Shaka zulu biography history pdf shaka was a son of senzangakhona, ruler of an insignificant small. History of shaka zulu natal, kzn early history about the. The two were expelled from senzangakhonas home and moved to live among the langeni people. The effects from dutch pressure on the western african frontier by the end of the. The tale unfolds in various nineteenthcentury books, popular and contemporary histories, and in oral. Shaka immediately incorporated the mthethwa with his own tribe and built a powerful army, but it was yet smaller than that of ndwandwe. Shakas mother was called nandi, and at that point, she was not a legal wife to senzangakhona. The profile and history of tshaka king of the zulu a. Limited autographed edition this is the original unedited manuscript of the 1985 bestselling novel by joshua sinclair which was adapted by him into the legendary television series by the same name. In contrast to recent literary analyses of myths of. Hate him or love him, if you have any interest in the history of southern. A significant amount of myth surrounds the life of the zulu leader shaka zulu, as he is recognized as one of the more popular leaders in african history and is widely known for his conquests in southern africa. Take the compassion and understanding that comes with the shaka and spread the mutual respect wherever your diving travels may take you. Yet british fortuneseekers of the 1820s found shaka s zulus a dignified people whose martial qualities were tempered by generosity and hospitality.
His life is the subject of numerous colourful and exaggerated stories, many of which are debated by historians. Shaka zulu established the zulu empire and revolutionized warfare in southern africa in the early 19th century. Mar 16, 2014 take the compassion and understanding that comes with the shaka and spread the mutual respect wherever your diving travels may take you. In 1827, shaka s mother, nandi, died, and the zulu leader lost his mind. Shaka, zulu chief 181628, founder of southern africas zulu empire. Rural development, royal history, and the struggle for authority in early apartheid zululand 19514.
Mnguni nkosinkulu mdlani luzumana malandela kaluzumana, son of luzumana ntombela kamalandela, son of malandela. The zulu army was small and weak, but shaka knew that the ndwandwe army did not carry food on its raids. Part one john wright school of human and social studies university of kwazulunatal, pietermaritzburg october 2004 introduction shaka kasenzangakhona, who ruled the emerging zulu kingdom from the late 1810s until his assassination in 1828, has long featured in south african historymaking as a. The zulu people also call themselves abantsundu, which means brown people. Shaka kasenzangakhona facts, childhood, life history. South african military history society journal the zulu. In 1827, shakas mother, nandi, died, and the zulu leader lost his mind. As monarch, he held tremendous influence in the zulu kingdom. The history guy remembers the first great battle of shaka zulu, whom some historians have called the napoleon of africa. Uniting many tribes into the zulu kingdom biography.
Shakas historical reputation may have declined during the materialist. In 1818, shaka fought a great battle against the army of his main rival for control of the region, zwide. He was one of the most influential monarchs of the zulu kingdom shaka was born in the lunar month of untulikazi july in the year of 1787 near presentday melmoth, kwazulunatal province. Pdf on jan 1, 1990, keyan tomaselli and others published images of southern africa. The zulu monarch shaka was a contemporary of the french emperor napoleon, and has even been dubbed the african napoleon by some. On the one hand, napoleon, despite the wars he waged across europe, has been considered by. Shakas rise to power there is some debate as to when shaka became the zulu chieftain after his father died. Strobridge and originally published in military history magazine in october 2002.
In his grief, shaka had hundreds of zulus killed, and he outlawed the planting of crops and the use of milk for a year. This true story chronicles with mythic detail the life of shaka zulu, the greatest african leader in history. Clans driven westwards into the drakensberg mountain range were left without livestock or the leisure to plant crops, and turned to desperate, grisly means of survival in. At the same time the british were colonizing south africa. Clans driven westwards into the drakensberg mountain range were left without livestock or the leisure to plant crops, and turned to desperate, grisly means of survival in the socalled valley of the cannibals. The story that sandals were discarded to toughen the feet of zulu warriors has been noted in various military. The zulus, the most renowned of the southern african bantu peoples, only rose. Jul 27, 2019 in 1827, shakas mother, nandi, died, and the zulu leader lost his mind. The creation of the zulu kingdom, war, shaka, and the. Soshangane ruled over the gaza state from 1825 until his death in 1858. Shaka kasenzangakhona is considered as one of the greatest rulers in the history of the zulu kingdom. We first learn of the zulu as a minor tribe of the bantu people, living in south africa.
Shaka was born in the lunar month of untulikazi july in the year of 1787 near presentday melmoth, kwazulunatal province. By the early 19th century the zulu had become the strongest military force in southern africa under the leadership of the powerful but violent shaka. Shaka, founder of the zulu kingdom of southern africa, is murdered by his two halfbrothers, dingane and mhlangana, after shakas mental illness threatened to. Shaka s reign was never secure, and maintaining the zulu kingdoms boundaries required further military campaigns. A starts the rise of what becomes the zulu kingdom. It is difficult to assess when shaka zulu was born, but scholars believe he. During his brief reign more than a hundred chiefdoms were brought together in a zulu kingdom which survived not only.
Growing up shaka was born into the small south african clan of the zulus in 1787. History of shaka zulu natal, kzn early history about the zulu. Yet british fortuneseekers of the 1820s found shakas zulus a dignified people whose martial qualities were tempered by generosity and hospitality. Taylors book notably fills a need for a comprehensive history of the zulus during the 1800s. He lived in an area of southeast africa between the drakensberg and the indian ocean, a region populated by many independent nguni chiefdoms. Selfserving eyewitness accounts of white adventurers in zululand, who portrayed. In the 19th century, the zulu were led by shaka zulu, or shaka the great. I count myself fortunate to have met the author of the book shaka zulu, mr e. How the legendary shaka zulu became the zulu kingdoms. Shaka s historical reputation may have declined during the materialist. Shakas halfbrother, sigujana, became the new chief but dingiswayo had other ideas. This list of zulu kings gives a list of zulu chieftains and kings from their earliest known history up to the current monarchthe personal standard of king goodwill zwelithini kabhekuzulu adopted in 1999. I again reiterate that i am not an historian but merely relate stories that i had heard as a child and stories i have heard and read about during the course of my life. Alistair boddyevans is a teacher and african history scholar with more than 25 years of experience.
The author writes sympathetically but objectively of the zulu and their. Mar 22, 2017 the history guy remembers the first great battle of shaka zulu, whom some historians have called the napoleon of africa. However, apart from their reputation as great military leaders, history has remembered these two men quite differently. He is credited with creating a fighting force that devastated the entire region. When shaka zulu was born, around the year 1787, senzangakhona was the nominal chief of the zulu, a small band of about 1500 members. Shaka zulu, the man who forged a feared empire out of a. The image of shaka as one of the great men of southern african history was in essence a product of political struggles in the era of colonialism.
After the death of zulu, his descendants called themselves abakwazulu people of zulu. His father was the chief of the zulus and his mother, nandi, was the daughter of the chief of a nearby clan. The zulu of that time, and particularly the zulu who had been moulded by men like shaka and his successor dingane are vividly described by adulphe delegorgue,1 the french naturalist who visited natal in 1838 and subsequent years, as being born haughty, and possessing a feeling of nationality in a high degree. Sep 07, 2018 the zulu monarch shaka was a contemporary of the french emperor napoleon, and has even been dubbed the african napoleon by some. He ruled at one of first recorded towns known as bulawayo. Shaka, isandlwana and rorkes drift and known to most but there is much more to the history of the zulu people. The crushing, sotho difaqane, series of zulu and other nguni wars and forced migrations of the second and third decades of the 19th century that changed the demographic, social, and political configuration of southern and central africa and parts of eastern africa. The zulu were part of the nguni confederation of bantuspeaking people, including the xhosa, matabele, and swazi tribes, who originated in central africa and had been steadily moving southwards for centuries.
In his initial days, he served as a warrior under the leadership of dingiswayo. Shaka began to take over nearby clans and gain soldiers for the zulu. Shaka kasenzangakhona, zulu king and founder of the zulu empire, was murdered by his two halfbrothers dingane and mhlangana at kwadukuza in 1828one date given is september 24. Due to persecution as a result of his illegitimacy, shaka. In the space of twelve years during the early nineteenth century, he transformed the small zulu chieftains into a large and powerful military force. Shaka zulu, the man who would organize them into an empire, was born the illegitimate son of a zulu king.
Shaka zulu, extraordinary leader great nation of zulu, you have shown courage against a superior enemy. When dingiswayo died, shaka took control of the surrounding tribes and became the most powerful leader in the area. Building on his innovative methods of warfare, king shaka established the most disciplined standing army in the history of mankind over one million strong at any given time expanding the zulu domain from a small tribe of less than 2,000 to an empire greater than that of napoleon encompassing much of what is now southeast africa. Shakas accession was to prove a significant event in zulu history, for as a. Sigidi kasenzangakhona commonly knows as shaka was a great zulu king and conqueror.
In 1818 zwide sent his army to attack the amazulu, but shaka, a clever general, tricked them. Shakas words in 1818 after a victory over the ndwandwe at the mhalatuse river. Part one john wright school of human and social studies university of kwazulunatal, pietermaritzburg october 2004 introduction shaka kasenzangakhona, who ruled the emerging zulu kingdom from the late 1810s until his assassination in 1828, has long featured in south african history making as a. His father, senzangakhona, was a minor chief of one of the zuluspeaking clans and his mother, nandi, was daughter of chief mbhengi of the rival clan. War, shaka, and the consolidation of power this scholarly account traces the emergence of the zulu kingdom in south africa in the early nineteenth century under the rule of the ambitious and iconic king shaka. The nations that spoke of you with contempt are chilled by your songs. Here is a fun video that gives a short history of the modern shaka and some creative variations of the shaka starting at 2min 40 sec. This remarkable king, was a contemporary of napolean, and his achievements rivalled the emperors. Pdf applicability of shaka zulus leadership and strategies. Shaka zulu 19th century african resistance movements. In shaka zulu, otherwise known as shaka kasenzangkhona or king shaka,was a very militaristic king and was known for his peerless leadership. For in the space of twelve years, he organized an immense army of skilled and disciplined warriors, conquering and pacifying a territory larger than europe. It is difficult to assess when shaka zulu was born, but scholars believe he was born sometime between 1781 and 1787. Shaka zulu was successful in establishing zulu dominance in southern africa.
A short biography on a man with incredible vision shaka, zulu king. He was one of the most influential monarchs of the zulu kingdom. The history guy uses images that are in the public domain. Jul 31, 2015 when shaka zulu was born, around the year 1787, senzangakhona was the nominal chief of the zulu, a small band of about 1500 members. Shaka zulu is one of the most famous or notorious leaders to have graced southern africa in the past few centuries. The conventional historical evidence we do possess is limited and prob lematic. A lot of sources say 1816, but wylie believes it was closer to 1812. The rise of shakas kingdom, which took place during a time of drought and social unrest, was itself part of a wider process of state formation in southeastern africa, which probably resulted from intensified.
List of books and articles about zulu online research. In contrast to recent literary analyses of myths of shaka, this book uses the richness of zulu oral traditions. As the story goes, shaka was born around the year 1787, the son of senzangakhona, who at that time reigned over the tiny chiefdom known as the zulu. Shaka was born in 1787 and was the child of nandi, a daughter of bhebhe, the past leader of a rival tribe, and senzangakhona kajama, who was a zulu chieftain. Zulu history the history of the zulu nation tourism kzn. However, shaka conquered neighboring kingdoms, including the ndwandwe kingdom in 1818, expanding his empire. Shaka zulu was founder of the zulu nation, a born leader and a brilliant general. King shaka, the diviners and colonialism jennifer weir the oftentold tale of zulu king shaka and his diviners may tell us more about colonial religion and politics in the nineteenth century than it does about zulu religion and politics. The mfecane was set in motion by the rise of the zulu military kingdom under shaka c. The zulu of that time, and particularly the zulu who had been moulded by men like shaka and his successor dingane are vividly described by adulphe delegorgue,1 the french naturalist who visited natal in 1838 and subsequent years, as being born haughty, and possessing a.
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