Basutoland

Basutoland was a British crown colony in what is now Lesotho, existing from 1884 until independence in 1966. The Basotho had come under British protection in 1868, but the territory was administered by the Cape Colony from 1871, and Cape rule proved unpopular and difficult to enforce. In 1884 Basutoland was placed under the direct authority of the British Crown, exercised through the high commissioner for South Africa and a resident commissioner advised by an executive council. Maseru, on the western border, served as the administrative capital. British officials supervised the districts through resident commissioners. The colony was divided into seven districts and retained a large measure of internal self-government under the paramount chief and the Basotho National Council. It was completely surrounded by South Africa after the Union was formed in 1910, but it was not incorporated. Basutoland became independent on 4 October 1966 and was renamed the Kingdom of Lesotho, with Maseru remaining the capital.