1818–1819
Fifth Frontier War and the attack on Grahamstown
A struggle between Ngqika and Ndlambe's allied Xhosa forces widened when British officials backed Ngqika, intervened militarily and demanded cattle, culminating in Makhanda's April 1819 attack on Grahamstown.
The war began within a struggle for authority among Xhosa leaders. British officials treated Ngqika as paramount over other chiefs and regarded support for him as a means of stabilising the frontier. Ndlambe and his allies rejected Ngqika's claimed authority. After they defeated Ngqika at Amalinde in 1818, colonial troops intervened on his side and demanded cattle from his opponents.
Makhanda (Nxele), a religious and political leader associated with Ndlambe, mobilised a large force against Grahamstown on 22 April 1819. The town was the principal British military base on the frontier as well as a civilian settlement. The garrison repelled the attack with firearms and artillery.
British forces then advanced into Xhosa territory. The settlement imposed after the war created a depopulated buffer zone between the Fish and Keiskamma rivers, extending colonial control rather than resolving the underlying disputes over land, cattle and political authority.
Significance
The war shows how a Xhosa leadership struggle, British alliance commitments and frontier security concerns combined to produce a wider conflict and a new territorial buffer zone.
Why it matters
The war shows how a Xhosa leadership struggle, British alliance commitments and frontier security concerns combined to produce a wider conflict and a new territorial buffer zone.
Perspective notes
British officials said they were supporting Ngqika and securing the frontier; Ndlambe's allies rejected Ngqika's claimed authority. The Grahamstown assault should be connected to that dispute while recognising the threat it posed to soldiers and civilians.