natal - they were, after all, trying to get away from British domination - so many of them went in search of pastures new. Amazing as it may seem, the British settlers and the Zulus got on fairly well, mainly because the autonomy of the Zulus in Zululand was recognised. The Zulus living in the embryonic Colony of Natal were pleased to live under the protection of the Europeans, since nearly all were refugees who had fled from Shaka, the founder of the Zulu nation in the 1820's and earlier. Also, there were material benefits to being attached to the Europeans.

Most of the conflicts involving the Zulus in the 19th Century and well into the 20th Century were "faction (i.e. clan) fights". In other words, they were internal affairs and had nothing to do with European settlers.

Natal's troubles with the Zulus started in the late 1870's when the British - NOT the Natal settlers - decided that Zululand should be added to the Empire. The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 was provoked by the British and, after some early bloody setbacks, the Imperial army, aided by Natal Europeans and natives, prevailed and the power of the Zulus was broken. Also broken was the peaceful co-existence between Natal settlers and the Zulus of the old Zululand.

The 1906 Natal Rebellion was one of many such struggles between settler and native in Africa (and Asia) during the late 19th Century and the first half of the 20th Century. It kept the status quo for decades but, as colonialism fell out of favour after World War II, power was eventually ceded to the "first nation".

It is annoying to find people judging events of 1906 by the standards of the 21st Century and it would be as well to remember that there probably more Zulus helping to put down the rebellion than there were Zulu "rebels". It was an interesting small war.

Regards
Brett

[jainso31]

Brett -sincere thanks for the historical treatise on 19th century South Africa-which I have read carefully, not wishing to be one the people who "annoyingly judge the events of 1906 by 21st Century standards"-I do hope I did not !!
I was somewhat surprised to learn that some Zulu clansmen could have been actively engaged in suppressing the Rebellion.That smacks of vendetta
if I may say so.
You say that post WW2 colonialism fell away and power was eventually ceded to the first nation-ie. African Nationals right?? That in itself proved to be a monumental struggle; where the "might" of an indigenous populace could no longer be denied.

jainso31

[Brett Hendey]

jainso31

The people who have annoyed me are the historians and news media reporters who came out of the woodwork to express their opinions around the time of the Rebellion Centenary in 2006 and analysed the events of 1906 as if they were contemporary. To quote just two examples:

1. The men tried in a court of law and found guilty of killing the Natal Policemen in the incident that set off the first phase of the Rebellion were executed by firing squad. That is an unthinkable punishment in most countries today, but a hundred years ago it was not uncommon. For example, it was the fate of British deserters during World War I.

2. The decapitation of Bambatha after his death at Mome Gorge was not a souvenir-collecting exercise by a few soldiers. In the days before portable refridgeration and DNA analysis, identity could best be proved by the production of an identifiable (and portable) body part. As it turned out, this attempt to establish proof of death of the leader of the second phase of the Rebellion failed. After the Rebellion was over, rumours spread that Bambatha had escaped from Mome Gorge and had taken refuge in the neighbouring Portuguese territory of Mozambique. He did, however, take no further part in events in Natal and was not seen again at his tribal home.

Of course, since the history of South Africa is now being rewritten by its new leaders, traditionalists like me are becoming increasingly annoyed and unhappy. There is nothing that can be done to stop revisionism by the victors.

I probably exaggerated the number of Zulus who took part in the Rebellion on the side of the Colonists. However, every one of the more than 40 volunteer regiments that put down the Rebellion had the support of Zulus in menial positions (e.g. transport etc), which was the way in Colonial times. There were also Zulu units, albeit ones staffed by European officers:
Amabomvu Levy (32), Amafunze Tribe (20), Dunn's Scouts (20), Natal Native Horse (338), Zululand Natives (33), & Zululand Police (147).
Also recorded are 15 Zululand Chiefs, who evidently supported the Colonists.

It is worth repeating here that there was no love lost between the "Natal natives" and the Zululand Zulus. Even today the Zulus of, say, the Msinga district regard the Hlubis of the not far distant Estcourt district with disdain and I suspect that the Hlubis regard the Msinga Zulus with some trepidation.

Regards
Brett

[jainso31]

Thanks again Brett for the detailed description of what happened then and how some people would have it today-people who do not know anything about history (Politicians,etc.) would much rather make up there own story and pass it off as genuine.
Having read about Shaka,who was indeed a bloodthirsty despot; and who taught the Zulu to fight and win, could only practice on his own people;I can certainly see how old antipathies are long in the dying.
They do still, seem to be a power in the land today.

jainso31

[Brett Hendey]

Below are photographs of the medal awarded to the Natal Colonials who served during the 1906 Natal Rebellion.

On the left are two medals awarded to members of the Zululand Police, one without a clasp for serving between 20 and 50 days, and one with the '1906' clasp for serving more than 50 days.

On the right is the reverse of a Rebellion medal, which was explained as follows:
"In the centre are figures of BRITTANNIA and NATALIA. The former is holding an orb, surmounted by a figure of Peace on her left hand, and Natalia is holding a large sword in her right hand. In the background are some natives and a kraal. In the exerge is the word NATAL".

To this description may be added:
Natalia is holding a palm branch in her left hand and she is standing on a heap of Zulu weapons. In the background the sun is emerging from behind storm clouds.

Regards
Brett

[jainso31]

Thank you for showing these beautiful medals commemorating the 1906 rebellionn on this thread.They shuld be shown to all enthusastic medal collectors in the Medals Section,that is, if you have not already done so; but thanks again friend.:):cool:

jainso31

[Brett Hendey]

jainso31

I am pleased that you liked the pictures of the Rebellion medals.

Medals to Zulus (and other 'indigenous' Africans) are rare because they probably held little importance to them and so were roughly treated. Also, many had their suspenders removed and were passed off as 5/- coins (crowns). That no longer happens because of the rubbish that is the coinage of Africa today. However, with the increasing price of silver, many old silver medals are probably being melted down by people who recognise only the intrinsic value of the metal, rather than the value placed on the medals by people interested in their historical significance.

The only medals I have shown in the 'Medals' section are those belonging to naval men. I think the Rebellion medals would be inappropriate in that forum.

Regards
Brett

[jainso31]

Brett
A bit like the aftermath of the Great War-where poverty abounded; and a great many of the silver war medals that were pawned, were never redeemed -so they went to the melting pot. Hence thousands of unaccompanied Victory medals now flood the market.:(
PS Do you have any interest in SA in WW1 ???
jainso31

jainso31

[Brett Hendey]

jainso 31

I have taken an interest in all wars involving South Africa up to the Korean War. Although only a few South Africans participated in it, it was the last war in which the country represented the ideals of the United Nations and the Commonwealth.

The changes being imposed by the then newly-elected Afrikaner National Party are illustrated by the medal issued to South Africans for service in this war. Unlike other Commonwealth countries, South Africa issued its own medal with the British sovereign's head removed from the obverse. Instead, the royal cypher (ERII) was relegated to the reverse. Except for a contemporary long service medal, this was the last time the Queen of the Commonwealth was thus honoured by South Africa. It was a sign that the Boers had at last won the Boer War and a few years later they sealed the victory by leaving the Commonwealth.

Regards
Brett

[jainso31]

The Coup de Grace in more ways than one Brett.The Boers had little to thank the British for.The horrors of the frst Concentration Camps instituted by the "holier than thou" British must have lived long in the generations after the Boer War in 1901/02.:(

jainso31

[Brett Hendey]

There is currently a debate about Boer War concentration camps on another forum. They were a product of their time and an attempt to bring the guerilla phase of the war to a speedier end, but they were undoubtedly a human tragedy of epic proportions. The bitterness about the camps lives on, but it exists only in an abstract way, similar to the woes of modern Africa being blamed entirely on slavery, colonialism and apartheid.

Occasionally, there was something positive that came out of the camps.

Major-General Dan Pienaar CB DSO & Bar

Dan Pienaar was South Africa’s most charismatic general during World War II. He commanded troops with success in both the Abyssinian and North African campaigns and might have gone on to even greater achievements had he not been killed in an aircraft crash in December 1942. His interest in and commitment to a military career had its origins during the Anglo-Boer War.

When the War broke out, Dan was a six-year old living on a farm in the Wakkerstroom district of the Transvaal. His father and two of his older brothers joined their commando and went off to war. All three ended up in India as prisoners of war. Like so many Boer wives, Mrs Pienaar was left alone with the difficult tasks of both managing the farm and raising the children still with her. For a while the family was helped by a friendly British soldier, who brought them gifts of food and other supplies. He was known as “the tame Englishman”. Eventually, early in 1901, the family was moved to a concentration camp near Pietermaritzburg, where they were to remain until December 1902.

The misery of the camp was aggravated for the Pienaars when Dan’s leg was severely lacerated by an accident with an axe. In his book, Pienaar of Alamein, A M Pollock wrote of the aftermath of the accident as follows:

“Blood-poisoning set in and Dan was taken to the British military hospital at Fort Napier. It was at first feared that his leg would have to be amputated. Several doctors held consultations, and finally Dan’s mother was called in to make the decision. She decided on the more slender chance of her son’s pulling through without amputation. Slowly the leg responded to treatment, but for four long months Dan had to lie in the military hospital. On either side of him and all round him were wounded British “Tommies”. He became their favourite. Far from their own families, these soldiers, in their rough but kindly way, took the small boy to their hearts and lavished upon him an affection they would normally have reserved for their own children. Dan responded, as a child would, and very soon he and these British soldiers were fast friends. That friendship persisted in spite of later misunderstandings and undoubtedly formed the foundation of the deep respect which Major-General Dan Pienaar had for the ordinary British soldier.”

After the War ended, the Pienaars went back to their farm near Wakkerstroom. More hardships followed. The farm was maintained with great difficulty and all hope of a decent education for Dan was lost. His mother had hoped that Dan would have a career in the church, but Dan had already decided his future lay elsewhere. Mrs Pienaar died in 1906, perhaps worn out by the stresses and privations of her life. By 1911, with the farm still in difficulty, Dan decided to leave and fulfill a dream by making a new life for himself in the military.

Pollock continues the story:

“As luck would have it, the Natal Police were calling for recruits and especially for Afrikaans-speaking men from adjoining provinces. Dan’s father was able to scrape together enough money to buy a single railway ticket from Wakkerstroom to Pietermaritzburg, headquarters of the Natal Police; and so off went Dan – with a light heart, high hopes and half a crown in his pocket. This was on November 26, 1911.”

A few days later, and in spite of being underage, Dan dressed in the uniform of a former enemy and he settled into a life in which he excelled. From the Natal Police he went on to serve in what became the Defence Force of the Union of South Africa, whose uniform he wore with pride and honour until the day he died 31 years later.

Dreams can be realised in spite of the most improbable of circumstances.

19/05/2011

[jainso31]

What a wonderful story Brett-not exactly a "rags to riches" one-but a rise and rise from adversity.The angels smiled upon him for a while.
His death in a plane crash was not out of the way-Gen. Gott and Wingate too died likewise-wartime aircraft were not always maintained to a high standard :(

jainso31