Lesotho

Lesotho is a country in Southern Africa that gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. The country was occupied by Britain starting in the early nineteenth century as a means of protection from war violence and occupation. The country held a relationship with Britain and France because of its chief, Moshoeshoe, who was a skilled diplomat and politician. Moshoeshoe ushered in the era of the Sotho Kingdom, which lasted until a year prior to Moshoeshoe's death ("Lesotho"). The cross cultural influence between Lisotho and England caused a shift to Christianity in the country, as well as the English language and literature. Thomas Mofolo is one of the most notable modern Basotho authors, publishing adaptations of Basotho stories that were translated into English, allowing the world to become familiar with the culture ("Thomas Mokopu Mofolo"). Chaka, Mofolo's most popular novel, is a semi-historical telling of the major Basotho figure Chaka. As stated by Thomas Jeffery in his article about Mofolo, "is indeed a major landmark in the literary history of modern black Africa," (Jeffrey, 47). 

 

Jeffrey, Thomas. “A Hundred Years of Thomas Mofolo: A Tribute.” English in Africa. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23074933. 
 

"Lesotho". Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Lesotho. 

"Thomas Mokopu Mofolo". Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Mokopu-Mofolo. 

Parent Map

Map: Thiel College ENG 312 SP23

Coordinates

Latitude: -29.742537284914
Longitude: 28.246494350768

Timeline of Events Associated with Lesotho

Date Event Manage
circa. 1824 to circa. 1869

The Sotho Kingdom

The Sotho Kingdom was an African kingdom in the country of Lesotho (also known as Basutoland) was an English and Dutch occupied colony. The Sotho Kingdom was led by a chieftain named Moshoeshoe who agreed to British occupation as long as they provided the country with protection from warlords and Dutch colonizers who killed many chieftains to claim the tribes' land ("Lesotho"). The Sotho Kingdom worked in great cooperation with Britain and France to protect itself from the threat of war from neighboring territories ("Lesotho: Early British Proctorate"). 

The Sotho Kingdom caused many Basotho peoples to travel between Africa and England, as well as having permanent residency in England. The relationship between the two countries would impact the population of Besotho migrants in England, eventually leading to the influence of English and Christianity on the country ("Lesotho: Early British Proctorate"). This influence would lead to the writing of Chaka by Thomas Mofolo, one of the most recognizable authors from Lesotho. His work was translated from Southern Sotho to English and appealed to a greater audience because of it. 

 

"Lesotho." Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Lesotho/Cultural-life. 

"Lesotho: Early British Proctorate." African Democracy Encyclopedia Project, https://www.eisa.org/wep/lesoverview3.