Person

Moshoeshoe I

c. 1786–1870 · 19th century · Also known as Moshesh

Moshoeshoe I was the founder of the Basotho nation and of the kingdom that became Lesotho. From his stronghold of Thaba Bosiu he gathered refugees from the wars of the 1820s and used diplomacy, missionaries and guns to defend his lands against rivals, the British and the Orange Free State. In 1868 he obtained British protection, which saved the core of his kingdom.

Moshoeshoe I
Image: Natal Archives anon. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 6 state histories

Batlokwa ChiefdomBasotho KingdomThaba NchuOrange River SovereigntyBasutolandKingdom of Lesotho

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Moshoeshoe I. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/moshoeshoe-i
MLA
“Moshoeshoe I.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/moshoeshoe-i. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Moshoeshoe I.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/moshoeshoe-i.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Moshoeshoe I’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/moshoeshoe-i (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻