Editing History of Eswatini (section)

== Settlements and concessionaires (1868–1899) ==

[[File:SouthAfrica1885.jpg|thumb|right|Southern Africa in 1885.]]
[[File:Europe in Africa in the nineteenth century (1895) (14584071758).jpg|thumb|Southern Africa in 1895.]]
[[File:Original Map of South Africa, containing all south african colonies and native territories.jpg|thumb|right|Southern Africa territories]]

The autonomy of the [[Swazi people|Emaswati]] was influenced by British and Dutch rule of Southern Africa in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1881 the British government signed a convention recognising Swazi independence. However, in 1894, a convention placed Swaziland under the [[South African Republic]] as a protectorate.

Swazi contact with European peoples began when Dutch [[Trekboers]] reached the western hinterland of Swaziland in the 1840s.<ref name="Gillis1999" />
By 1845 about 300 Boer families had settled in Ohristad with more families in Lydenburg. Two deeds of sale dated 1846 and 1855 indicate the sale of Swazi territory to the [[Boer republics|Dutch republics]] for a sum of 170 cattle.<ref name="Gillis1999" /> These deeds at face value seemed to surrender the whole of the
Swazi territory to the Dutch.<ref name="Gillis1999" /> Following the death of King [[Mswati II]] in 1865, a period of regency followed with Queen Regent
[[Tsandzile Ndwandwe]] until 1875. The [[South African Republic]] in 1868 attempted to annex Swaziland by a proclamation.<ref name="ColOff1895" /> [[Mbandzeni]], following the death of his half brother, the crown prince [[Ludvonga]] in 1872, was chosen by inkhosikati LaMgadlela Khumalo as her adopted son and hence a crown prince.<ref name="Gillis1999" /> However threats existed from prince Mbilini who had married one of Ntengu Mbokane's daughters, and Mbandzeni's half brother and one of the sons of Mswati who was a pretender to the throne and allied with the Zulu
King [[Cetshwayo]]. However, he never became successful. The British prevented any attacks from Cetshwayo, who had been crowned by Sir [[Theophilus Shepstone]]<ref name="ColOff1895" /> in 1873. In addition, the Transvaal Boers wanted to assert their authority over Swaziland by supporting Mbandzeni. Indeed, in Mbandzeni's coronation Rudolf, the Resident Magistrate of Ladysmith and former landdrost of [[Utrecht, KwaZulu-Natal|Utrecht]] in the company of about 350 burghers and 70 wagons, attended the ceremony.<ref name="ColOff1895" /> During this period, Britain annexed the Transvaal (1877 to 1881). In 1879, the same year as the Zulu war, Mbandzeni aided the British who were now controlling the Transvaal to defeat [[Sekhukhune]] and to dismantle his kingdom.<ref name="ColOff1895" /> In return for his assistance, Swaziland's independence was to be guaranteed perpetually and Swaziland would be protected from Boer and Zulu encroachment.

In 1881 the [[Pretoria Convention]] established nominal British suzerainty over the re-established Transvaal State; article 24 guaranteed the independence of Swaziland, its boundary and Swazi people in their country as recognised by both Britain and the Transvaal.<ref name="ColOff1887" /> Under this convention, the Swazi territory was reduced in size, leaving Swazi people as residents of the Transvaal territory in present-day [[Mpumalanga]] province in South Africa.<ref name="ColOff1895" /> The [[London Convention (1884)|London Convention of 1884]]'s article XII continued to recognise Swaziland as an independent country with Mbandzeni as its King.<ref name="ColOff1895" /><ref name="ColOff1887" /> However, in the years between 1885 and 1889, as more concessions were granted, the population of
Europeans in Swaziland increased. Unease with some concessionaires led to Mbandzeni to request British intervention. In addition to this, Boer encroachments, especially in 1887, increased the intensity of these requests. The situation in the country continued to deteriorate as some raids, cattle rustling and stealing of children from Swazi villages by Boers continued.<ref name="ColOff1887" /> Britain refused intervention on the grounds that there was presence of European residents not of British extraction and concessions held at the time by the South African Republic in areas such as tax collection, postal services which should be in the control of a State government.<ref name="ColOff1895" />

On 18 December 1889 after [[Mbandzeni]]'s death, the Swazi Government, represented by the Queen Regent [[Tibati Nkambule]] and the Swazi Council made a proclamation appointing Sir [[Theophilus Shepstone]], Chief Ntengu Mbokane and two other officers representing the South African Republic and Britain and a provisional council to oversee administration of the country especially concession and affairs of European residents of the country.<ref name="ColOff1895" /> A concessions court was established to see which concessions were valid and which were dubious.<ref name="ColOff1895" />
The organic proclamation was followed by the London convention of 1894 which settled the matter over Swaziland.{{cn|date=April 2020}} The Swazi proclamation supporting this convention was resisted for a while since its proposal in 1893 and was signed by the Queen Regent and Swazi Council in December 1894.<ref name="ColOff1887" /> In this convention, the status of Swaziland, its people and the Kings were recognised as in the 1884 convention. However, for the administrative affairs of Swaziland it would be a protected state of the Transvaal republic with guarantees on the rights of Swazi people in their country and their system of governance. This administration, led by Krogh, went on until the [[Anglo Boer War]] started in 1899. Ngwane V who had been chosen as crown prince following Mbandzeni's death in 1889 was crowned in 1895 after the London Convention. In 1898 he was allegedly responsible for the death of his advisors Mbaba Nsibandze, Chief Mbokane and two of his aides. In response, he was charged with the crime and during this time he fled to British Zululand, returning on guaranteed for his safety.<ref name="ColOff1899" /> On his return he was charged with a lesser crime of public disturbance and was fined 500 pounds. In addition, his judicial powers were reduced. The following year, in October 1899, the [[Anglo Boer War]] began.<ref name="Gillis1999" /> This led to the discontinuity of Transvaal administration of Swaziland's affairs. [[Ingwenyama]] Ngwane V, however, ruled until December of that year, when he died while dancing the sacred [[incwala]].