Writing up my previously completed research for my second book on
the history of Lesotho has delayed the completion of this work for many
years. I nevertheless remain indeb ted to everyone who assisted me during
my yearlong sojourn in southern Africa from December 1993 through
November 1994.
This work would not have be en possible without the instruction,
advice, assistance, and encouragement of many people throughout my
career. When I began my doctoral work at Northwestern University,
I began my language and linguistic studies with Professor Jack Berry
and Professor Wandile Kuse. Dr. Kuse, who was at the University of
Illinois at Chicago, taught me isiXhosa intensively, which pr ovided me
with the essential linguistic basis for my later field research. I am grateful
for the advice and instruction I received at Northwestern University from
Professors John Rowe, Ivor Wilks, and Ibrahim Sundiata . My prepar-
ation was directed toward research in South Africa, but the cultural
boycott for foreigners that had been declared, similar to the sports boy-
cott that was so widely honored, precluded contacting and working with
South Africans who were in South Africa and conducting research in the
country. On the explicit personal advice of Dennis Brutus whom I met
while at Northwestern University, I honored the cultural boycott, and my
contact with scholars at South African universities began only many years
later after the cultural boycott was lifted in 1992 and I attended a
conference that year at the University of Durban-Westville.
For the remainder of my graduate studies, I moved to the University
of Wisconsin where I completed my doctoral dissertation in 1986 under
the invaluable direction of Jan Vans ina. While there, I continued my
language studies under the direction of Professor Daniel Kunene with
whom I completed advanced language study in isiXhosa, a cognate
language of isiZulu that allowed me to make the transition for my later
research. Because of my decision to reorient my doctoral research to
Lesotho, I also received intensive language instruction in SeSotho from
Dr. Kunene in preparation for my fieldwork. As I read S. M. Mqayi’s
Ityala Lamawele in the original isiXhosa and Thomas Mofolo ’s novels
Pitseng and Moeti oa Bochabela in the original SeSotho under his
instruction, I learned not only the nuances of language use but also the
idioms of culture expressed through the works of these early twentieth
century South African writers.
Finally, I would like to express special thanks to Ibrahim Sundiata,
Jan Vansina, Fred Morton, and Hunt Davis for their support and encour-
agement over the years. I am grateful to David N. Plank for his support
viii Preface
www.cambridge.org© in this web service Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press
978-1-107-07532-0 - The Creation of the Zulu Kingdom, 1815–1828: War,
Shaka, and the Consolidation of Power
Elizabeth A. Eldredge
Frontmatter
More information
