Editing History of Eswatini (section)

== Consolidation of the Swazi Nation (1740s–1868) ==

[[File:Récipient Swazi.jpg|thumbnail|left|A 19th-century Swazi artifact]]

Thereafter during the leadership of Ngwane III Swazis settled present-day Swaziland.<ref name="gov.sz" />
These Swazis first settled north of the [[Pongola River]]. The Ngwane Kingdom was thus established during the rule of Ngwane III from around 1745
until 1780. The early Swazi people emigrated from the Lubombo mountains where Swazi rulers were established, to the banks of the Pongola River.
The leader, Ngwane III established the Swazi settlements here near the Ndwandwe Kingdom. [[Swazi people|Swazis]] were in constant conflict with their
neighbors, the Ndwandwes. The capital of Ngwane III was in Southern Swaziland in Shiselweni at the foot of the Mhlosheni Mountains near [[Nhlangano]] and Mahamba. Swazis established a polity based on Kingship accompanied by Queen Mothers and during the minority of a crown prince a Queen Regent. Thus when Ngwane died, [[LaYaka Ndwandwe]] became Queen Regent until [[Ndvungunye]] became the King. The kingship of Ndvungunye continued the order established by Ngwane III from 1780 until 1815 when he was killed by lightning. He was succeeded by Ngwane IV after the regency of Queen Regent Lomvula Mndzebele. Ngwane IV was also known as Sobhuza I and Somhlolo a revered king of [[Swaziland]]. Sobhuza continued to expand the territory of Swaziland.

The conflict of Swaziland and the Ndwandwe kingdom led Somhlolo (also known as '''Sobhuza I''' and '''Ngwane IV''') to move his capital from Zombodze in Shiselweni to the centre of Swaziland at another kraal called Zombodze. Somhlolo who became king in 1815 consolidated the order of the Ngwane state by incorporating the ''Emakhandzambili'' clans into his kingdom adding to the ''Bemdzabuko'' or ''true Swazi''. Somhlolo was a strategic leader between 1815 and 1839 a period including the Mfecane period of Shaka Zulu a Zulu illegitimate child of Senzangakhona who created his kingdom from the
Mtetwa polity established by Dingiswayo. Sobhuza used his diplomatic skills to avoid conflict with Shaka by allying with him when it suited him. As a
result, Swaziland was left unaffected by the Mfecane wars. Somhlolo was succeeded in 1839 by his son [[Mswati II]] who is known as the greatest of the Swazi fighting kings.

Mswati inherited an area which extended as far as present-day [[Barberton, Mpumalanga|Barberton]] in the north and included the Nomahasha district in the Portuguese territory of Mozambique.<ref name="Beemer2012" /> Mswati continued to expand Swazi territory and the clans added to the
nation were considered ''Emafikamuva''. During his reign, the territory of Swaziland was expanded northward and his capital was at Hhohho in the northern part of Swaziland. Mswati improved the military organisation of the regiments in Swaziland. His regiment was Inyatsi and he danced the sacred [[incwala]] at Hhohho instead of the common Ezulwini valley as his predecessors. Mswati was a powerful king who attacked other African tribes to acquire cattle and captives. Within Swaziland, his force was used to limit the power of the ''Emakhandzambili'' chiefs. Mswati made land grants in 1855 to the Lydenburg Republic though the wording of the sale is vague. The Boers at the time were fairly weak and could not act upon the land concession. Mswati continued to fight with other African tribes across the land and beyond in areas such as [[Zoutpansberg]] and [[Ohrigstad]].<ref name="Gillis1999" /> His death in 1865 brought about an end to the conquest by the Swazi kings. Mswati was succeeded by [[Ludvonga]], however, he died in his youth and as a result [[Mbandzeni]] was chosen by the Swazis National Council instead, and King Mbandzeni appointed Chief Manzini Mbokane as one of his leading tribal advisors. Chief Manzini Mbokane was a father of Ntengu Mbokane, and Chief Mbokane was the leader of the King's Advisory Council, which was later called Liqoqo.<ref name="Gillis1999" />