The Zulu Kingdom: The Fall of a Military Power

Over 5,000 years ago, a large subgroup of the Bantu settled in the pleasant coastal strip and the rich, fertile lands between high mountains and the Indian Ocean. One of the Bantu clans that settled in that region was the Zulu, known as the People of the Heavens. In this video, we will explore the rise of one of the most memorable kingdoms in African history, the Zulu Kingdom and its legendary leader, Shaka. At the end, we will discover the reasons behind their downfall. After Shaka Zulu's mystery assassination in 1828, the kingdom was thrown into a prolonged period of civil wars that divided its people. These internal issues culminated to the Zulu-British War of 1879. Over the years, there were many wars between Europeans and the Zulu, but the kingdom remained highly organized, solid, and protected by its imposing army and ancestral military knowledge. Instead of focusing on the details of every battles, this video will discuss the leading causes of the kingdom's downfall. Here is the timeline. First, we will explore the rise of Shaka. Then, we will explain how the Zulu Kingdom came to dominate the region. Last, we will examine the causes of the kingdom's downfall. If you enjoy learning about pre-colonial African kingdoms, don't forget to subscribe. Let's get started. The Zulu Kingdom is often associated with courageous soldiers who fought with spears against European guns. However, in the beginning, the Zulu were neither numerous nor powerful. In fact, in the late 18th century, the entire Zulu clan probably numbered fewer than 2,000 people. They relied on their relationships with powerful surrounding kingdoms for security. It is in these settings that Shaka was born around 1787. The name Shaka means the great elephant. By the end of his reign, Zulu land had been extended over an area of 80,000 square miles, containing nearly half a million people. But things didn't start easily. His mother was not married when she got pregnant of him, and this was not accepted in the Zulu society. Shaka's first years were often overshadowed by the unhappiness of his beloved mother. Shaka and his mother lived far away from anyone else in the Zulu capital, Kwabulawayo. Unfortunately, due to these circumstances, Shaka was immediately subjected to bullying by the elder boys. As a youth, he joined the local militia managed by the son of the king, and Shaka gained a reputation for his reckless courage, which found favor with the chief Senzangakona and his son Dingiswayo. In his early 20s, Shaka rapidly advanced through the ranks and was soon promoted to commander-in-chief of Dingiswayo's armed forces. He also achieved membership in the Inner Council, a significant accomplishment considering his background. At the time, the Zulu clan were subordinate to other kingdoms and followed orders. During this era in Southeast Africa, wars between tribes involved little tactics, and the goal was rarely to annihilate the other side. More often than not, wars were conducted casually by spear-throwing warriors who advanced in loose formation. Wars were nothing more than skirmishes with few casualties on both sides. Now, in his mid-20s, Commander-in-Chief Shaka visited each military unit in rotation to improve courage, discipline, and extend drill exercises with rapid forced route marches. During this time, he began experimenting with a new way of waging war and imagining new weapons that would be even more lethal. Shaka replaced the traditional spear-throwing with the short-handled stabbing spear, which allowed soldiers to retain their weapon throughout a battle. This enabled troops to maneuver and fight in close formation. The most commonly used formation was crescent-shaped and was known as the bull's horns. Here you can see what it looked like. The army would separate into three sections and aim to surround the opponent, attacking from all fronts. In 1815, King Sanzangacona's health rapidly declined, and he passed away soon after. Shaka was 29 years old at the time, and his long friend Dingiswayo, the new king, summoned Shaka and instructed him to take over the chieftaincy of the Zulu clan. This was a great honor because it placed Shaka as the second-in-line for the throne. After successfully implementing reforms within his own tribe, Shaka aimed to extend his reformative and retributive activities. Having dealt with individuals, he now planned to target entire clans, starting with the Ilangeni. This particular clan had mistreated Shaka and his mother during their exile, which made it a personal matter for him. The Zulu were now a formidable army, and Shaka launched a night march of 25 miles over the Matanjaneni Heights to Ilangeni land. Before dawn, he silently surrounded the Eseweni Kral. As soon as it was light, the chief was summoned to surrender, which he did without any delay. This is the first of many conflicts that Shaka will take on as the new leader of the Zulu clan. However, a lot will soon change for him. In 1817, after only one year on the throne, Shaka's old friend Dingiswayo suddenly died. Shaka was now the only capable leader left and became king. Like other great conquerors, Shaka began his reign by reforming not only the tactics, but also the weapons of his army. He summoned the best blacksmiths of the region to design prototypes for the mass production of his now famous spear as he prepared for war. King Shaka tirelessly trained his soldiers on how to stab into opposing warriors' bodies. This enabled troops to maneuver and fight in close formation. In addition to male regiments, King Shaka also incorporated female regiments into his military organization. These regiments acted as supplementary units in case the Zulu clan needed to be evacuated to a safer location during times of war. Shaka ensured that the women were well trained in the use of the Asagai and were just as fierce in executing their duties as the male regiment. Each regiment had the ability to march independently and join with the rest of the army at the objective. The neighboring Ndwandwe kingdom, ruled by King Zweed, was a significant power in the region. It could not afford to passively watch as the hostile Zulu developed and conquered more territories. Therefore, King Zweed decided to preemptively attack the Zulu in a fierce battle at Gokoli Hill. The Ndwandwe and the Zulu engaged in a war from 1817 to 1819, which served as the first test of the Zulu's new fighting method. Despite being outnumbered, the Zulu's discipline enabled them to gain new ground. The Ndwandwe were ultimately defeated in the battle. Annually, Shaka's regiments would embark on campaigns to increase his herds of cattle and expand his sphere of influence. After a protracted series of campaigns, Shaka's control extended from the Tugela River to an area just a few days journey away from Delagoa Bay. King Shaka proved to be an outstanding military genius and leader. Under his guidance, his small and insignificant clan rose from obscurity to become an all-powerful Zulu nation. He replaced the Nguni system of clanships and petty chieftainships with a single authoritarian state. To the best of our knowledge, Shaka was 41 years old when he was assassinated in 1828 by two of his brothers. Both had links with the Boers and British and were promised advantages if they carried out the assassination. The new king, called Dingani, immediately murdered the brother who helped him kill Shaka. As King Shaka's aura grew, the Europeans became increasingly annoyed. With Dingani in charge, it became easier for the Boers to settle. One of the important Boer leaders of the time, Andries Pretorius, saw Shaka as inflexible. King Shaka was known to maintain close control over his fertile lands while Pretorius was starting to envision his great trek. After King Dingani was put in power, Andries Pretorius gained access to more lands in the Zulu kingdom. This weakened the kingdom's to protect its territory. In 1837, Piet Retief, a Dutch leader, visited King Dingani at his royal estate to negotiate a land deal for the Boers. In November, approximately 1,000 families descended the Drakensberg mountains from the Orange Free State into what is now KwaZulu-Natal. The next day, a treaty was signed in which Dingani ceded all the land south of the Tugela River to the Boers. Celebrations followed, and on February 6th, at the end of the festivities, Retief's party was invited to a dance and asked to leave their weapons behind. During the dance, Dingani suddenly jumped to his feet and yelled, Retief and his men were overpowered, taken to the nearby hill KwaMatiwani and executed. In response, Andries Pretorius allied with a rebel Zulu faction, led by Mpande, Dingani's half-brother. The coalition defeated Dingani at the Battle of Mekong-Ko in January 1840, establishing Mpande as the new Zulu king. Mpande and Pretorius maintained peaceful relations. In 1872, Mpande died of old age, and Chechueyo, the last real Zulu king, took over rulership. On December 10th, 1878, the British sent an ultimatum to Chechueyo demanding that he disband his army. When he refused, British forces crossed the Tukela River at the end of December 1878. The war took place in 1879. Early in the war, the Zulus defeated the British at the Battle of Isandlwana on January 22nd, but were severely defeated later that day at Rorke's Drift. The war ended in Zulu defeat at the Battle of Ulundi on July 4th. This is how the Zulu Kingdom felt. Once a powerful nation, the Zulu were reduced to nothing more than a colony of the British, like so many other kingdoms at that time. I hope this gave you a new perspective on the Zulu Kingdom. My goal with this channel is to encourage open dialogue, so please let me know your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, we have a Twitter channel where we share more in-depth articles on these subjects. If you'd like to discuss further, feel free to follow us there. Thank you for watching and I'll see you in the next one.