Outside Influence

South Africa has a checkered past with many outside influences that have often exchanged leadership with one another. Many European countries have occupied this country, and often times, it has been at the expense and suffering of the indigenous people. Sadly, the Western world often only saw South Africa as a stepping stone to the East. It was an excellent place for seafarers to resupply on journeys east.

            While there is a lack of archaeological and oral history, it is very likely that the Chinese had ancient contacts with South Africa. Certainly more new evidence is appearing to support this assertion, but more is needed to substantiate these claims. With this being said, we can feel quite certain that China did have early contacts with South Africa. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1376), trade routes were set up for accesses to Africa which included South Africa. We know this because Zhu Siben of the Yuan Dynasty had created maps that included South Africa. [1]  These maps are believed to have been influenced by previous explorations of the region; unfortunately, this cannot be substantiated as many records of Chinese exploration are partial or have been lost entirely. 

 "Ryukoku Kangnido: Europe & Africa"
http://cartographic-images.net/Cartographic_Images/236_Kangnido.html

In the 15^th century, the Portuguese began opening trade routes through Africa in order to get to Asia. This gave them frequent contact with the South Africans, which ultimately resulted in Africa being opened up to Europe and colonialism.[2]

"Circle of Joachim Patinir." WikiMedia.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portuguese_Carracks_off_a_Rocky_Coast.jpg

            By the 1600’s South Africa was primed for colonialism and the Dutch East Indies Company was ready to set up shop.[3] South Africa was the perfect place for the Dutch to provision passing ships. Colonies would soon follow. With the colonies came oppression and slavery as the demands of the colonists increased. Somewhat fortunate for the South Africans, most slaves were imported from East Africa, and the Dutch kept minimal supervision on the pastoralists in the region. However, as the colonies continued to grow into the 1700’s, their demands grew, and thus, their drain on the land.“As they intruded further upon the land and water sources, and stepped up their demands for livestock and labour, more and more of the indigenous inhabitants were dispossessed and incorporated into the colonial economy as servants.”[4]  This early colonialism resulted in war and the spread of foreign disease among the South African population. However, under Dutch rule, South Africa remained a relatively closed area.

Joseph Mudler. "The Shipyard of the Dutch East India Company in Amsterdam."  WikiMedia. 06 September 2008.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company#/media/File:Voc.jpg

            The proceeding years would see the colonial leadership change between the Dutch and the British. In the 1790’s the British occupied South Africa because it was a strategic stronghold against the French. By the 1800’s the British would have control of South African territories. “The closed and regulated economic system of the Dutch period was swept away as the Cape Colony was integrated into the dynamic international trading empire of industrialising Britain.”[5] With this being said, “Like the Dutch before them, the British were primarily interested in the Cape as a ‘stepping stone’ on the route to their expanding interests in India and the East.”[6]

Walter Crane. "Imperial Federation, Map of the World Showing the Extent of the British Empire in 1886." WikiMedia. 24 July 1886. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire

Much of the colonial period was negative. Even as the British worked to end slavery, they still took the side of the colonist in most matters. Furthermore, they brought in more Westerners who would be given more landholding in the region. One positive is that missionaries were able to enter the region and evangelize the South Africans. For better or worse, this was done under the pretense that westernizing the South African people would be the most effective way of converting them.

I believe that outside influences likely predate anything we have found archaeologically.  While there is not empirical evidence to confirm my belief, I do not believe it is a far-out estimation, especially in light of the evidences we have of later contacts.

Bibliography

New Africa. “China’s Long History in Africa.” New Africa Magazine, 11 March 2015.

http://newafricanmagazine.com/chinas-long-history-africa/ (accessed June 16, 2016).

Reader, John. Africa: A Biography of the Continent. NY: Vintage Books, 1999.

South African Government. “History: The Earlier Colonial Period to British Colinial

Era,” South African Yearbook. http://www.gov.za/about-sa/history#early_colonial_period (accessed  June 16, 2016).

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[1]             New Africa, “China’s Long History in Africa,” New Africa Magazine, 11 March 2015, http://newafricanmagazine.com/chinas-long-history-africa/ (accessed June 16, 2016).

[2]             South African Government, “History: The Earlier Colonial Period to British Colinial Era,” South African Yearbook, http://www.gov.za/about-sa/history#early_colonial_period (accessed  June 16, 2016).

[3]             Ibid.

[4]             Ibid.

[5]             Ibid.

[6]             John Reader, Africa: A Biography of the Continent (NY: Vintage Books, 1999), 461.