Empire · 1816–1897 · Southern Africa

Zulu Kingdom

Also known as Zulu, Zululand

The Zulu were a small Nguni chiefdom until Shaka seized power in 1816 with the backing of the Mthethwa leader Dingiswayo. He reorganised fighting men into disciplined age-grade regiments armed with short stabbing spears and large shields, and used encircling horns of the buffalo tactics to absorb neighbouring peoples, amid the wars and migrations known as the Mfecane.

Shaka was assassinated in 1828 by his half-brother Dingane, who clashed with Voortrekker Boers and lost the battle of Blood River in 1838. Under Mpande the kingdom recovered, but Britain demanded its submission, and in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 Cetshwayo's army won a famous victory at Isandlwana before being defeated at Ulundi. Britain divided Zululand, annexed it in 1887 and joined it to the colony of Natal in 1897.

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Years

1816–1897

Capital

KwaBulawayo under Shaka; later Ulundi (oNdini)

Greatest extent

1828, about 30,000 km²

Region

Southern Africa

c.; the core kingdom under Shaka, whose influence reached much further: Gluckman (1960) put the area he dominated by 1822 at about 80,000 sq mi (c. 207,000 km²)