Oude Ram Afrikaner
Encyclopedia
Oude Ram Afrikaner was the leader of a clan that later became known as the Orlam Afrikaners, a sub-group of the Orlam. The clan consisted of mixed-race descendants from indigenous
Khoikhoi
and slaves from Madagascar
, India
, and Indonesia
. Members of this mixed race are today sometimes called African Creole
people or Creole Africans, as well as Coloureds.
The group around Oude Ram was the first to refer to themselves not as being from a specific tribe
but to use the continental description, African. This is how Oude Ram and his descendants got the surname Afrikaner, and their language the name Afrikaans
. Only much later in the second half of the 19th century did the Cape Dutch
adopt this attribution, too. The Khoi and mixed-race peoples became known, collectively, as Coloureds, a term which was introduced by the British administration.
There is not much known about the biography of Oude Ram and the Orlams' pre-1760 history. It is documented that his clan came in conflict with the Dutch East India Company
. Subsequently he and his son Afrikaner Afrikaner were banned from the Cape Colony
and sentenced to life in prison. While Oude Ram probably died soon after the conviction, his son Afrikaner became one of the first prisoners of Robben Island
in 1761. He died there on 25 June 1777. His other son, Klaas
, was exonerated and led the clan from the Cape Colony to South-West Africa in the 1770s.
Oude Ram Afrikaner was the first in the genealogy of the Orlam Afrikaners. After Oude Ram had died and his son Klaas
trekked with the clan to South-West Africa, the group dominated the area that today is central Namibia
for almost 100 years. This rule and domination started some time after Klaas Afrikaner and his sons moved to South-West Africa in the 1770s and founded the fortress ǁKhauxaǃnas
at the end of the 18th century, and it ended with the death of Christian Afrikaner
, Oude Ram's great grandson, in 1863.
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
Khoikhoi
Khoikhoi
The Khoikhoi or Khoi, in standardised Khoekhoe/Nama orthography spelled Khoekhoe, are a historical division of the Khoisan ethnic group, the native people of southwestern Africa, closely related to the Bushmen . They had lived in southern Africa since the 5th century AD...
and slaves from Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Members of this mixed race are today sometimes called African Creole
Creole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
people or Creole Africans, as well as Coloureds.
The group around Oude Ram was the first to refer to themselves not as being from a specific tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
but to use the continental description, African. This is how Oude Ram and his descendants got the surname Afrikaner, and their language the name Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
. Only much later in the second half of the 19th century did the Cape Dutch
Cape Dutch
Cape Dutch are people of the Western Cape of South Africa who descended primarily from Dutch and Flemish as well as smaller numbers of French, German and other European immigrants along with a percentage of their Asian and African slaves, who, from the 17th century into the 19th century, remained...
adopt this attribution, too. The Khoi and mixed-race peoples became known, collectively, as Coloureds, a term which was introduced by the British administration.
There is not much known about the biography of Oude Ram and the Orlams' pre-1760 history. It is documented that his clan came in conflict with the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
. Subsequently he and his son Afrikaner Afrikaner were banned from the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
and sentenced to life in prison. While Oude Ram probably died soon after the conviction, his son Afrikaner became one of the first prisoners of Robben Island
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a...
in 1761. He died there on 25 June 1777. His other son, Klaas
Klaas Afrikaner
Klaas Afrikaner was the second Captain of the Orlam Afrikaners, first in the Cape Colony, then in South-West Africa...
, was exonerated and led the clan from the Cape Colony to South-West Africa in the 1770s.
Oude Ram Afrikaner was the first in the genealogy of the Orlam Afrikaners. After Oude Ram had died and his son Klaas
Klaas Afrikaner
Klaas Afrikaner was the second Captain of the Orlam Afrikaners, first in the Cape Colony, then in South-West Africa...
trekked with the clan to South-West Africa, the group dominated the area that today is central Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
for almost 100 years. This rule and domination started some time after Klaas Afrikaner and his sons moved to South-West Africa in the 1770s and founded the fortress ǁKhauxaǃnas
ǁKhauxaǃnas
ǁKhauxaǃnas is an uninhabited village with an ancient ruined fortress in south-eastern Namibia, east of the Great Karas Mountains. It is the oldest systematically designed and built structure in Namibia, pre-dating all buildings erected by Europeans...
at the end of the 18th century, and it ended with the death of Christian Afrikaner
Christian Afrikaner
Christian Afrikaner was the oldest son of Jonker Afrikaner and Beetje Boois...
, Oude Ram's great grandson, in 1863.