protectorate · Central and Southern Africa
Swaziland Protectorate
Origins
The South African Republic had administered Swaziland from 1894. After the Second Boer War, Britain took over in 1903 and placed it under the High Commissioner for South Africa, with Mbabane as the administrative centre.
Rule and society
In 1907 a partition of land left only about a third for Swazi use, the rest going to concession holders and settlers. The queen regent Labotsibeni led opposition until Sobhuza II came of age in 1921; he petitioned the Privy Council and later bought back land through a national fund. Mining of asbestos and iron and forestry grew after the Second World War.
Decline and legacy
Swaziland became independent on 6 September 1968 with Sobhuza II as king, part of the continuity of the Swazi Kingdom. He abolished the constitution in 1973, and the country was renamed Eswatini in 2018.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Swazi Kingdom was part of Swaziland Protectorate1903 CE – 1968 CE
- Swaziland Protectorate was a protectorate of British Empire1903 CE – 1968 CE
- Swaziland Protectorate was part of Transvaal Colony1903 CE – 1906 CE
More states of Central and Southern Africa →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Swaziland Protectorate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/swaziland-protectorate
- MLA
- “Swaziland Protectorate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/swaziland-protectorate. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Swaziland Protectorate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/swaziland-protectorate.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Swaziland Protectorate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/swaziland-protectorate (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻