PEOPLE | 1853 - 1902

Cecil John Rhodes was a British businessman, mining magnate, and politician in southern Africa, who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896.

A central figure in British imperial expansion, particularly in the region that later bore his name, Rhodesia, his life was marked by immense ambition, wealth accumulation, and the pursuit of a vision for a vast British dominion across Africa.

Early Life and Move to Africa 

Born on 5 July 1853, in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, Rhodes was one of twelve children of Reverend Francis Rhodes and Louisa Rhodes. Described as a "slender delicate looking boy possessing a retiring nature and a high proud Spirit," he was a moody loner and a dreamer.

His father's criticisms of his dreams taught him to consider questions from every possible viewpoint. After falling ill with weak lungs, doctors recommended a warmer climate. In 1870, at the age of 17, Rhodes departed for Africa to join his brother Herbert in the cotton trade.

He arrived in Durban on 1 September 1870, and quickly took to the work of cultivating cotton in the Umgazi Valley, becoming proficient at handling African workers, whom he found "easy to get them to work". During this period, he read classic books and formed a friendship with Henry Caesar Hawkins, sharing a determination to gain entry to Oxford University.

Diamond Fortunes and the Kimberly Mines 

In 1871, an astonishing diamond find on the De Beers Brothers' farm, known as "New Rush" (later the Kimberly mine), drew Rhodes away from cotton farming. He immersed himself in the diamond industry, overseeing three claims valued at approximately £5,000. Despite suffering his first heart attack from overwork, his health improved after a break, and he acquired a 3,000-acre farm. His partnership with Charles Rudd, a "steady and sure" individual, formed a synergistic force. Rhodes was described as having "ideas enthusiasm drive and persistence".

In 1877, Rhodes returned to Oxford, where he gained intellectual stimulus that shaped his worldview. He lost much of his religious faith...

... reasoning that the highest ideal was a "social Trinity" of Justice, Liberty, and Peace, best promoted globally by the English race.

This formed his life's mission: Pax Britannica.

He was greatly inspired by John Ruskin's call for England to establish colonies with its "most energetic and worthier Men". In 1877, he joined the Masonic Order, viewing it as a means for networking rather than a devotion to its "ridiculous and absurd rites". He believed his life's purpose was to "render myself useful to my country".

Rhodes's enterprise expanded significantly, especially after restrictions on Kimberly claims were abandoned, paving the way for Capitalists. He consolidated his holdings, forming the De Beers Mining Company in 1880.

He faced formidable competition from Barney Barnato, a "tricky Jew," but through strategic acquisitions, including a loan facilitated by ,Lord Rothschild Rhodes's company ultimately controlled the entire Kimberly mine. This consolidation led to significant workforce redundancies, causing resentment, but Rhodes envisioned absorbing this unemployment in new northern territories.

Rhodes's vision for expansion was clearly articulated in his 1877 will, which detailed a secret society dedicated to the "extension of British rule throughout the world," including the "occupation by British Settlers of the entire continent of Africa," the "ultimate recovery of the United States of America as an integral part of the British Empire," and the "foundation of so great a power as to Hereafter render Wars impossible and promote the best interest of humanity".

His 1888 will further outlined this, entrusting his fortune to Lord Rothschild to establish a "society of the elect" for the Empire's good, mimicking the Jesuits but for the "English Empire".

Political Career in the Cape Colony 

Rhodes began his political career by winning the Barkly seat in the Cape Assembly, becoming a director of several mining and transport companies and earning approximately £50,000 annually.

He made influential friends and advocated for Britain to take over Basutoland. He supported the "closed compound system" in the diamond mines, a prison-like enclosure for African workers involving invasive body searches and castor oil to prevent diamond theft, which he justified as a great necessity despite its obnoxious nature.

His focus remained on imperial expansion, aiming to paint "all of Africa red" on the map. He contended that the English were the finest race in the world, and that the more territory they inhabited, the better it is for the human race.

He considered Bechuanaland (modern-day Botswana) the "Suez Canal and the key to road to the interior" for British expansion. As Deputy Commissioner of Bechuanaland, he secured Stellaland and dealt with Boer incursions, which led to President Kruger's remark that "that young man will cause me trouble".

In 1890, Rhodes became Prime Minister of the Cape Colony. He used his influence to prioritise railway construction in the north, essential for his imperial designs, stating, "the railway is my right hand and the telegraph my voice".

His premiership saw the purchase and restoration of Groote Schuur, his residence on the outskirts of Cape Town, which became a show places of the Cape. During a triumphant visit to England in 1891, he was hailed as a hero and dined with Queen Victoria, to whom he declared, "I am doing my best to enlarge your Majesty's dominions".

His relationships with women were notably distant, leading to speculation about his "asexual" nature, though he had a repressed liking for youthful looking young men...

Rhodes's political tenure included controversial policies, such as support for the "strop bill" to allow corporal punishment of black labourers, reflecting his view that natives should be "treated as a subject people as long as they continue in a state of barbarism".

He also sought to reform the Cape's voting policy, increasing property qualifications which disenfranchised thousands of Blacks while increasing White voters. His first ministry ended due to the Logan Scandal, a controversial railway catering contract, though he later won a strong mandate in the 1894 election.

Imperial Expansion: Rhodesia and Beyond 

Rhodes's primary focus was the expansion of British influence northwards. The British South Africa Company (BSAC), founded in 1889 under a Royal Charter, was granted free reign to the north with no fixed boundary.

This allowed him to pursue mining concessions from King Lobengula of the Matabele, securing a gigantic concession for mineral rights. Dr. Jameson, a close associate, played a key role in manipulating Lobengula, even rewriting a letter from Queen Victoria calculated to please a Savage Monarch and tearing up the official communication.

In 1890, Rhodes dispatched the Pioneer Column to occupy Mashonaland, a territory claimed by Lobengula. The column, consisting of influential families' sons and skilled workers, successfully established Fort Salisbury on 12 September 1890, annexing the country and raising the Union Jack. The territory, initially called Mashonaland, was eventually renamed Rhodesia in his honour.

The company's presence in Mashonaland led to conflict with the Matabele. Despite Dr. Jameson's initial attempts at maintaining peace, constant Matabele raids into Mashonaland, where they slaughtered and enslaved the local Mashona, made war inevitable.

In the First Matabele War (1893), a British force decisively defeated Lobengula's 20,000 warriors, primarily through the use of Maxim guns. Rhodes sanctioned the war, citing biblical justification, and personally agreed to fund expenses by selling BSAC shares. Lobengula fled north and died shortly after the conflict. After the war, Rhodes ensured European settlement in the former Matabele capital, Bulawayo, with natives shunned into outlying badly watered lands.

The Jameson Raid and the Second Matabele War 

Rhodes became embroiled in the Jameson Raid (1895), a plot to overthrow President Kruger's government in the Transvaal, fuelled by discontent among Outlanders (non-Boer Europeans) over political restrictions. Rhodes, who initially believed Kruger would "Bluff up to the Cannon's mouth," supported the raid, providing weapons and backing. However, the raid was a disastrous failure, leading to the capture of Jameson and his men and a diplomatic crisis. Rhodes publicly accepted responsibility, resigned as Prime Minister of the Cape, and faced an official inquiry in London. Despite incriminating evidence, he managed to "sail through the proceedings with relative ease," largely due to his strong public support, especially after Kaiser Wilhelm's congratulatory telegram to Kruger rallied British sentiment behind Rhodes.

The depletion of Rhodesia's police force due to the Jameson Raid contributed to the outbreak of the Second Matabele War (1896). This full-scale rebellion by the Matabele, exacerbated by their loss of land and cattle (including those seized from Lobengula and decimated by rinderpest disease), saw horrific atrocities committed against White settlers, including women and children.

Rhodes, struck by violent blood lust, ordered his forces to "kill all you can" as a lesson. He arrived in besieged Bulawayo, boosting morale, and believed Rhodesia would be the "Abode of a White race". Despite the brutality, Rhodes eventually sought peace, initiating negotiations with Matabele indunas in the Matopo Hills. He met with rebel leaders, acknowledging their grievances and promising new settlements and the disbandment of the hated native police, ultimately securing a cheap peace. It was during these negotiations that he stumbled upon a hill, which he named "World's View," and declared, "I shall be buried here".

Later Life and Death 

In his final years, Rhodes continued to pursue his ambitions. He negotiated the extension of his transcontinental telegraph line to connect with Egypt and secured agreements for its passage through German East Africa, even meeting Kaiser Wilhelm II.

His last will and testament (1899) reflected his enduring vision, bequeathing his Rhodesian estates to the Rhodesians and establishing the Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University. These scholarships were designed to select individuals with strong academic, athletic, and leadership qualities, aiming to form a "mostly Anglo-Saxon Colonial Elite".

His last years were also marked by declining health and the scandal involving Princess Catherine Radziwill, who falsely claimed intimacy with him and attempted blackmail and forgery, leading to legal action by Rhodes. During the Boer War (1899-1902), Rhodes was besieged in Kimberly, where he actively contributed to the town's defence and maintained morale, despite often flouting military orders.

Cecil Rhodes died on 26 March 1902, at the age of 48. His last coherent words were reportedly, "so little done so much to do". His body was transported on a five-day journey to Bulawayo, with crowds gathering at stations along the route to pay homage. He was buried at World's View in the Matopo Hills, with over 2,500 Matabele gathering to give him the Royal salute, an unprecedented honour for a White man.

His legacy as a monumental figure in British imperial history, though complex and controversial, remains etched in the historical landscape of southern Africa.