List of Xhosa kings

The Xhosa are a nation from southern Africa. Xhosa, the one after whom the Xhosa people are named, fathered Malangana. The Xhosa kingship separated when the line got to Phalo because of what happened when he married.

Xhosa family tree

Ntu begot Mnguni,
Mnguni begot Xhosa,
Xhosa begot Malangana,
Malangana begot Nkosiyamntu,
Nkosiyamntu begot Tshawe (Xhosa royal clan is named after him)
Tshawe begot Ngcwangu,
Ngcwangu begot Sikhomo,
Sikhomo begot Togu,
Togu begot Ngconde,
Ngconde begot Tshiwo,
Tshiwo begot Phalo,
Phalo begot Gcaleka & Rharhabe.

It was during Phalo's rule that the Xhosa nation got divided into two Houses (The Great House & The Right hand House). When Phalo had to marry a wife that would produce an heir to the throne, two royal brides (One from Amampondo people & the other from AbaThembu people) arrived on the same day. This caused a dilemma for the Xhosa King as it meant that if he chose either of them, the father of the unpicked bride would be offended and possibly the relations would be strained between the two tribes from such an offence.

Xhosa elders and all the known wise men who knew the Xhosa laws & customs across Xhosa land were summoned to Komkhulu (The great place - in the present day town of Butterworth) to solve this problem. It has been said in the Xhosa oral history that, it was one old man by the name of Majeke who came with a solution to that problem. His solution was: "What is greater than the head of the king, and what is stronger than his right hand? Let the one be the head wife and the other the wife of the right hand". And that way, the problem was solved.

Phalo produced two known sons: Gcaleka and Rharhabe. Gcaleka would later become the leader of the AmaGcaleka (Great House) sub group and Rharhabe became the leader of the AmaRharhabe (Right hand House) sub group. Prior the arrival of the Europeans, the Xhosa territory stretched from Mbhashe River to Gamtoos River in the Southern Cape. King Gcaleka was the AmaGcaleka Xhosa, with jurisdiction from Mbhashe river to Kei river, and King Rharhabe as King of AmaRharhabe Xhosa beyond the Kei River and extended beyond the Fish River.

Great House: Amagcaleka

Gcaleka begot Khawuta,
Khawuta begot Hintsa (The most renowned & respected King in Xhosa history - Aa! Zanzolo!),
Hintsa begot Sarhili,
Sarhili begot Sigcawu,
Sigcawu begot Gwebinkumbi
Gwebinkumbi begot Zwelidumile,
Zwelidumile begot Xolilizwe,
Xolilizwe begot Zwelonke (Currently under the regency of Chief Dumehleli Nongudle Mapasa - Aa! Dumehleli! following Zwelonke's death).

Right Hand House: amaRharhabe

Rharhabe begot Mlawu
Mlawu begot Ngqika (Aa! Lwaganda!),
Ngqika begot Sandile (Aa! Mgolombane!) & Maqoma (The Most brave chief in Xhosa land, - Aa! Jongumsobomvu!),
Sandile begot Gonya,
Gonya begot Faku (Not to be confused with the Amampondo King)
Faku begot Velile
Velile begot Mxolisi (Aa! Bazindlovu!)
Mxolisi begot Maxhob’ayakhawuleza (Aa! Zanesizwe!)
Maxhob’ayakhawuleza begot Jonguxolo
Jonguxolo (The current king).