Rharhabe History, Isiduko & Umbongo

Iziduko zamaRharhabe
NTU, Mnguni, Xhosa, Malangana, Nkosiyamntu, Tshawe, Ngcwangu, Skhomo, Togu, Ngconde, Tshiwo, Phalo, Rharhabe, Mlawu, Ngqika, Maqoma, Sandile, Gonya, Faku, Velile, Mxolisi, Maxhob'ayakhawuleza, Jonguxolo.
Umlando wakwaRharhabe
The Xhosa royal blood line stretches from King Xhosa, all the way to King Phalo, who fathered Gcaleka of the Great House and Rharhabe of the Right Hand House.
Because King Phalo had already paid lobola for one bride from the Mpondo royal family and another from the Thembu royal family, both of his intended wives arrived on the same day for their weddings, and that is how amaXhosa came to be ruled by two royal houses.
I will now explain how the House of Rharhabe came to be known as the Right Hand House.
Xhosa custom dictates that son of the first wife, as declared on arrival, would be the heir to the throne.
The fact that a first wife could not be declared created a significant difficulty and public outcry; some referred to this as the ancestors' retribution. Given the equality of the two young princesses, King Phalo ran the risk of upsetting the father of the other by selecting one of them as the Great Wife.
An elderly wise man named Majeke provided the solution to this conundrum, he stated: "What is greater than the head of the king, and what is stronger than his right hand? Let the one be the head's wife and the other the wife of the right hand".
As a result, the Right Hand House, a second but independent house, was created. The princess of amaMpondo was selected as his Great Wife and the abaThembu princess became the Right Hand Wife.
King Phalo had two sons, Rharhabe from his Right Hand House and Gcaleka from his Great House.
Rharhabe was older for he was born in 1722 as opposed to Gcaleka in 1730. From an early age, Rharhabe showed bravery and intelligence, making him by far the best of Phalo's sons. This led to a lot of conflict between the siblings because Gcaleka worried that his brother, who was very popular, may someday try to usurp the throne. Conflict ensued when Gcaleka attempted to steal his father's throne after reaching manhood but he failed.
Rharhabe who had assisted his father against his brother's designs for the throne, decided to leave Phalo's Great Place with a group of followers and crossed the Kei River and settled at a village near present-day Stutterheim. This move had the blessing of Phalo, as he accompanied his son in his search for a new home.
Rharhabe came into contact with the KhoiKhoi people upon his arrival in these new areas and bargained with Queen Hoho, their regent, for the sale of territory between the Keiskamma and Buffalo rivers. Rharhabe also purchased the Amathole Woods and Hoho Hills between Middledrift and King William's Town.
As a result, the Xhosa monarchy was and continues to be split into the kingdoms of amaGcaleka and amaRharhabe.
Rharhabe's offspring from his Great Wife Nojoli kaNdungwana of the Thembu were his daughters Ntsusa kaRharhabe and Khinzela kaRharhabe, and his sons Ndlambe kaRharhabe, Nukwa kaRharhabe and his heir Mlawu kaRharhabe, the Great Son.
When his son Mlawu kaRharhabe passed away in 1782, he had two sons, Ngqika and Ntimbo, who were still newborns. AmaPhakathi, Mlawu's council members were put under Ndlambe, who served as the young Ngqika's regent.
When Rharhabe's daughter Ntsusa wed the Qwathi chief Mdandala, he sent Rharhabe a pitiful hundred head of cattle as lobola, or dowry. Rharhabe sent his right-hand son Cebo to Thembuland to request more cattle since he viewed this as a grave affront to someone of his status. As directed by Rharhabe, Cebo went to Mdandala's homestead to demand the animals, but the Qwathis attacked him and killed him.
King Rharhabe was so infuriated by these events that he immediately travelled to Thembuland to avenge the offence with the end of an assegai (spear). There was conflict, and Rharhabe dispersed the Thembus and took many of their livestock. Rharhabe, however, was gravely wounded and passed away at the skirmish at the Xuka River. The estimated date of this conflict is 1787.
King Rharhabe's grave is located in the Eastern Cape Province's Amathole District Municipality.
u Mbongo ka RHARHABE
by S.E.K Mqhayi.
Ntsinga ka Nomagwayi waseMbo,
Butsolo bentonga, zama-zam' ilizwe,
Siba lamdaka singe siya khona, mhla singayi,
Singe asiyi, mhla siyayo,
Sambatha zimfutshane, kanti zomlingana,
Kub'ezinkulu esithi zona zimfihl'amadolo,
Sahlungulu laphath' isqwayi,
Kanti liyazingca kweziny iintaka.
Ham-ham kaStsheketshe,
Nto yasekunene kuka Phalo!
Ezintsh'iimbongi zithi ngaye:
"Gabul' ukwena kaPhalo!
Gqush' ubobo nohlololwane,
Ngahod'laphum' esandleni,
Home kumahlath'oHono neNqweba,
Ngqang'enephiko yakomkhulu,
Eyahloml'i nxaxheba yemka nayo,
Yaya kwakh umz'wasekunene!
Ngal'ine ntsinga ezaphul' imixhaga,
Zide zabalek'ii ndlovu zay' eLundini,
Zinani na zingabuyi, sisik' imixhaga...