Major Xhosa-speaking Nations or Groups
Not all Xhosa speaking people belong to the amaXhosa nation whose rulership descends from amaTshawe (the Gcaleka and Rharhabe rulerships. The amaXhosa nation are the descendants of the line of Tshiwo to Phalo who begot Gcaleka and Rharhabe. Some people make the mistake of saying all Xhosa speakers are Umzi kaPhalo. The House of Phalo split into the amaGcaleka and amaRharhabe and the kingdom is presently being fought over between these two Xhosa houses. The issue of a Xhosa kingdom remains unresolved.
These nations or groups include:
- AmaBhaca (descended from Madzikane, chief of the amaNgwane, killed during the invasion of Thembuland in 1828)
- AmaGqunukhwebe
- AmaMfengu (amaHlubi, amaBhele, amaZizi, amaNgwane, etc.)
- AmaMpondo (Pondoland; their kingdom is in dispute, like that of the amaXhosa)
- AmaMpondomise (their kingdom was destroyed by British colonists in revenge for the killing of magistrate Christopher Hope by Mhlontlo's forces during the Anti-Colonial Revolt of 1880. The revolt was led by Mhlontlo of the amaMpondomise together with Gecelo of the amaGcina, Dalasile and Stokwe of the amaQwathi and Squngathi of the abaThembu).
- AmaQwathi (Qwathiland)
- AbaThembu (their kingdom is in dispute between the Matanzima and Dalindyebo descendants).
- AmaVundle
- AmaXesibe (Xesibeland
- AmaXhosa (Xhosaland; the kingdom is in dispute between amaGcaleka and amaRharhabe)
The AmaMpondo have their separate lineage that is traceable from Sibiside to Dlemini to Njanya, to Mpondo and Mpondomise (twins) and Xesibe. The descendants of Mpondo are Santsabe, Sukude, Msiza, Ncindise, Cabe, Gangata, Bhala, Chithwayo, Khonjwayo, Ngcoya, Hlamandana, Tahle, Nyawuza and many others. The descendants of Xesibe are Ntozabantu to Ndzuza to Miyana to Bimbi to Nondzaba who begot Hlabe to Mthetho to Mtshutshumbe who founded the amaQwathi nation. Mtshutshumbe begot Mndwana begot Ncobe begot Nkovane begot Ntswayibana begot Dikela. The amaMpondo, amaMpondomise, amaXesibe and amaQwathi nations are related but the amaQwathi settled in Thembuland more than 350 years ago and as a result Qwathi chiefdom is more Thembu in culture and political association.
Read more about this topic: Xhosa Clan Names
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