Jonker Africans

Jonker Afrikaner , actually ǀHara-mûb or ǀHôa-ǀaramab (* 1790 in Tulbagh , Cape Colony ; † August 18, 1861 in Okahandja ) was a tribal leader of the 19th century in what is now Namibia . He was a captain of the Orlam - Africans ( ǃGû-ǃgôun or Nauba-xu gye ǀki-khoen ).

biography

Jonker Afrikaner was the youngest son of the African captain Jager Afrikaner ( ǀHôaǀarab ). When he died at his tribal seat in Warmbad (South West Africa) in 1823, the dispute over the Kaptein succession led to a tribal division. One part of the Africans stayed in Warmbad, while the other part followed Jonker Afrikaner, who followed in the tradition of his father.

In the period that followed, the Africans, led by Jonker, carried out a large number of raids against any tribe that came within their reach. Thanks to the fact that they were armed with firearms, these raids were consistently successful and attracted a considerable number of people. This, in turn, the power and the glory of Jonker Afrikaner increased so much that he of games, the female Kaptein of the "Red Nation" ( Kaiǁkhaun Nama ) in Hoachanas was asked to advancing in the fight against the south, numerically far superior Herero to support. Jonker Afrikaner complied with this request and succeeded in inflicting severe defeats on the Herero and pushing them back to about the heights of Windhoek.

In 1840 Jonker Afrikaner finally settled in Windhoek and established his tribal seat here - in the immediate vicinity of his main opponents, the Herero in Okahandja . Through skillful negotiations, but also through the participation of the Herero in his robbery successes, Jonker Afrikaner reached a peace treaty in 1842 with the two most important Herero chiefs Tjamuaha and Kahitjene. To consolidate this conclusion of the contract, it was agreed that the two Herero chiefs would relocate to Windhoek and the son of Tjamuaha, Maharero , together with Jonker Afrikaner's nephew (or son?) Of about the same age, Jan Jonker Afrikaner ( ǀHaramumab ), in Windhoek grew up and both were eventually appointed sub-chiefs under the orders of Jonker Afrikaner. This youth spent together established a firm friendship between Maharero and Jan Jonker Afrikaner that endured the feuds of the two tribes (although after Jonker's death Maharero was ultimately responsible for the downfall of the Africans).

Due to the not always voluntary influx of Nama and Damara tribes and the arrival of the Africans who remained on the Orange River , Windhoek (this name was first recorded in 1844) became the undisputed power center of what was then Southwest Africa with around 30,000 inhabitants (1843). Nevertheless, the power struggles between Africans and Herero did not stop, which was partly due to the tense relationship between the two Herero chiefs and partly due to the increasing number of traders in Windhoek: the traders provided the Africans with plenty of alcohol and weapons could be paid for with cattle. Since their own cattle were soon no longer available in sufficient numbers, the Herero cattle herds - especially the "Eastern Herero" (Mbanderu) and the rich chief Kahitjene - were stolen. The mutual hostilities culminated in a devastating attack by the Africans on the Herero in 1850 - the so-called "Carnage of Okahandja". More raids followed; The Herero, however, were unable to defend themselves effectively against the attacks by the Africans and the Tjamuaha- and Maherero-Herero allies because of their own quarrels.

The Jonker Afrikaner's successes aroused the envy and distrust of those who had once engaged him in the fight against the Herero - the "Red Nation" in Hoachanas. Their new Oberkaptein Oasib ( ǃNa-khomab ) tried in several attempts to curb the supremacy of the Africans. However, this failed him thoroughly, so that Oasib finally felt compelled to conclude the peace of Hoachanas on January 9, 1858. This peace marks the climax of the power of the Jonker Afrikaner and the Africans he led: the Herero had ceased to exist - unless they were allied with Jonker Afrikaner or were able to flee to the Kaokoveld . The Nama and the other Orlam tribes allied with them recognized the territorial rulership of the Jonker Afrikaner over the Hereroland, that is, over the entire north of Southwest Africa, and had also submitted to the Jonker Afrikaner ruling with regard to any disputes in the south of the country .

Grave of Jonker Afrikaner in Okahandja

After another successful raid - this time against the Ovambo in north southwest Africa - Jonker Afrikaner returned seriously ill to Windhoek and settled with his Herero chief friend Tjamuaha in Okahandja, who was also ill. Jonker Afrikaner died on August 18, 1861 after he had appointed his eldest son Christian Afrikaner ( ǀHaragab ) as his successor. A short time later, Tjamuaha also died, and Christian Jonker's brother Jan Jonker Afrikaner was his successor. The severe smallpox epidemic from 1855 to 1860 is one of the reasons for the subsequent decline of Africans.

The grave of Jonker Afrikaner is in Okahandja.

Remarks

↑ Note: This article contains characters from the alphabet of the Khoisan languages spoken in southern Africa . The display contains characters of the click letters ǀ , ǁ , ǂ and ǃ . For more information on the pronunciation of long or nasal vowels or certain clicks , see e.g. B. under Khoekhoegowab .

literature

Walter Moritz, Franz Heinrich Kleinschmidt: Jonker Afrikaner and Missionary Kleinschmidt between Rehoboth and Otjimbingwe , From Old Days in Southwest, Volume 18, Werther 2006, ISBN 9991668241 .
Brigitte Lau: Namibia in Jonker Afrikaner's Time , Windhoek Archives Publication, Windhoek 1987, ISBN 0-86976-214-1 .

Web links

Further information and portrait ( memento of April 26, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (English, private website)
Image of the earlier grave of Jonker Afrikaner (private website)

Individual evidence

↑ after Carl Hugo Hahn : Diaries 1837-1860 a . Heinrich Vedder: Diary 1850 ; in: Gondwana History Vol. 1, article: "Mordkuppe" recalls a bloody battle ; Page 79 ff
↑ Heinrich Vedder : The old South West Africa: South West Africa's history up to the death of Maharero in 1890 . Berlin: Warneck, 1934, p. 369
^ Andreas Vogt : National monuments in Namibia. An inventory of the proclaimed national monuments in the Republic of Namibia . Gamsberg Macmillan, Windhoek 2006, pp. 64-66.

predecessor	Office	successor
Hunter African	Kaptein der Afrikaner ( Kapsteine der Nama )	Christian Africans

personal data
SURNAME	Africans, Jonker
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	ǀHara-mûb (Nama); ǀHôa-ǀaramab (Nama)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Captain of the ǃGû-ǃgôun
DATE OF BIRTH	1790
PLACE OF BIRTH	Tulbagh , Cape Colony
DATE OF DEATH	August 18, 1861
Place of death	Okahandja near Windhoek

[Khivorlage-1] Note: This article contains characters from the alphabet of the Khoisan languages spoken in southern Africa . The display contains characters of the click letters ǀ , ǁ , ǂ and ǃ . For more information on the pronunciation of long or nasal vowels or certain clicks , see e.g. B. under Khoekhoegowab .

[2] ter Carl Hugo Hahn : Diaries 1837-1860 a . Heinrich Vedder: Diary 1850 ; in: Gondwana History Vol. 1, article: "Mordkuppe" recalls a bloody battle ; Page 79 ff

[3] Heinrich Vedder : The old South West Africa: South West Africa's history up to the death of Maharero in 1890 . Berlin: Warneck, 1934, p. 369

[4] Andreas Vogt : National monuments in Namibia. An inventory of the proclaimed national monuments in the Republic of Namibia . Gamsberg Macmillan, Windhoek 2006, pp. 64-66.