Thaba Bosiu
Encyclopedia
Thaba Bosiu is a sandstone
plateau
with an area of approximately 2 km2 and a height of 1,804 meters above sea level. It is located between the Orange
and Caledon River
s in the Maseru District
of Lesotho
, 24 km east of the country's capital Maseru
.
In the early 19th century, the Basotho
chief Moshoeshoe I
established a stronghold on the plateau to act as a refuge for his people during a war with the Ndebele people
. At an elevation of nearly 120 metres above the surrounding area, the plateau formed a natural fortress to gather the Basotho people in times of danger. The plateau's large area meant it could hold enough livestock and provisions to support the people during a lengthy siege.
The word Thaba means mountain in the Sesotho language and Bosiu means 'at night'. The name mountain of the night echoed the local belief that the mountain grew during the night and shrunk during day, leaving enemies who tried scaling it during the night still stranded on the cliffs and vulnerable for attack next morning.
Thaba Bosiu also acted as Moshoeshoe's headquarters during the various Basuto Wars. During the first Free State-Basotho War
against the Orange Free State
in 1858, the Free State's commandoes tried assaulting the stronghold, but met with little success. During the third war against the Free State in 1868, Thaba Bosiu was the only stronghold in Basutoland that wasn't stormed by the Free State forces. In the time the stronghold remained manned, it was never taken by the enemy. When Moshoeshoe died in 1870, he was buried on Thaba Bosiu.
The settlement on Thaba Bosiu has since been abandoned, and only ruins and the graves of various Basotho chiefs remain. The plateau is currently a national monument and often visited by tourists.
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
with an area of approximately 2 km2 and a height of 1,804 meters above sea level. It is located between the Orange
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
and Caledon River
Caledon River
The Caledon River is located in south-east Africa, rising in the Drakensberg Mountains in Lesotho. Origin in the former bantustan of QwaQwa, near the border with Lesotho, southwest of Witsieshoek. It then flows south-west, marking the border with South Africa and Lesotho before entering South...
s in the Maseru District
Maseru District
Maseru is a district of Lesotho. It has an area of 4,279 km² and a population in 2006 of approximately 429,823. Maseru is also the name of the district's capital, and is the only city in the district. Additionally it is the capital of the country. It is the largest urban area in the country,...
of Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
, 24 km east of the country's capital Maseru
Maseru
Maseru is the capital of Lesotho. It is also the capital of the Maseru District. Located on the Caledon River, bordering South Africa, Maseru is Lesotho's only sizable city, with a population of approximately 227,880 . The city was established as a police camp and assigned as the capital after the...
.
In the early 19th century, the Basotho
Basotho
The ancestors of the Sotho people have lived in southern Africa since around the fifth century. The Sotho nation emerged from the accomplished diplomacy of Moshoeshoe I who gathered together disparate clans of Sotho–Tswana origin that had dispersed across southern Africa in the early 19th century...
chief Moshoeshoe I
Moshoeshoe I
Moshoeshoe was born at Menkhoaneng in the Northern part of present-day Lesotho. He was the first son of Mokhachane, a minor chief of the Bamokoteli lineage- a branch of the Koena clan. In his early childhood, he helped his father gain power over some other smaller clans. At the age of 34...
established a stronghold on the plateau to act as a refuge for his people during a war with the Ndebele people
Ndebele people (Zimbabwe)
The Ndebele are a branch of the Zulus who split from King Shaka in the early 1820s under the leadership of Mzilikazi, a former general in Shaka's army....
. At an elevation of nearly 120 metres above the surrounding area, the plateau formed a natural fortress to gather the Basotho people in times of danger. The plateau's large area meant it could hold enough livestock and provisions to support the people during a lengthy siege.
The word Thaba means mountain in the Sesotho language and Bosiu means 'at night'. The name mountain of the night echoed the local belief that the mountain grew during the night and shrunk during day, leaving enemies who tried scaling it during the night still stranded on the cliffs and vulnerable for attack next morning.
Thaba Bosiu also acted as Moshoeshoe's headquarters during the various Basuto Wars. During the first Free State-Basotho War
Free State-Basotho War
Free State-Basotho Wars were a series of wars fought between Moshoeshoe I, the ruler of the Basotho kingdom and the Orange Free State of the Boers. These can be divided into the Senekal's War of 1858 and the Seqiti War, which included two conflicts, in 1865−1866 and 1867−1868, separated by a short...
against the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
in 1858, the Free State's commandoes tried assaulting the stronghold, but met with little success. During the third war against the Free State in 1868, Thaba Bosiu was the only stronghold in Basutoland that wasn't stormed by the Free State forces. In the time the stronghold remained manned, it was never taken by the enemy. When Moshoeshoe died in 1870, he was buried on Thaba Bosiu.
The settlement on Thaba Bosiu has since been abandoned, and only ruins and the graves of various Basotho chiefs remain. The plateau is currently a national monument and often visited by tourists.