| Amraal Lambert | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| was achief of theHerero people inSouth-West Africa | |||||
| Born | (c. 1774 Clanwilliam | ||||
| Died | 13 February 1864 Gobabis | ||||
| |||||
Amraal Lambert,Nama name:ǂGaiǀnub, (ca. 1774 – 13 February 1864) was the firstCaptain of the Kaiǀkhauan (Khauas Nama), a subtribe of theOrlam, in the eastern area ofNamaland, today'sNamibia.[1]
Amraal Lambert was born around 1774 nearHex River in theClanwilliam district in theCape Colony (today'sSouth Africa). A CapeKhoikhoi descendant, his status was little better than that of a slave, and he was forced to work inWorcester andCape Town in his youth.[2] In 1814 Lambert moved toNamaland (today's eastern-central Namibia), accompanied bymissionaryHeinrich Schmelen, who baptised him inBethanie in 1815. Schmelen and the Kaiǀkhauan group led by Lambert stayed together for 14 more years[1] but Schmelen closed the missionary station in Bethanie in 1822 and travelled on. Lambert accompanied Schmelen on his travel toWalvis Bay in 1825.[2]
Between 1830 and 1860, Amraal Lambert and his cousinJonker Afrikaner controlled much of southern and centralSouth-West Africa. Together they have been described as "super-power[s] in the cattle raiding business".[3] From 1825 onwards Jonker Afrikaner and his council played a dominant political role inDamaraland and Namaland, creating ade facto state.[4]
In 1840 Lambert and his people moved to Naosanabis (todayLeonardville) where they allied withǁOaseb, leader of the Khaiǁkhaun (Red Nation). In 1855[1] or 1856 they abandoned Naosanabis and moved to ǂKoabes. Amraal, who spoke onlyAfrikaans, could not pronounce theNama name for this settlement, and changed it to its now common nameGobabis.[5]
In the 1860s the Kaiǀkhauan were severely weakened in their political and economic power. Their cattle died of lung disease, andsmallpox befell the Nama community at Gobabis.[3] Many members of the Lambert family succumbed to the disease, among them Amraal who died on 13 February 1864 in Gobabis. His grandsonAndreas Lambert succeeded him as Captain of the Kaiǀkhauan at the age of 20.[1]
Captains of theOrlam | ||
|---|---|---|
| Orlam Afrikaner ǀAixaǀaen |
|  |
| Berseba Orlam ǀHaiǀkhauan |
1of the faction supportingSWAPO;2of the faction supportingDTA;3leader of the reunified group; | |
| Bethanie Orlam ǃAman |
4of the faction supporting theGerman Empire;5of the faction opposing German Empire;; | |
| Khauas Nama Kaiǀkhauan |
| |
| Witbooi Orlam ǀKhowesin |
6acting | |