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Please read Elizabeth Eldredge's article, "Sources of Conflict in Southern Africa, c.1800-30: the 'Mfecane' Reconsidred " Also your depiction of Shaka and the Zulu as the main catalyst is a bit outdated.
Hello everyone. As per the discussion above, I'd like to propose the following as a (draft) replacement for the current (outdated) lede. I left the sources in parentheses here, but of course they'd be properly formatted in the article itself. I'm looking forwards to your input:
"The Mfecane is a historical period of heightened military conflict and migration associated with state formation and expansion in Southern Africa. The exact range of dates that comprise the Mfecane varries between sources. At its broadest the period lasted from the late eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century CE, but scholarship often focuses on an intensive period from the 1810s to the 1840s (Epprecht 83). The concept first emerged in the 1830s and centered on the actions of Shaka Zulu, who was alleged to have waged near-genocidal wars that depopulated the land and sparked a chain reaction of violence as fleeing groups sought to conquer new lands (Epprecht 144, Wright 286). Since the later half of the 20th century this interpretation has fallen out of favor due to a lack of compelling historical evidence (Epprecht 115, Wright 287). Current scholarly understanding revises the mortality figure significantly downward and attributes the root causes to complex political, economic, and environmental developments (Epprecht, Omer-Cooper, Saunders, Eldredge).
The Mfecane is significant in that it saw the formation of novel states, institutions, and ethnic identities in Eastern Southern Africa. The historiography of the Mfecane is also historically significant, with different versions having been employed to serve a range of political purposes since its inception as a historical concept (Epprecht 114, Wright 286, Etherington 68)." Pliny the Elderberry (talk) 07:03, 29 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Hello everyone. I am currently working on a full rewrite of the article based on more recent and reliable sources and wanted to check in concerning the organization of the rewrite. The main issue is whether to organize the article in chronological order (trying to list all events that could be described as part of the Mfecane) or by region (Natal, Highveld, etc.). The first option of doing everything chronologically is more narratively pleasing, but because a lot of different things were happening in different places at the same time, it might lead to the article jumping confusingly between places and events that don't necessarily have much to do with each other. A simple list of major events year by year is a second option (with the benefit of being clear to understand and much easier to write), but may be too much of a simplification. A third option would be to focus on specific regions (ex. Mfecane in the Highveld) where we could put together sort of sensical, chronological narrative. What do you all think would be the best way forward? Pliny the Elderberry (talk) 02:33, 1 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I think doing it chronologically but having subheadings for regions, so you do periods with two == heading, and regions as === headings Alexanderkowal (talk) 21:05, 30 May 2024 (UTC)[reply]
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