Political and Social Institutions (1) Flashcards
How did Pre Colonial institutions in Xhosa society work?
They worked in cohesive harmony to produce and sustain the communities and lifestyles of the people who undertook to reside in it as a Xhosa.
Why did these institutions allow for integration?
So that the Xhosa people must not be understood as a purely biological grouping – but a heterogeneous one.
What did the Xhosa homestead look like?
Made up of “beehive-shaped dwellings” that were constructed from clay, dung, long grass and branches.
What was in the middle of the homesteads?
Homesteads lay around a cattle-enclosure. The space of the cattle enclosure was a great distance from the actual dwellings.
What was space in between the cattle enclosures and homesteads used for?
The in-between space was used for the social and formal activities of the family.
Where would cultivated agriculture be located?
Between the homestead and whatever water channel lay nearby, would be gardens of cultivated agriculture.
Who was the homestead head and who did he reside with?
The homestead head was the senior male of the lineage of the family and he resided with his wife, unmarried children and maybe some relatives.
What dictated the interactions, status, and roles of the family in the homestead?
Dictated by kinship, which in turn governed acceptable and unacceptable norms of behavior.
How was the division of labor?
Division of labor was subject to gender and age, but the extent of this division is unknown. Men were relegated to the upkeep of the cattle and building. Women were relegated to the maintenance of the home, preparation of meals and cultivation of the garden.
What did each homestead lay in?
A district.
The structure of the district in which the homestead lay, can be seen much like an _____ of the homestead.
Extension
Who was the homestead leader subject?
Every head of the home was subject to a Chief in his district.
Who were the chiefs?
All Chiefs were guided by councilors and they were entrusted by the people to maintain their well-being, to see them through difficult periods and act as an arbitrator to conflicts brought to him.
Who governed each district?
Every district was governed by a Chief who was in effect part of a royal lineage that made up the network of the Xhosa Kingdom.
Who governed the Xhosa Kingdom?
The Xhosa Kingdom governed by the King, who was regarded as the closest in the lineage of the direct descendants of Tshwane.
