 He did much to redefine the relationship between Britain and the Dominions and Colonies, leading to the formation of the British Commonwealth.Jan Smuts was born in 1870, the second son of a traditional Boer farming family.By rural tradition, the eldest son would be the only child to receive a full formal education; however, on the death of his elder brother in 1882, 12-year-old Jan was sent to school for the first time.