medal, British South Africa Company Medal (Matabeleland 1893), medals, Military, Britain, Colonial Forces, British South Africa Company Medal (Matabeleland 1893)

Artist: Birmingham, mint; Date(s): 1894; Classification(s): medal, British South Africa Company Medal (Matabeleland 1893), medals, Military, Britain, Colonial Forces, British South Africa Company Medal (Matabeleland 1893); Acquisition: loan by Cambridge in America, 2005 [LW.0202] Description: The British South Africa Company was established by Cecil Rhodes in an attempt to match the successes of the British East India Company from the base of the British Cape Colony (now South Africa) into the briefly-Portuguese territories to the north, an area soon known as Rhodesia. The Company, given a royal charter in 1889, recruited its own forces and from 1890 onwards significant engagements resulted in the award of this medal to those troops. One of their opponents was Lobengula Kumalo, King of the Matabele, a Zulu people who had established a separate nation in the early nineteenth century. This nation became one of the BSAC's target territories and fear of the imminent colonisation led to attacks on Company territories in Bechuanaland (in the Cape Colony, now South Africa) in 1893. The attacks were met with Maxim guns and slaughter by the far better-equipped Company troops, although this did not prevent the Matabele from rising again in 1896. The bar on this medal, which was awarded to Trooper M. E. Burns of the Bechuanaland Border Police, indicates participation in the 1893 campaign. Lester Watson purchased the medal at some point before 1928.

Collection

Fitzwilliam Museum

Inventory Number

2532319

Title

medal, British South Africa Company Medal (Matabeleland 1893), medals, Military, Britain, Colonial Forces, British South Africa Company Medal (Matabeleland 1893)

Object Type

Text

Measurements

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