Person

Makhanda (prophet)

d. 1820 · 19th century · Also known as Nxele, Makana

Makhanda, also called Nxele, was a Xhosa prophet and war leader. In the Fifth Frontier War he led an assault by some 10,000 Xhosa on the British garrison at Grahamstown on 22 April 1819, which was repulsed. He surrendered and was imprisoned on Robben Island, and drowned in 1820 while escaping. The city of Grahamstown was renamed Makhanda in his honour in 2018.

Makhanda (prophet)
Image: Thembani Onceya · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Makhanda (prophet). In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/makhanda-prophet
MLA
“Makhanda (prophet).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/makhanda-prophet. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Makhanda (prophet).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/makhanda-prophet.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Makhanda (prophet)’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/makhanda-prophet (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻