ik azi ▁was ▁a ▁states man ▁of ▁considerable ▁stat ure , ▁able ▁to ▁w eld ▁the ▁many ▁conquer ed ▁tribes ▁into ▁a ▁strong , ▁central ised ▁kingdom . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁Mat abe le land ▁was ▁founded . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 2 , ▁the ▁Bo er ▁government ▁in ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁made ▁a ▁treat y ▁with ▁M zil ik azi . ▁Gold ▁was ▁discovered ▁in ▁northern ▁M th w ak azi ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 . ▁The ▁area , ▁settled ▁by ▁the ▁Ze z uru ▁people , ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁the ▁M wen em ut apa ▁kingdom , ▁while ▁the ▁European ▁powers ▁increasing ly ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁M zil ik azi ▁died ▁on ▁ 9 ▁September ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁near ▁Bul away o . ▁His ▁son , ▁Lob eng ula , ▁succeeded ▁him ▁as ▁king . ▁In ▁exchange ▁for ▁wealth ▁and ▁arms , ▁Lob eng ula ▁granted ▁several ▁con cess ions ▁to ▁the ▁British , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁twenty ▁years ▁later ▁that ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁of ▁these , ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁Rud d ▁Con cess ion ▁gave ▁Cec il ▁Rh odes ▁exclusive ▁min eral ▁rights ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁lands ▁east ▁of ▁Lob eng ula ' s ▁main ▁territory . ▁Gold ▁was ▁already ▁known ▁to ▁exist , ▁but ▁with ▁the ▁Rud d ▁con cess ion , ▁Rh odes ▁was ▁able ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁Royal