Tswana

Depiction of a congregation of Tswana people with David Livingstone, by the London Missionary Society, circa 1900
Regions with significant populations
Botswana 1, 400, 000 [1]  South Africa 3, 900, 000 (Tswana-speakers) [2]
Languages
Tswana language
Religion
Christianity and African traditional religion.
Related ethnic groups
Other Bantu peoples of South Africa

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Tswana (Tswana: Motswana, plural Batswana) is the name of a Southern African people. The Tswana language belongs to the Bantu group of the Niger-Congo languages. Ethnic Tswana make up a majority of the population of Botswana, however, the term "Batswana" is sometimes used simply to mean citizens of Botswana, and can include Khoisan people, Whites and Coloureds.

In the nineteenth century, a common spelling and pronunciation of Batswana was Bechuana. Europeans therefore referred to the area inhabited by the Tswana as Bechuanaland. In the Tswana language, however, Botswana is the correct name for the place of Tswana.

[edit] Dynasties and tribes

[edit] Botswana

The modern republic of Botswana (formerly the British protectorate Bechuanaland) is thus named for the Tswana people. All the country's eight 'major' clans speak Tswana. All have a traditional Paramount Chief, styled Kgosikgolo, who is entitled to a seat in the House of chiefs. The Tswana dynasties are all related, and some have known splits into two or three competing lines.

The principal Tswana clans are the:

• Bakgatla
• Bakwena
• Balete
• Bamangwato
• Bangwaketse
• Barolong
• Batawana
• Batlôkwa
• Batswapong
• Bakgalakgadi

[edit] South Africa

The largest number of ethnic Tswana people actually live in South Africa. They are one of the larger black minorities, and the Tswana language is one of the eleven official languages nationwide. Until 1994, South African Tswana people were notionally citizens of Bophuthatswana, one of the few bantustans that actually became reality as planned by the Apartheid regime.

The Chiefs of the following Tswana polities are all styled Kgosi (less lofty then Kgosikgolo):

• Batlhaping (The fish people, Taung area), split before 1800 into
  • Batlhaping Bagaphuduhudu
  • Batlhaping Bagaphuduhutswane (further split in four, later five, dynastic lines).
  • Batlhaping Ba Ga Maidi
  • Batlhaping Ba Ga Mothibi

• Batlôkwa (the wild-cat people)
  • Batlôkwa Ba Ga Sedumedi
  • Batlokwa Ba Bogatsu
  • Batlokwa Boo Matlapane

• Barôlông Barratlou, split into
  • Barôlông Barratlou Boomariba (further split in two dynastic lines)
  • Barôlông Barratlou Booseitshiro
  • Barôlông Barratlou Boomakgobi
  • Barôlông Boo Ratlou Ba Ga Phoi
• Barôlông Baseleka
• Barôlông Barrapulana
• Barôlông Barratshidi
• Barôlông Ba Ga Molefe Ba Moata
• Barôlông Ba Ga Makgobi
• Barôlông Boo Lefifi
• Barôlông Ba Ga Moroka (Putaditjaba, Free-State, SA)

• Bahurutshe (split before 1800 into two nameless ruling lines, the second of which split again into Bahurutshe ba Boomokgatlha and Bahurutshe Bagamoilwa, and later further split). The name may historically have been written Bahhurutshe.
• Bahurutshe Ba Ga Mothogae
• Bahurutshe Ba Ga Gopane
• Bahurutshe Ba Ga Le-Ncoe
• Bahurutshe Ba Ga Mokgoswa
• Bahurutshe Ba Ga Suping

• Bakgatla , spilt into
  • Bagatla ba Kgafela
  • Bakgatla ba Mosetlha
  • Bakgatla ba Mmakau
  • Bakgatla ba Motsha
  • Bakgatla ba Seabe
  • Bakgatla ba Mocheche

• Bakwena (crocodile people)
  • Bakwena Ba Ga Molopyane
  • Bakwena Ba Mare A Phogole
  • Bakwena Ba Magopa
  • Bakwena Boo Modimosana Ba Ga Mmatau
  • Bakwena Ba Morare (Madikwe)

• Batlharo split into: (Kuruman, SA)
  • Batlharo Ba Ga Lotlhware
  • Batlharo Ba Ga Masibi

• Bapo
• Bapo Ba Ga Mogale

• Baphalane Ba Ramokoka
• Baphalane Ba Mantserre

• Batlhako Boo Mututu Ba Ga Mabe

• Baphiring

• Bataung Ba Moubane
• Bataung Ba Hlalele

• Baphuting Ba Ga Nawa

• Batloung Ba Ga Shole

• Bakubung Ba Ratheo (Ledig/Patsima, Mankwe, North-West, SA)

• Bakubung ba ga Marakwana

• Ba Nare

• Barokologadi Ba Ga Maotwa (Pitsedisulejang, Madikwe, North-West, SA)

• Batlhalerwa

[edit] Elsewhere

In Namibia and Zimbabwe the Tswana do not constitute any significant polity.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Livestock

Tswana is also the name of some breeds of animal originating in Botswana.

Cattle 

Tswana (cattle)

Ass  

The Tswana donkey is used for draught power purposes.

[edit] References

1. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bc.html#People
2. ^ http://0-www.statssa.gov.za.innopac.up.ac.za/census01/html/CInBrief/CIB2001.pdf

• WorldStatesmen website on political and administrative entities, per present state