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| Phalo, the son of Tshiwo, ruled from 1700 to 1775. He was the last king of an independent and united Xhosa nation. When Phalo came to the throne, white people were virtually unknown in Xhosaland, and it is probably that Phalo only ever saw one white man his entire life, the elephant hunter Hubner who visited him in 1736. But three years after his death, the First Frontier War broke out and the Hundred Years War of Xhosa versus Colonist had begun.
Phalo was more concerned about the unity of the Xhosa kingdom. While he was living at this spot, two bridal parties appeared on the same day. One girl was the daughter of the King of the Mpondo, and the other was the daughter of the King of the Thembu. Phalo hesitated because he did not know which of the two girls he should take as his Great Wife.
An old councilor named Majeke solved the problem by creating two houses of equal status. The Great House, descended from the Mpondo girl, is called after Phalo's Great Son, Gcaleka. The Right-Hand House is called after his Right- Hand son, Rharhabe.
Gcaleka and Rharhabe divided Xhosaland between them, with Gcaleka on the eastern side of the Kei River and the Rharhabe on the western side. Phalo himself resided sometimes on the western side at Izeli and sometimes on the eastern side. He was buried in 1778.
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