Sobhuza II of Swaziland

Infobox_Monarch | name =Sobhuza II
title =Paramount Chief of Swaziland (1899-1968)
King of Swaziland (1968-1982)


caption =
reign =December 10, 1899 - August 21, 1982
coronation =December 22, 1921
predecessor =Ngwane V
Queen Labotsibeni Mdluli (Queen Regent 1899-1921)
successor =Mswati III
suc-type =
heir =
consort =70 wives
issue =210 children
royal house =House of Dlamini
royal anthem =
father =Paramount Chief Ngwane V
mother =Queen Lomawa Ndwandwe
date of birth =birth date|1899|07|22
place of birth = Zombodze, Swaziland
date of death =death date and age|1982|08|21|1899|07|22
place of death = Mbabane, Swaziland
buried =|

Ngwenyama Sobhuza II (July 22, 1899 – August 21, 1982) was the Paramount Chief and later King of Swaziland. He was the son of Ngwane V.

Biography

Sobhuza succeeded Ngwane V as Paramount Chief of Swaziland on December 10, 1899, when he was only a few months old. His grandmother, Labotsibeni Mdluli, acted as regent until December 22, 1921. His nominal reign of 82 years, 9 months is the longest precisely dated monarchical reign on record and the longest documented reign of any monarch since antiquity. Only Pepi II Neferkare of Ancient Egypt and Taejo of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo are claimed to have reigned longer.

Sobhuza's personal reign of over 60 years (1921-82) saw Swaziland's independence from Great Britain in 1968, after which he was styled King of Swaziland. When the kingdom became independent, it was hoped that the existing tribal government could be modified into a constitutional monarchy. This existed for some time, until April 12, 1973, when he repealed the constitution and dissolved parliament, making himself absolute ruler.

King Sobhuza continued the tribal practice of keeping many wives. According to the Swaziland National Trust Commission, "King Sobhuza II married 70 wives, and had 210 children between 1920 and 1970. About 180 children survived infancy, and ninety seven sons and daughters are alive as of July 2000.When he died he had over 1000 grandchildren. [http://www.sntc.org.sz/cultural/swaziculture1.html]

He died in 1982 and was succeeded by his young son Mswati III, after a period of regency by Queen Dzeliwe and Queen Ntombi.

ee also

* Politics of Swaziland
* [http://www.sntc.org.sz/cultural/sobhuza.html History of His Majesty, King Sobuza II]
* [http://www.google.co.za/images?as_q=neville+lewis+portrait&svnum=10&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=king+sobhuza+II&as_oq=&as_eq=&imgsz=&as_filetype=&imgc=&as_sitesearch=&safe=images King Sobhuza II] portrait of Sobhuza II of Swaziland by South African artist Neville Lewis