Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966. Though the Basotho (then known as Basuto) and their territory had been under British control starting in 1868 (and ruled by Cape Colony from 1871), the Cape Colony was unpopular and unable to control the territory. As a result, Basutoland was brought under direct authority of Queen Victoria, via the High Commissioner, and run by an Executive Council presided over by a series of British Resident Commissioners.
It was divided into seven administrative districts: Berea, Leribe, Maseru, Mohale’s Hoek, Mafeteng, Qacha’s Nek and Quthing.
Basutoland gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966 and was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Articles
- Big Blue 1840-1940: Basutoland – Closer look at stamps
- Philatelic Database: The Postage Stamps of Basutoland (Part 1)
