chiefdom · Central and Southern Africa
Batawana Chiefdom
Origins
Around 1795 Tawana, a son of the Bangwato chief, broke away after a succession dispute and led his followers north-west. They eventually settled near Lake Ngami at the edge of the Okavango delta, where they established authority over the BaYei, Hambukushu and other local peoples.
Rule and society
Batawana chiefs ruled from towns near Lake Ngami, drawing tribute in labour and goods from subject peoples. Ngamiland was rich in ivory and ostrich feathers, and the chiefdom traded with Cape and Griqua hunters and merchants. David Livingstone reached Lake Ngami in 1849 during the reign of Letsholathebe I.
Decline and legacy
Ngamiland was brought into the Bechuanaland Protectorate in the 1880s and 1890s, and the chiefdom continued under colonial rule. In 1915 the Batawana capital moved to Maun, which grew into the main town of north-western Botswana.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Batawana Chiefdom was part of Bechuanaland Protectorate1885 CE – 1966 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Batawana Chiefdom. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/batawana-chiefdom
- MLA
- “Batawana Chiefdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/batawana-chiefdom. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Batawana Chiefdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/batawana-chiefdom.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Batawana Chiefdom’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/batawana-chiefdom (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻