The Rudd Concession, a written concession for exclusive mining rights in Matabeleland, Mashonaland and other adjoining territories,

was granted by King Lobengula of Matabeleland to Charles Rudd, James Rochfort Maguire and rancis Thom!son, three agents acting on behalf of the "outh #frican$based !olitician and businessman Cecil Rhodes, on %& 'ctober ()))* +es!ite Lobengula,s retros!ective attem!ts to disavow it, it !roved the foundation for the royal charter granted by the -nited Kingdom to Rhodes, .ritish "outh #frica Com!any in 'ctober ())/, and thereafter for the 0ioneer Column,s occu!ation of Mashonaland in ()/&, which mar1ed the beginning of white settlement, administration and develo!ment in the country that eventually became Rhodesia, named after Rhodes, in ()/2* Rhodes, !ursuit of the exclusive mining rights in Matabeleland, Mashonaland and the surrounding areas was motivated by his wish to annex them into the .ritish 3m!ire as !art of his !ersonal ambition for a Ca!e to Cairo Railway4winning the concession would enable him to gain a royal charter from the .ritish government for a chartered com!any, em!owered to annex and thereafter govern the 5ambe6i7Lim!o!o watershed on .ritain,s behalf* 8e laid the groundwor1 for concession negotiations during early ())) by arranging a treaty of friendshi! between the .ritish and Matabele !eo!les9n (: and then sent Rudd,s team from "outh #frica to obtain the rights* Rudd succeeded following a race to the Matabele ca!ital .ulawayo against 3dward #rthur Maund, a bidding rival em!loyed by a London$based syndicate, and long negotiations with the 1ing and his council of i6in+una ;tribal leaders<* The concession conferred on the grantees the sole rights to mine throughout Lobengula,s country, as well as the !ower to defend this exclusivity by force, in return for wea!ons and a regular monetary sti!end* "tarting in early ())/, the 1ing re!eatedly tried to disavow the document on the grounds of alleged deceit by the concessionaires regarding the settled terms= he insisted that restrictions on the grantees, activities had been agreed orally, and a!!arently considered these !art of the contract even though the written text had been translated and re!eatedly ex!lained to him just before he signed it* 8e attem!ted to !ersuade the .ritish government to deem the concession invalid, among other things sending emissaries to meet >ueen ?ictoria at @indsor Castle, but these efforts were unsuccessful* #fter Rhodes and the London consortium agreed to !ool their interests, Rhodes travelled to London, arriving in March ())/* 8is amalgamated charter bid gathered great !olitical and !o!ular su!!ort over the next few months, !rom!ting 0rime Minister Lord "alisbury to a!!rove the royal charter, which was formally granted in 'ctober ())/* The Com!any occu!ied and annexed Mashonaland about a year later* #ttem!ting to create a rival for the Rudd Concession, Lobengula granted similar rights to the Aerman businessman 3duard Li!!ert in ()/(, but Rhodes acBuired this concession as well within a few months* Com!any troo!s conBuered Matabeleland during the irst Matabele @ar of ()/%7/C, and Lobengula died from small!ox in exile soon after*