Gagoangwe (c. 1845 – 1924) was the Acting (Regent) King, the Queen Mother [1] or Mohumagadi of the Mmanaana Kgatla and BaNgwaketse in what is now Botswana. [2] Gagoangwe was a member of the Kwena family and a devout Christian [3] and regent for her grandson, Bathoen II.
Early life
Gagoangwe was the daughter of Sechele I, [2] kgosi or king of the BaKwena. Sechele I was converted to Christianity during the late 1840s through the work of David Livingstone; converting the entire BaKwena tribe, including Gagoangwe. [4] When she was young, she gouged out the eye of a servant. Her father allowed the servant to put out one of her eyes in return, in accordance to the biblical Old Testament principle " an eye for an eye". Thereafter, she was known as the "one-eyed Queen". [5]
Marriage and children
Gagoangwe married her first husband, kgosi Pilane. In 1875, she eloped with Bathoen I who was heir to the leadership of the BaNgwaketse. [6] In 1890, Bathoen I and Gagoangwe remarried in a Christian marriage ceremony, legitimizing their marriage in the eyes of the Christian church. [7] She was a devout Christian and impacted Bathoen I's support of the London Missionary Society. [6] In 1910, Bathoen I died and Gagoangwe's older son, Seepapitso III, became king. He was later killed by his own brother, Moepapitso, in 1916. [6] Following this, Gagoangwe had her murderous son, Moepapitso, killed, and obtained control of the regency in 1923. [6] She is reported to have said that "since one of her breasts [sons] had been cut off, let the other be cut off too". [8]
Reign
In 1923, Gagoangwe became the Acting King as regent for Bathoen II. [2] She took her place as regent to preserve bogosi for her grandson. She reigned over BaNgwaketse, territory of a subgroup of the Tswana people in what is now Botswana during a crucial time for this territory. The territory was in the midst of a fight for independence against the Boers and the colonial British Empire. [2]
Gagoangwe continued the development projects of Seepapitso III, and secured the regency for her daughter Ntebogang Ratshosa before her own death.
References
- ^ McDonagh, Eileen L. (2009). The motherless state : women's political leadership and American democracy. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226514543. OCLC 938228232.
- ^ a b c d Morton, Fred; Ramsay, Jeff; Mgadla, Part Themba (23 April 2008). Historical dictionary of Botswana. Scarecrow Press. pp. 123–124. ISBN 9780810864047. Retrieved 10 March 2020 – via Google Books.
- ^ Sheldon, Kathleen E. (2016). Historical dictionary of women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442262928. OCLC 952050712.
- ^ Volz, Stephen C. (2010). Them who kill the body : Christian ideals and political realities in the interior of Southern Africa during the 1850s. OCLC 775890092.
- ^ Volz, Stephen C. (2010). Them who kill the body : Christian ideals and political realities in the interior of Southern Africa during the 1850s. OCLC 775890092.
- ^ a b c d Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; Professor Emmanuel Akyeampong; Mr. Steven J. Niven (2 February 2012). Dictionary of African Biography. OUP USA. pp. 407–. ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.
- ^ Edwin Lloyd (1895). Three Great African Chiefs (Khâmé, Sebelé and Bathoeng). T. F. Unwin. pp. 165–.
-
^
Women writing Africa : the southern region. Daymond, M. J. (Margaret J.) (First ed.). New York. 2003. pp.
187.
ISBN
1-55861-406-0.
OCLC
50235100.
{{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( link) CS1 maint: others ( link)
Gagoangwe (c. 1845 – 1924) was the Acting (Regent) King, the Queen Mother [1] or Mohumagadi of the Mmanaana Kgatla and BaNgwaketse in what is now Botswana. [2] Gagoangwe was a member of the Kwena family and a devout Christian [3] and regent for her grandson, Bathoen II.
Early life
Gagoangwe was the daughter of Sechele I, [2] kgosi or king of the BaKwena. Sechele I was converted to Christianity during the late 1840s through the work of David Livingstone; converting the entire BaKwena tribe, including Gagoangwe. [4] When she was young, she gouged out the eye of a servant. Her father allowed the servant to put out one of her eyes in return, in accordance to the biblical Old Testament principle " an eye for an eye". Thereafter, she was known as the "one-eyed Queen". [5]
Marriage and children
Gagoangwe married her first husband, kgosi Pilane. In 1875, she eloped with Bathoen I who was heir to the leadership of the BaNgwaketse. [6] In 1890, Bathoen I and Gagoangwe remarried in a Christian marriage ceremony, legitimizing their marriage in the eyes of the Christian church. [7] She was a devout Christian and impacted Bathoen I's support of the London Missionary Society. [6] In 1910, Bathoen I died and Gagoangwe's older son, Seepapitso III, became king. He was later killed by his own brother, Moepapitso, in 1916. [6] Following this, Gagoangwe had her murderous son, Moepapitso, killed, and obtained control of the regency in 1923. [6] She is reported to have said that "since one of her breasts [sons] had been cut off, let the other be cut off too". [8]
Reign
In 1923, Gagoangwe became the Acting King as regent for Bathoen II. [2] She took her place as regent to preserve bogosi for her grandson. She reigned over BaNgwaketse, territory of a subgroup of the Tswana people in what is now Botswana during a crucial time for this territory. The territory was in the midst of a fight for independence against the Boers and the colonial British Empire. [2]
Gagoangwe continued the development projects of Seepapitso III, and secured the regency for her daughter Ntebogang Ratshosa before her own death.
References
- ^ McDonagh, Eileen L. (2009). The motherless state : women's political leadership and American democracy. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226514543. OCLC 938228232.
- ^ a b c d Morton, Fred; Ramsay, Jeff; Mgadla, Part Themba (23 April 2008). Historical dictionary of Botswana. Scarecrow Press. pp. 123–124. ISBN 9780810864047. Retrieved 10 March 2020 – via Google Books.
- ^ Sheldon, Kathleen E. (2016). Historical dictionary of women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442262928. OCLC 952050712.
- ^ Volz, Stephen C. (2010). Them who kill the body : Christian ideals and political realities in the interior of Southern Africa during the 1850s. OCLC 775890092.
- ^ Volz, Stephen C. (2010). Them who kill the body : Christian ideals and political realities in the interior of Southern Africa during the 1850s. OCLC 775890092.
- ^ a b c d Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; Professor Emmanuel Akyeampong; Mr. Steven J. Niven (2 February 2012). Dictionary of African Biography. OUP USA. pp. 407–. ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5.
- ^ Edwin Lloyd (1895). Three Great African Chiefs (Khâmé, Sebelé and Bathoeng). T. F. Unwin. pp. 165–.
-
^
Women writing Africa : the southern region. Daymond, M. J. (Margaret J.) (First ed.). New York. 2003. pp.
187.
ISBN
1-55861-406-0.
OCLC
50235100.
{{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( link) CS1 maint: others ( link)