Royal anthem: God Save the Queen (1884–1901; 1952–1966) God Save the King (1901–1952)
Status
Crown Colony under partial local rule
Capital
Maseru
Languages
English (official)
Sesotho
Government
Constitutional monarchy
Resident Commissioner(a.k.a governor)
• 1884–1894
Marshal Clarke
• 1961–1966
Alexander Giles
Paramount Chief
• 1884–1891
Letsie I
• 1891–1905
Lerotholi Letsie I
• 1905–1913
Letsie II
• 1913–1939
Nathaniel Griffith Lerotholi
• 1939–1960
Simon Seeiso Griffith
• 1960–1966
Moshoeshoe II
History
• Established
18 March 1884
• Disestablished
4 October 1966
Area
• Total
30,355 km2 (11,720 sq mi)
Population
• 1875
128,206
• 1904
348,848[1]
Currency
pound sterling
rand (from 1961)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Cape Colony
Lesotho
Today part of
Lesotho
Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho, bordered with the Cape Colony, Natal Colony and Orange River Colony until 1910 and completely surrounded by South Africa from 1910. Though the Basotho (then known as Basuto) and their territory had been under British control starting in 1868 (and ruled by Cape Colony from 1871), the Cape Colony was unpopular and unable to control the territory. As a result, Basutoland was brought under direct authority of Queen Victoria, via the High Commissioner, and run by an Executive Council presided over by a series of British Resident Commissioners.
It was divided into seven administrative districts: Berea, Leribe, Maseru, Mohale's Hoek, Mafeteng, Qacha's Nek and Quthing.
Basutoland gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966 and was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho.
^Census of the British empire. 1901. London: HMSO. 1906. p. 160.
Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho, bordered with the Cape Colony, Natal Colony and Orange River...
of Basutoland was transferred to the Cape Colony in 1871. Moshoeshoe died on 11 March 1870, marking the beginning of the colonial era of Basutoland. In...
Jack served as the flag of Basutoland (1884–1966) Unofficial flag of Basutoland (1951–1966) Unofficial flag of Basutoland without circle (1951–1966) Flag...
This article list the monarchs (Marena) of Lesotho (also known as Basutoland until 1966). The succession to the throne of Lesotho is laid down in Chapter...
Seeiso Griffith (1905 – 26 December 1940) was the paramount chief of Basutoland from 23 June 1939 until his death. He was the father of king Moshoeshoe...
final war in 1867 with an appeal to Queen Victoria, who agreed to make Basutoland a British suzerainty. In 1869, the British signed a treaty at Aliwal with...
is a political party in Lesotho, founded in 1959 in colonial Basutoland as the Basutoland National Party by Leabua Jonathan. He was Prime Minister from...
The Basutoland Congress Party is a pan-Africanist and left-wing political party in Lesotho. The Basutoland African Congress (BAC) was founded in 1952 by...
The Basuto Gun War, also known as the Basutoland Rebellion, was a conflict between the Basuto and the British Cape Colony. It lasted from 13 September...
in local government in Basutoland from 1937 and was a member of delegations to London that sought self-government in Basutoland. Jonathan converted to...
College was replaced by the independent, non-denominational University of Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate, and Swaziland with its own charter granted...
Basutoland Ink is a Mosotho clothing company established in 2006. as a retailer in printed t-shirts and sportswear, and is one of the leading brand names...
shield has been retained from the arms of Basutoland, the predecessor to Lesotho. The colony of Basutoland was granted a coat of arms on 20 March 1951...
as Basutoland. Stamps of the Cape of Good Hope were used in Basutoland in 1880, then those of South Africa in 1910. The first stamps of Basutoland were...
Basotho Patriotic Party (BPP) Basutoland Total Liberation Congress (BTLC) Basutoland African Congress (BAC) Basutoland Congress Party (BCP) Communist...
in 1869, following the conclusion of the Free State–Basotho Wars when Basutoland became a British protectorate. Maseru is located at the edge of the "conquered...
British possessions in Southern Africa, latterly the protectorates of Basutoland (now Lesotho), the Bechuanaland Protectorate (now Botswana) and Swaziland...
Free State and Basutoland. The country lying to the north of the Orange River and west of the Caledon River, formerly a part of Basutoland, was ceded to...
compound was visited by various chiefs, he once met the Queen Regent of Basutoland. In late 1941, Jongintaba visited Johannesburg—there forgiving Mandela...
the 19th century, Moshoeshoe established the nation of the Basotho, in Basutoland. He was popularly known as Morena e Moholo/morena oa Basotho (Great King/King...
Perak (1875–76) Anglo-Zulu War (1879) Second Anglo-Afghan War (1879–80) Basutoland (1880–81) First Boer War (1880–81) Mahdist War (1881–99) Anglo-Egyptian...
with his congregation and went with his new bride, Salfina Rabodiba, to Basutoland in 1920 to join Edward Lion's utopian community under the auspices of...
to create within it a single unified state. In 1868, Britain annexed Basutoland in the Drakensberg Mountains, following an appeal from Moshoeshoe I, the...
Perak (1875–76) Anglo-Zulu War (1879) Second Anglo-Afghan War (1879–80) Basutoland (1880–81) First Boer War (1880–81) Mahdist War (1881–99) Anglo-Egyptian...
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