Who Was Shaka Zulu? What Role Did He Have In History?

Shaka Zulu, born around 1787, was an illegitimate son who rose to become the king of the Zulu kingdom in southeast Africa through ruthless tactics and military innovation. He transformed battle techniques, implementing rigorous training for his warriors and creating close-quarters combat weapons like the iklwa spear. Shaka's reign, which ended with his assassination in 1828, initiated the mfecane upheaval, leading to the deaths of millions as neighboring tribes were displaced.

1. Who Was

2. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

3. Shaka was born around 1787. He was illegitimate, the son of a chief who didn’t acknowledge him, and grew up under the care of his mother. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

4. Shaka rose from nothing to become the King of an amalgamation of tribes that came to be known as the Zulu. He did this through a combination of ruthlessness, cunning, and a willingness to change and adapt. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

5. His kingdom was in southeast Africa. His capital, Bulawayo, meant “the place where they are killed.” Who Was Shaka Zulu?

6. He transformed the way people in his part of the world did battle. He imposed what might be considered a Spartan type of training system for his warriors. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

7. He is credited with designing the iKlwa a short spear with a long blade. The name comes from the sound if makes when pulled out of a victim. It not to be thrown but wielded, in concert with the shield, in close quarters battle. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

8. He also organized his army into impi or regiments. He based his battle formation on the bull. With two horns on the flanks, a chest to either attack or feign attack, then retreat and draw the enemy in, and the loins to finish the enemy off. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

9. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

10. There are many legends and myths about him, but little direct source material. Some say he made his men go barefoot to toughen their feet; others say it was a capital offense for a warrior to not have his leather sandals. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

11. Shaka was very close to his mother. When she died, it is said he killed over 7,000 of his own people because he didn’t believe they were mourning sufficiently. He ordered all women who became pregnant during the year of mourning to be killed along with their husbands. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

12. He did forbid his troops from marrying. He used young boys to carry supplies for his army. Any warrior found with a wound on his back would be executed. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

13. The key was to close on the enemy, use the edge of the shield to pull away the enemy’s shield, then stab them with the iKlwa or bash them with the iWisa .

14. Shaka actually welcomed whites into his territory, although he only met them four years before his death. This was because a white man healed him after he was wounded. Whites founded Port Natal. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

15. Shaka was assassinated in 1828. Most say it was his half-brother who did it. Regardless, the move was met with overall relief by the Zulu people. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

16. Unfortunately, his reign started the Mfecane , also known as the ‘scattering’. As he expanded his empire, the tribes around him moved outward, conquering other tribes. This upheaval which continued long after his death, killed an estimated 1 to 2 million Africans. Who Was Shaka Zulu?

17. Most have heard of the Zulus in terms of the Battle of Isandlwana. However, this occurred over 50 years after his death. However, the tactics remained the same.

18. But what if . . . Who Was Shaka Zulu?

19. Travel back in time to Zululand in 1828. Where he meets Shaka Zulu in the last year of the great king’s life. And they face a threat that could make mankind extinct. Eagle’s Mission: Hallows Eve

20. 31 October. Hallows Eve 1517 1692 1828 1941 1984 Zero Year What do they all have in common? A day when history stood in the balance.

21. New York Times bestselling author, is a graduate of West Point and former Green Beret. He’s had over 90 books published, including the #1 bestselling series Green Berets, Time Patrol, Area 51, and Atlantis. He’s sold over 5 million books. He was born in the Bronx and has traveled the world. He’s lived on an island off the east coast, an island off the west coast, in the Rocky Mountains, the Smoky Mountains and other places, including time in East Asia studying martial arts. They haven’t caught him yet. www.bobmayer.com