Shaka - history.

« eliminate internal opponents, and he crushed and dispersed several groups.

In 1827 the death of his mother, Nandi, and his subsequent declaration of mandatory publicmourning again served as an excuse for Shaka to execute his rivals and critics.

Such actions, however, simply encouraged others who felt threatened to conspire againsthim.

Even his amabutho began turning against him because they were exhausted by the incessant campaigns and wanted an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of theirconquests. In 1824 British traders and hunters had established a settlement at Port Natal (now Durban) with Shaka’s permission.

They brought firearms, and Shaka had grown to relyon them as mercenaries.

He also saw them as a channel through which to open friendly relations with Britain’s Cape Colony ( see Cape Province), which lay to the southwest of Zululand.

Shaka recognized that the Cape Colony was the other major power of the region, and saw that the British could prove either useful allies or dangerous enemies.However, the British rejected Shaka’s diplomatic overtures in 1828, citing the destabilizing effect of ongoing Zulu warfare.

The reversal encouraged those plotting againstShaka to act.

His half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana, with the crucial approval of his politically influential aunt, Mnkabayi, seized the opportunity provided by a temporaryabsence of the Zulu army.

With the help of Mbopha, Shaka’s trusted personal attendant, they assassinated the king on September 24, 1828, at kwaDukuza, his royalresidence.

Dingane subsequently seized the throne.

Shaka’s kingdom survived his death by only 50 years, when it was conquered by the British. IV EVALUATION Many powerful myths surround Shaka’s life, making it difficult for people to appraise him rationally.

As the founder of the Zulu kingdom—a kingdom whose traditions andinfluence survive to this day—Shaka is celebrated for his military prowess, and he serves as a potent symbol of Zulu national pride.

For many Europeans, however, he hasalways epitomized the stereotypical savage African tyrant.

Indeed, oral traditions regarding his cruelty have been preserved among the descendants of the African people heconquered as well.

Yet local and regional politicians continue to invoke his name to attract support, and artists, writers, and filmmakers never tire of studying him.

Nomatter how he is regarded, Shaka remains the dominant figure in Zulu history. Contributed By:John LabandMicrosoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation.

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