By the 1840s the idea was firming up in the literature that shaka and the zulu lay behind an explosion of violence which had swept across a. It may come as a surprise, therefore, that we do not know when he was born, nor what he looked. The rise of the zulu empire under shaka forced other chiefdoms and clans to flee across a wide area of southern africa. However, apart from their reputation as great military leaders, history has remembered these two men quite differently. Faure and written by joshua sinclair for the south african broadcasting corporation sabc, based on sinclairs novel of the same name 1985.
Sigidi kasenzangakhona commonly knows as shaka was a great zulu king and conqueror. A critical analysis of james stuarts a history of the zulu rebellion 1906. 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. In his grief, shaka had hundreds of zulus killed, and he outlawed the planting of crops and the use of milk for a year. Shaka kasenzangakhona, tambem conhecido como shaka zulu, as vezes escrito como. I count myself fortunate to have met the author of the book shaka zulu, mr e. Ultimately, shaka s end came from internal rather than external enemies. Shaka zulu was founder of the zulu nation, a born leader and a brilliant general. Shaka was born in the lunar month of untulikazi july in the year of 1787 near presentday melmoth, kwazulunatal province. Shaka zulu, the man who forged a feared empire out of a. His life is the subject of numerous colourful and exaggerated stories, many of which are debated by historians. 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. Kwabulawayo is a conspicuous reminder that the historical. In his initial days, he served as a warrior under the leadership of dingiswayo.
Henry cele as the great zulu warrior king shaka zulu steals this series. Shaka built a zulu nation that expanded over a hundred thousand square miles of land and created a military machine capable of inflicting heavy casualties on british troops and calvarymen armed with rifles, cannons, rockets and other advanced weapons. Pdf reclaiming lost ground the history play in zulu. Shaka in history is the first booklength scholarly study of shaka to be published. 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. Shaka zulu is a 1986 south african television series directed by william c. Uniting many tribes into the zulu kingdom biography. Pdf download the washing of the spears a history of the rise of the zulu nation under shaka and its pdf online. A starts the rise of what becomes the zulu kingdom.
It lays out, as far as possible, all the available evidence. While his methods were brutal, he united the many zulu tribes to become the greatest nation and most feared force in south african history. Shaka kasenzangakhona is considered as one of the greatest rulers in the history of the zulu kingdom. Shaka, founder of the zulu kingdom of southern africa, is murdered by his two halfbrothers, dingane and mhlangana, after shaka s mental illness threatened to. Due to persecution as a result of his illegitimacy, shaka. The creation of the zulu kingdom, war, shaka, and the. He was one of the most influential monarchs of the zulu kingdom. Pdf reclaiming lost ground the history play in zulu this article briefly sketches the history. Les guerres zulus i casaques vermelles, sang negra. The tale unfolds in various nineteenthcentury books, popular and contemporary histories, and in oral.
In the days when jama, grandfather of shaka, was reigning over the zulus approximately between the years 1774 and 1792 the. As monarch, he held tremendous influence in the zulu kingdom. This remarkable king, was a contemporary of napolean, and his achievements rivalled the emperors. Linguists have long described the languages of south africas coastal strip isizulu, isixhosa as nguni, and.
When shaka zulu was born, around the year 1787, senzangakhona was the nominal chief of the zulu, a small band of about 1500 members. 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. A history of the zulu and neighbouring tribes dashboard web cms. 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. For africa, one name to remember is that of shaka, the great king and founder of the zulu empire in the early decades of the. In exploring aspects of shakas rule, it becomes clear that writers express their pain. Shaka, zulu chief 181628, founder of southern africas zulu empire. Shaka zulu, the man who forged a feared empire out of a tiny tribe in southern africa. Clans fleeing the zulu war zone included the soshangane, zwangendaba, ndebele, hlubi, ngwane, and the mfengu. The profile and history of tshaka king of the zulu a. His father was the chief of the zulus and his mother, nandi, was the daughter of the chief of a nearby clan. Ritter grew up with the zulus, earning their respect and accumulating a rich store of material during his long association with them.
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. History of shaka zulu natal, kzn early history about the. Dan wylie over the decades we have heard a great deal about shaka, the famous or infamous of zulu leaders. The zulu monarch shaka was a contemporary of the french emperor napoleon, and has even been dubbed the african napoleon by some. In the early episodes you come to understand how shaka s vengeful nature. It is based on the story of the king of the zulu, shaka reigned 1816 to 1828, and the writings of the british traders with whom he interacted. Shaka kasenzangakhona facts, childhood, life history. Shaka s life and deeds had been handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation, and they are here evoked with a sense. 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. Each continent has had its own significant and feared warriors. Historia 54,1, meimay 2009, pp 159179 159 shaka the great jeff peires among several welcome signs that the gloom and doom which has for too long enveloped south african historiography is finally beginning to lift,1 one ominous portent continues to threaten. 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. In 1827, shaka s mother, nandi, died, and the zulu leader lost his mind.
Shaka, founder of the zulu kingdom of southern africa, is murdered by his two halfbrothers, dingane and mhlangana, after shakas mental illness threatened to. Growing up shaka was born into the small south african clan of the zulus in 1787. This map illustrates the rise of the zulu empire under shaka 18161828 in presentday south africa. He is credited with creating a fighting force that devastated the entire region. A critical analysis of james stuarts a history of the zulu rebellion. The classic of african history a biography of shaka zulu, founder of the zulu nation, born leader and brilliant general. The powers of shaka zulu and the limits of historical.
194 273 1303 304 1093 1285 1019 966 1173 121 1514 145 389 148 769 248 930 874 649 708 59 847 987 712 910 1472 287 1325 141