KAFFIR, KAFIR, or CAFFRE (kaf'er), an inhabitant of Kaffraria in South Africa. The Kaffirs embrace two main divisions, the Z0Lus (q. v.) and the Kaffirs proper. Their color is neither black, like that of the negro, nor of the color of a faded leaf, like that of the Hottentot, but a deep brown. Hair short, curling., and woolly; but it is not of the wooliness of the negro. Nose tolerably elevated; lips large and thick.
The body is muscular and athletic, and the stature is equal to that of the Eu ropean race. In the useful arts they have made considerable progress. Be sides domesticating the ox and sheep, they have also tamed the horse and goat, and their agriculture extends to the cul tivation of rye and millet. It is a sin gular and distinctive trait that they practice universally the rite of circum cision. They are believed to have re ceived the name of Kaffir from the Mo hammedans, on account of their refusal to adopt the religion of Islam.
In 1834 the first of the greater Kaffir wars broke out, and lasted till the fol lowing year. But, though the enemy were repulsed, and their territories up to the Kei river annexed by the colonial government, the annexation was not rati fied by the home government till the ter mination of the next war (1846-1848). The conquered districts were called Brit ish Kaffraria, and from 1853 to 1865 formed a separate crown colony; in 1865 British Kairraria was incorporated in Cape Colony. In 1850 the turbulent
Gaikas, who had waged most of the former wars, in conjunction with the rest of the Ama-Xosa and the Ama-Tembu tribes, and a large body of revolted Hot tentots, once more invaded the colony, but after a struggle of nearly three years were successfully driven back. The last war broke out in 1877; the Gcalekas took up arms, and were joined by the Gaikas, and eventually the Zulus also entered the fray. The war ended in the overthrow of the power of the Kaffir chiefs, and the gradual incorpora tion of their territory in the Cape Colony. By 1888 all Kaffraria up to the frontiers of Natal, with the single exception of East Pondoland—which, however, was a British protectorate—had been included within the bounds of the Cape Colony.
The Ama-Fengus, or Fingoes, are the remnants of broken Kaffir tribes; they are despised by the organiz,ed Kaffir races, and but for the protection of the British would probably be little better than slaves to them. They have always been loyal to their protectors, and live scattei.d from Zululand to Cape Colony.