Griqualand East

Griqualand East Nieuw Griqualand Griekwaland-Oos
1862–1879
Griqua Flag† Emblem
Motto: Pro Rege Lege et Grege Latin: For King, Law and the People
Seal:
Location of Griqualand East within the Cape Colony
Status	British Colony (1874–1879)
Capital	Kokstad
Common languages	Dutch(written) proto-Afrikaans(spoken) Xhosa
Government	Republic?
President?
• 1862–1875	Adam Kok III
Legislature	Raad/Volksraad (12 members)
History
•  Annexation of Philippolis Expulsion to Nomansland	1860 1862 (1863?)
• Laager	1862
• Move from Mt.Currie	1869
• Kokstad founded	1872
• Annexation	1874 ~ 1879
• Adam Kok's death	1875
Area
Estimate‡[1]	20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi)
Population
• Griqua[2]	1,100
• Xhosa* (Mpondo)	30,000
Currency	Tokens
Succeeded by Cape Colony
† The Griqua flag is a vertically flipped version of the "Vierkleur" used by the South African Republic. A single source dates its origin to 1903; whether or not independent Griqualand East actually deployed it is uncertain.[3] ‡ Maximum extend given, defined as unclaimed/un-annexed by other established governments. Total area was in flux throughout history. Source for given figure under References (below). * +Zulu refugees from earlier Shaka war

Historical states in present-day South Africa
before 1600 Kingdom of Mapungubwe (1050–1270) Kingdom of Mutapa (1430–1760)
1600–1700 Dutch Cape Colony (1652–1795)
1700–1800 Mthethwa Paramountcy (c.1780–1817) Ndwandwe (c.1780–1817) Republic of Swellendam (1795) Republic of Graaff-Reinet (1795–1796) Cape Colony (1795–1802)
1800–1850 Dutch Cape Colony (1802–1806) Cape Colony (1806–1910) Waterboer's Land (1813–1871) Zulu Kingdom (1818–1897) Adam Kok's Land (1825–1861) Winburg (1836–1844) Potchefstroom (1837–1848) Natalia Republic (1839–1843)
1850–1875 South African Republic (1852–1902) Orange Free State (1854–1902) Republic of Utrecht (1854–1858) Lydenburg Republic (1856–1860) Griqualand East (1861–1879) Griqualand West (1870–1880) Diggers' Republic (1870–1871)
1875–1900 Stellaland (1882–1885) Goshen (1882–1883) Nieuw Republiek (1884–1888) Klein Vrystaat (1886–1891)
1900–present Cape Colony (1806–1910) Union of South Africa (1910–1961) Transkei (1976–1994) Bophuthatswana (1977–1994) Venda (1979–1994) Ciskei (1981–1994) Republic of South Africa (1961–present)
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Griqualand East (Afrikaans: Griekwaland-Oos), officially known as New Griqualand (Dutch: Nieuw Griqualand), was one of four short-lived Griqua states in Southern Africa from the early 1860s until the late 1870s and was located between the Umzimkulu and Kinira Rivers, south of the Sotho Kingdom.^[1]

Griqualand East's capital, Kokstad, was the final place of settlement for a people who had migrated several times on their journey from the Cape of Good Hope and over the mountains of present-day Lesotho.

The territory was occupied by the British Empire and became a colony in 1874, shortly before the death of its founder and only leader, Adam Kok III. A short while later, the small territory was incorporated into the neighbouring Cape Colony. Though for a long time overshadowed in history by the story of the Voortrekkers, the trek of the Griquas has been described as "one of the great epics of the 19th century."^[4]