Masalanabo Modjadji
Encyclopedia
Masalanabo Modjadji II was the second Rain Queen
of the South African Balobedu
tribe. Masalanabo reigned from 1854 to 1894. She was preceded by Rain Queen Maselekwane Modjadji I and succeeded by Rain Queen Khetoane Modjadji III
.
During the native "location policies" of the early 1890s, Commandant-General
Piet Joubert (1834-1900) surrounded the Rain Queen's home until she was forced to give herself up. Historian Louis Changuion wrote that, 'It would be the first time that white people would see the Rain Queen.' However, what happened was not what they had expected. 'After four days,' Changuion continues, 'an old wrinkled black woman was carried out on a litter, accompanied by her chief indunas, to negotiate with the white people. It was a great disappointment to the men watching the proceedingsof "She-who-must-be-obeyed" there was no trace. She was not the white woman of the legends. It is told that Joubert presented her with a "kappie" (bonnet) and a blanket.'
According to the book Realm of a rain-queen, however, Joubert was shown not the real Rain Queen, but an impersonater.
Masalanabo Modjadji is said to be the inspiration for H. Rider Haggard's
novel, She: A History of Adventure
.
Because Masalanabo Modjadji was barren, the royal council designated the daughter of her "sister" and "great wife" Leakhali as heir to the throne. Masalanabo committed ritual suicide in 1894.
Rain Queen
The Modjadji or Rain Queen is the hereditary queen of Balobedu, a people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The succession to the position of Rain Queen is matrilineal, meaning that the Queen's eldest daughter is the heir, and that males are not entitled to inherit the throne at all...
of the South African Balobedu
Balobedu
Balobedu is an African tribe of the Northern Sotho group. They have their own kingdom, the Balobedu Kingdom, within the Limpopo Province of South Africa with a female ruler, the Rain Queen Modjadji. Their language is known as Selobedu, which is a "non-Pedi" dialect of Northern Sotho...
tribe. Masalanabo reigned from 1854 to 1894. She was preceded by Rain Queen Maselekwane Modjadji I and succeeded by Rain Queen Khetoane Modjadji III
Khetoane Modjadji
Khesetoane Modjadji III became the third Rain Queen from the South African Balobedu tribe of the South African Limpopo Province. Khesetoane reigned from 1895 to 1959. She was preceded by Rain Queen Masalanabo Modjadji and succeeded by Rain Queen Makoma Modjadji.In 1894 her predecessor, Masalanabo...
.
During the native "location policies" of the early 1890s, Commandant-General
Commandant-General
Commandant-General is a rank in several counties and is generally equivalent to that of Commandant.-Italy:Comandante generale , in Fascist Italy's MVSN, was the title of the head of the Blackshirts, held by Benito Mussolini from 1922 to 1943.Nowadays, is the title held by the commander of the...
Piet Joubert (1834-1900) surrounded the Rain Queen's home until she was forced to give herself up. Historian Louis Changuion wrote that, 'It would be the first time that white people would see the Rain Queen.' However, what happened was not what they had expected. 'After four days,' Changuion continues, 'an old wrinkled black woman was carried out on a litter, accompanied by her chief indunas, to negotiate with the white people. It was a great disappointment to the men watching the proceedingsof "She-who-must-be-obeyed" there was no trace. She was not the white woman of the legends. It is told that Joubert presented her with a "kappie" (bonnet) and a blanket.'
According to the book Realm of a rain-queen, however, Joubert was shown not the real Rain Queen, but an impersonater.
H. Rider Haggard
Sir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. He was also involved in agricultural reform around the British Empire...
novel, She: A History of Adventure
She (novel)
She, subtitled A History of Adventure, is a novel by Henry Rider Haggard, first serialized in The Graphic magazine from October 1886 to January 1887. She is one of the classics of imaginative literature, and with over 83 million copies sold in 44 different languages, one of the best-selling books...
.
Because Masalanabo Modjadji was barren, the royal council designated the daughter of her "sister" and "great wife" Leakhali as heir to the throne. Masalanabo committed ritual suicide in 1894.