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. Shaka zulu established the zulu empire and revolutionized warfare in southern africa in the early 19th century. The effects from dutch pressure on the western african frontier by the end of the. What is known is that shaka, born into the small zulu clan that formed part of the nguni tribes, engaged in conflicts that. Shaka zulu was the illegitimate son of senzangakona, king of the zulus. It may come as a surprise, therefore, that we do not know when he was born, nor what he looked. It is difficult to assess when shaka zulu was born, but scholars believe he.
Framed around queen victorias decision on englands political stance. May 21, 2006 shaka zulus brutality was exaggerated, says new book. This true story chronicles with mythic detail the life of shaka zulu, the greatest african leader in history. He sometimes massacred a whole village in order to send a message. Shaka zulus brutality was exaggerated, says new book. It is difficult to assess when shaka zulu was born, but scholars believe he was born sometime between 1781 and 1787.
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. Framed around queen victorias decision on englands political stance towards the zulu nation, the novel starts with shakas illegitimate birth, taking us through his difficult childhood, his obsessive attachment to his mother nandi, to. This book is about deciphered palm of the beast the historical accounts and the astrological analysis of the. Shaka in history, as an antibiography because the material for a trustworthy biography did. His political objective was to expand his territory with the. Attempting to stay above politics, the king subsequently distanced himself from inkatha. 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 was born in the lunar month of untulikazi july in the year of 1787 near presentday melmoth, kwazulunatal province. Chaka by thomas mofolo meet your next favorite book. Shakas historical reputation may have declined during the materialist.
Ritter grew up with the zulus, earning their respect and accumulating a rich store of material during his long association with them. At one point shaka had a welltrained army of around 40,000 soldiers. In his grief, shaka had hundreds of zulus killed, and he outlawed the planting of crops and the use of milk for a year. The zulu monarch shaka was a contemporary of the french emperor napoleon, and has even been dubbed the african napoleon by some.
Map illustrating the rise of the zulu empire under shaka 18161828 in presentday south africa. Shaka zulus brutality was exaggerated, says new book world. An offshoot of the zulu, the amandebele, better known to history as the matabele created an even larger empire under their king mzilikazi, including large parts of the highveld and modernday zimbabwe. 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. Pdf applicability of shaka zulus leadership and strategies. This article is neither about wylies book, nor cobbings. Its unusually early for an african novel, originally published in 1925 but existing in manuscript in some form as early as 1910. Shaka 161 wellinformed and balanced a historian as carolyn hamilton felt constrained to render her account of shaka s career concise to the point of guardedness. Pdf applicability of shaka zulus leadership and strategies to. I count myself fortunate to have met the author of the book shaka zulu, mr e. Shaka in history, as an antibiography because the material for a trustworthy biography did not exist. Shaka zulu was successful in establishing zulu dominance in southern africa because he was a great strategist and military innovator.
In the space of twelve years during the early nineteenth century, he transformed the small zulu chieftains into a large and powerful military force. He lived in an area of southeast africa between the drakensberg and the indian ocean, a region populated by many independent nguni chiefdoms. Shaka zulu in history, rather than on the development of a narrative history of. The author writes sympathetically but objectively of the zulu and their. History of shaka zulu natal, kzn early history about the. Pdf on apr 7, 2011, general m ntshalintshali and others published applicability of shaka zulus. In contrast to recent literary analyses of myths of shaka, this book uses the richness of zulu oral traditions. Shaka 161 wellinformed and balanced a historian as carolyn hamilton felt constrained to render her account of shakas career concise to the point of guardedness. The novel chaka was written by thomas mofolo, an author from lesotho. Textbooks and literature agree that shaka zulu, king of the zulu nation, was a leading.
Then be inspired by biography book for kids age 9 to 12. Shaka, zulu chief 181628, founder of southern africas zulu empire. 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. 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 was not until 1824 that europeans came face to face with.
Shaka fought as a warrior under jobe, and then under jobes successor, dingiswayo, leader of the mthethwa paramountcy. In this book we have endeavoured to use recent spellings of isizulu terms. Zulu armies were fed by a supply of cattle on the hoof and some grain. 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. When shaka zulu was born, around the year 1787, senzangakhona was the nominal chief of the zulu, a small band of about 1500 members. Zulu kingdom shaka continued to train and build his army. 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. Zulu history, and that an sandf employee may not have had. During his brief reign more than a hundred chiefdoms were brought together in a zulu kingdom which survived not only. 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. Shaka zulu was founder of the zulu nation, a born leader and a brilliant general. Ebook shaka zulu as pdf download portable document format. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. His life is the subject of numerous colourful and exaggerated stories, many of which are debated by historians.
However, apart from their reputation as great military leaders, history has remembered these two men quite differently. Then he invites all the young men in the neighbourhood to come and learn it. 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. Chaka is a fictionalised account of the life of the c19th zulu king shaka. Due to persecution as a result of his illegitimacy, shaka. In contrast to recent literary analyses of myths of. As shaka became more respected by his people, he was able to spread his ideas with greater ease. Shaka, isandlwana and rorkes drift and known to most but there is much more to the history of the zulu people. Their history post 1900 up to about 1994 is not neglected either.
The chairperson of the natal provincial museums advisory. Shaka king of the zulus download pdf bkcukdieofmkx. Because of his background as a soldier, shaka taught the. In a picture book biography acclaimed for both its accuracy and beauty, diane stanley and peter vennema describe how shaka download shaka king of the zulus azw download ebook shaka king of the zulus kindle r. The washing of the spears is the definitive account of a tragic and aweinspiring story. Sagabook of the zulus father bryants masterpiece of native history fl e. 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. Zulu history the history of the zulu nation tourism kzn.
Shaka s life history is a study in the psychology of. Shaka zulu is a 1986 south african television series directed by william c. There is much ceremony connected with a heathen zulu wedding. For more than a century after the european landing at capetown in the c17th, the boers had advanced unopposed into the vast interior of africa. His father, senzangakhona, was a minor chief of one of the zulu speaking clans and his mother, nandi, was daughter of chief mbhengi of the rival clan.
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. Yet british fortuneseekers of the 1820s found shakas zulus a dignified people whose martial qualities were tempered by generosity and hospitality. 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. A starts the rise of what becomes the zulu kingdom. Much interest was displayed by shaka s comrades in the fact that he wore no sandals, and in the single massive stabbingassegai. He was one of the most influential monarchs of the zulu kingdom. When senzangakona died, dingiswayo helped shaka become chief of the zulu kingdom. Some reflections provoked by dan wylies book myth of iron. Shakas reign was never secure, and maintaining the zulu kingdoms boundaries required further military campaigns. A month or more before the time the bridegroomelect has to compose a song to be sung by him and his party. Jun 29, 2008 shaka zulu established the zulu empire and revolutionized warfare in southern africa in the early 19th century. 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. In 1827, shakas mother, nandi, died, and the zulu leader lost his mind. This remarkable king, was a contemporary of napolean, and his achievements rivalled the emperors.
Dan wylie over the decades we have heard a great deal about shaka, the famous or infamous of zulu leaders. 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. On the one hand, napoleon, despite the wars he waged across europe, has been considered by. The classic of african history a biography of shaka zulu, founder of the zulu nation, born leader and brilliant general. The novel tells the fictionalized and mythical story of the rise and fall of zulu emperor chaka.
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 and his mother, nandi, were exiled by senzangakona, and found refuge with the mthethwa. What is known is that shaka, born into the small zulu clan that formed part of the nguni tribes, engaged in conflicts that killed and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Anyone who disobeyed an order was immediately killed. Violence and political feuding between zulu supporters of buthelezi and zulu partisans of the anc continued in the mid1990s but largely subsided in the last years of the decade. In shaka zulu, otherwise known as shaka kasenzangkhona or king shaka,was a very militaristic king and was known for his peerless leadership. Faure and written by joshua sinclair for the south african broadcasting corporation sabc, based on sinclairs novel of the same name 1985. Growing up shaka was born into the small south african clan of the zulus in 1787.
The powers of shaka zulu and the limits of historical invention. History of shaka zulu natal, kzn early history about the zulu. Jul 27, 2019 in 1827, shakas mother, nandi, died, and the zulu leader lost his mind. Textbooks and literature agree that shaka zulu, king of the zulu nation, was a leading figure in the military history of the zulu kingdom of south africa during the early 19th century eldredge. The creation of the zulu kingdom, war, shaka, and the. Sigidi kasenzangakhona commonly knows as shaka was a great zulu king and conqueror. His father was the chief of the zulus and his mother, nandi, was the daughter of the chief of a nearby clan. Natal had been totally depopulated by the zulu and that shaka was a bloody killer that the british. He is credited with creating a fighting force that devastated the entire region. Uniting many tribes into the zulu kingdom biography. The assassination of king shaka helen suzman foundation. Shakas life and deeds had been handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation, and they are here evoked with a sense.