In die 1750s het ‘n kleurling man genaamd Adam Kok (ca1710-ca1795), skynbaar ‘n bevryde slaaf, weidingsregte ontvang in die Piketberg distrik. Volgelinge vanuit die meer weerlose plaaslike groepe was vinnig aangetrokke tot Kok. Die groep het bestaan uit die oorblywende Khoi stamme asook die Basters, afstammelinge van wit pa’s en Khoi ma’s. Hoewel die groep besonders divers was – sommige het Siri, ‘n Khoi taal gepraat – het die leiers meestal Nederlands of Afrikaans gepraat. Die Kok gemeenskap was so groot dat Adam Kok (bekend as Adam Kok I) offisieel as Kaptein erken is deur is VOC owerhede.

Piketberg 1857

Wit uitbreiding forseer die groep stelselmatig dieper binneland toe.  Eers trek hulle tot in Namakwaland, en later tot in die Transgariep. Die sendelinge van die Londense Sendinggenootskap (LMS) vestig hulself in 1801 by Klaarwater. John Campbell, ‘n lid van die LMS, oortuig die Kok-groep in 1813 om hul naam te verander, en hul staan voortaan bekend as die “Griekwas” ter nagedagtenis van hul Khoi (Chaguriqua) oorsprong. Klaarwater word hernoem na Griekwastad.

                                                                                       The Griqua Captaincy of Phillipolis had no flag or national emblem. The lion shown here, obviously a block from a local printer,                                                                                               was used at the head of printed land  grant forms issued by the Captaincy of Kokstad as early as 1867, and clearly seems to have been intended as an emblem.

Die LMS vestig ook ‘n sendingstasie vir die Boesmans by Philippolis in die Transgariep in 1822. ‘n Groep Griekwas en ander stamme word oorreed om Adam Kok II te erken as hul leier. In ruil vir hul ondersteuning het hulle offisiële toestemming ontvang om hulself te vestig in die Transgariep en terselfdertyd die sendingstasie by Philippolis teen Korana stropers te beskerm. Dus word die Philippolis Kapteinskap die middelpunt van Griekwa gesag. Die grense was die Oranjerivier na die suide terwyl die westelike grens ongeveer die moderne grenslyn tussen die Vrystaat en die Noord-Kaap was. Die oostelike grens was naby hedendaagse Bethulie terwyl die Rietrivier naby Reddersburg die grens na die noorde was.

Map showing the main places referred to in the text of the volume
Map showing the unleasable area of the Philippolis Captaincy (shaded), as laid down in the Treaty of 1846

Vanaf 1825 word wit boere van die Kaap kolonie deur die koloniale owerhede toegelaat om die noordelike grens oor te steek om tydelike weiding oorkant die Oranjerivier te soek. Die wit boere begin egter gou die Griekwa owerhede se gesag te ondermyn. Die situasie word vererger deur ‘n groot getal Griekwa boere wat bereid was om hul plase aan die wit boere te verkoop. Verskeie verdrae word met die Kaap kolonie gesluit in 1837, onder Abraham Kok en in 1838, onder Adam Kok III. Die verdrae verskaf ‘n mate van beskerming aan die Griekwas teen die wit koloniale burgers in hul gebied.

Adam Kok III  (1848)

In 1842 het vyandighede tussen die Boere en Griekwas vlam gevat toe Adam Kok probeer het om, volgens die verdrag, ‘n Boer wat in sy gebied gebly het, te arresteer. Hierdie insident het uiteindelik daartoe gelei dat die Koloniale regering in 1861 ingestem het dat al die Griekwa land in die Philippolis Kapteinskap verkoop, en by die Republiek van die Oranje-Vrystaat ingelyf moes word. Die meerderheid van die Griekwas trek in 1863-64 oor die Drakensberg na wat later bekend sal staan as Griekwaland-Oos.

Hierdie publikasie bestaan uit ‘n versameling van 162 offisiële en semi-offisiële dokumente wat verband hou met die Kapteinskap wat van 1826 tot 1861 in Philippolis gesetel was, voor dit na Kokstad in Griekwaland-Oos geskuif is. Die rekords kom uit ‘n wye verskeidenheid bronne, baie daarvan nog nooit voorheen gepubliseer, en gee ‘n samevattende geheel prentjie van die voorheen skraps gedokumenteerde geskiedenis van die Noordelike Grens. Ingesluit is die teks van die oorspronklike Griekwa regskode en word aangevul deur ‘n kort opsomming van Griekwa geskiedenis, ‘n tydlyn, en ‘n gedetailleerde indeks.

UITTREKSEL VANUIT DIE TEKS 

70. Adam Kok III to John Montagu: Answers to an official questionnaire (1845). Answers to questions proposed to the Chief Adam Kok, in a letter from the Colonial Secretary, April 18, 1845

“1st. The territory claimed by my people is bounded on the south and southwest by the Orange River; on the north and north-east by the Modder River; on the east by the country of Lepui; and on the west by that of Waterboer.

The tribes in my neighbourhood are those of Waterboer, Moroko, Moshesh and Lepui, all of whom are independent of me.1

No written agreement respecting boundary lines has been entered into with any neighbouring Chief except Waterboer,2 but I have no dispute respecting territory with any of the above mentioned Chiefs.

I know of no lands in my immediate neighbourhood unclaimed or unoccupied, and there is no tract of country which I occupy in common with any neighbouring Chief.

2nd. My subjects are not all of one tribe, and consist of Grikwas, Bechuanas and Bushmen. Of these the lastmentioned were the original possessors of the country, and the Bechuanas consist chiefly of such persons as sought refuge amongst us from the wars of the interior. Some are, however, the subjects of Moshesh, and are subject to my laws only as long as they reside in my country. There are also some Korannas living in my territory under a subordinate Chief named Piet Witvoet.None of the other tribes are under a subordinate Chief, but live immediately under my rule.

The people under my rule amount in number to about six thousand, of whom rather more than three thousand are Grikwas, and the remainder consists of the tribes mentioned above.

3rd. My people were formerly wholly a pastoral people, but they at present also cultivate the ground. They sow wheat, barley and other grain, and also plant vegetables and fruit trees; but I am not able to say to what amount. Last year many thousands of muids of wheat and barley were reaped by my people. We have also commenced the breeding of wool sheep.

Individual right of property is recognized by our laws, but no lands can be hired or sold among my own people without my consent, and it is contrary to our laws to sell land to any person not being a Grikwa subject.

I should not be able to alienate any portion of my territory without the consent of all my people, as such an act would require the change of one of our fundamental laws [….] “

Saamgestel en geredigeer deur Karel Schoeman

Karel Schoeman is ‘n bekende Suid-Afrikaanse romanskrywer en geskiedkundige. Sy geskiedeniswerke is meesal in Afrikaans geskryf en sluit in “Bloemfontein: die ontstaan van ‘n stad 1846-1946″ en “Olive Schreiner: ‘n lewe in Suid-Afrika, 1855-1881″