Name: Henry Fagan
Year in program: 3rd
Primary supervisor: Dr Peter Alegi
Major field: African History
Minor fields: Digital History, Anthrohistory, Women and Gender in Africa
My research interest is in the KwaZulu-Natal region (KZN) of South Africa and its surrounds, c. 1850. I intent to examine the reign of the Zulu king Mpande kaSenzangakhona. I aim to analyze the complex interplay of social and political factors – both within the Zulu kingdom and exerted externally by Afrikaner/Dutch and British settlers – that shaped his rule. Of great interest to me is Mpande’s removal from power by his son, Cetshwayo, who proceeded to rule in all but name from 1856 onward.
I hold an MA degree in history which I obtained at the University of Cape Town (UCT). My dissertation unpacked the historiographical forces that shaped the dominant strands of KZN’s history. I also have experience working in digital archiving via my association with the Five-Hundred Year Archive based at UCT. I plan to incorporate what I have learned from these experiences into my forthcoming dissertation.