Cape Town’s inability to control the territory led to its return to crown control in 1884 as the Territory of Basutoland. The colony was bound by the Orange River Colony, Natal Colony, and Cape Colony. It was divided into seven administrative districts: Berea, Leribe, Maseru, Mohale’s Hoek, Mafeteng, Qacha’s Nek and Quthing. The colony was ruled by the British Resident Commissioner, who worked through the pitso (national assembly) of hereditary…

Main article: Free State–Basotho Wars In 1818, Moshoeshoe I  consolidated various Basotho groupings and became their king. During Moshoeshoe’s reign (1823–1870), a series of wars (1856–68) were fought with the Boers who had settled in traditional Basotho lands. These wars resulted in the extensive loss of land, now known as the “Lost Territory”. A treaty was signed with the Boers…