Eswatini – from a Nguni kingdom to Africa's last absolute monarchy
The land of today's Eswatini has been inhabited since very early times, with evidence of Stone Age settlement and later of farming communities. The Swazi nation itself traces its origins to Nguni-speaking clans who moved into the region in the 18th century under the Dlamini royal lineage.
In the early 19th century King Sobhuza I consolidated the kingdom amid the upheavals of the period, and his son Mswati II, from whom the Swazi people take their name, expanded it and made it one of the strongest states in the region. In the late 19th century the kingdom came under growing pressure from Boer and British interests, as the king granted many land and mineral concessions. After the South African War the territory came under British administration, although the monarchy and traditional institutions continued to exist.
Swaziland regained its independence on 6 September 1968 under King Sobhuza II, one of the longest-reigning monarchs in recorded history. In 1973 he suspended the constitution and banned political parties, strengthening the power of the monarchy. His son Mswati III became king in 1986. A new constitution was introduced in 2005, and in 2018 the country officially changed its name to Eswatini. Pro-democracy protests in 2021 highlighted ongoing debates about the country's political future.
Today Eswatini is shaped by its royal traditions, ceremonies such as the Umhlanga reed dance and a strong sense of Swazi identity.
Do you have a story, a memory or an old photo from Eswatini? Share it with the community in the Local History section!