History

Swaziland has a long history with some conflict and new beginnings. The small country is landlocked, surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique to the north.

Once upon a time, in the ancient land of Swaziland, hunters and gatherers called Bushman inhabited the land. They painted cave paintings that date back many centuries. In the middle of the 18th century, the Swazi people broke away from the main group of Bantu-speaking people who were migrating to Mozambique. In the beginning of the 19th century, the Swazi people became a distinct ethnic group. They got their name from their first king, Mswati II.


In 1750, the Swazi people settled in Zululand. There was huge conflict with the Zulu people. The Zulu's were rapidly growing in strength, so the Swazi's moved gradually northward in the 1800's and established the modern day land of Swaziland. The Swazi’s ruler, Mswati II, went north and made a contract with the British in the 1840’s. The British then succeeded in improving relations between the Swazis and the Zulus. At this same time, Europeans settled in Swaziland. In 1890, a provisional government was established. This means that it was a temporary government, so it would soon be replaced. From 1894-1899, the Transvaal government took the protection and administration of Swaziland. Transvaal is a province in the Northeast Republic of South Africa. They also speak Bantu.


After the South African, Boer, War from 1899-1902, Swaziland gained independence. In 1963, it was declared by the British and Transvaal governments. The king then became the head of state. The original constitution was abolished in 1976, and a new constitution was adopted in 1978. The new constitution still said that the king ruled almost fully. In 1982, Swaziland and South Africa agreed to defend each other’s security interests. In 1992, severe drought put Swaziland in danger of famine. The country’s first elections were held in 1993. Elections were also held in 1998. The king still holds most of the power in Swaziland, and political parties are officially band, even though most operate illegally. A new constitution was then established in July of 2005. The king still had the ultimate power. In 2007, due to drought, there were severe crop losses.