The story of Africa bears an indelible mark from Shaka Zulu, a brutal warrior, brilliant strategist, and brilliant military leader. He is also today a symbol of African unity, despite having lived during the early 19th century.
Shaka Zulu
This African leader was born in 1787, and by the age of 38 he had already managed to build an empire, and had united all the tribal factions of the region of South Africa.
His people were the Zulus, who thanks to Shaka were united for the first time in a powerful state and had a feeling of unity that lasts today. His military actions that took him across southern Africa created a tense effect throughout Africa, forever upsetting the balance of forces in the region.
By the time Shaka appeared on the scene, southern Africa was inhabited by a wide variety of groups, from the native xhosa Y Zulu until the boers and the British. Each group with its interests, which resulted in different battles for territories and resources.
The origin of Shaka Zulu
It could be said that his empire he began to wake up from the moment he was born and he and his mother were disowned by the tribe. The causes are unknown, but due to the humiliations to which he had to submit by his own tribe, in Shaka Zulu resentment appeared.
Over time, his father, who had disowned him, had become the head of the zulu tribe and according to history, chiefs were known to murder their sons, to avoid possible betrayal and end up murdered. Because of this, for fear of further harm, the mother of Shaka Zuludecided to exile him and move him away from the tribe.
During his exile, Shaka Zulu became a warrior of the tribe Mthethwa, whom he served for years, until he became an expert strategist in their military battles. In addition, he was creating a physique and a character that attracted attention, to such an extent that when the crown prince of the tribe for which he fought died, Shaka Zulu was named his successor, under the shelter of Dingiswayo.
Over time Dingiswayo, asked to meet the father of Shaka Zulu and although at first he did not recognize him, it ended in reconciliation, which meant that when his father and his half-brother from the other tribe died, he took charge of both tribes, thus starting his army.
Shaka Zulu and the clans
The Zulus were the most numerous, numbering in the tens of thousands, and concentrated in the southeast of what is now South Africa. They had their own culture that united them, but they remained separated in clans without a common leader.
for 1816 Shaka Zulu took total power over all clans Zulu, after distinguishing himself in battle, both physically and strategically. In a campaign of conquest he united all the clans under his rule.
then started a reorganization of the zulu warriors, implementing a rigid training program, new sword-style weapons that replaced the traditional spears. And new attack formations, under a strict code of obedience. Zulu society was then completely reorganized around the army.
In just a few years that army conquered the neighboring territories with what it got 200 thousand new subjects. His method was violent, but in this way he unified all those peoples into a single powerful nation.
By the end of his days he had become very cruel and paranoid, and ended up being assassinated in 1828. But despite this, this did not mean the end of the effect that shake created in the history of southern Africa.
Apart from having created the zulu kingdoma political entity, the military campaigns of shake caused a massive displacement of people in the region, a crisis that lasted decades, a period known as Mfecane.
Between 1820 and 1840, those who were not killed or assimilated as vassals of the Zulu warriors escaped and became refugees. Thousands were expelled from their traditional lands. Some of these groups ended up joining together for security, even creating nations like Lesotho Y Swaziland.
The Mfecane it also created famines, in which some cases of cannibalism became known, which gave rise to the exaggerations that continue today when talking about Africa.
After Shaka Zulu
the legacy of Shaka Zulu He did not limit himself to leaving a trail of blood and violence because he imposed his law yes or yes. He created a community based on values where both men and women, he had to respect the maximum hierarchy, but that they should collaborate in the fields of the other in their own way. In this way, the women collaborated in the logistics of battles and men collaborated in housework.
I think the Amabutho systemwhere he classified young people by age and gave them military training, along with values such as discipline and loyalty, determination and courage. During that military training period, which lasted three years, he trained them in the field of hand-to-hand combat, so that they could defend themselves and others.
As for what the historians narrated about him and his tribe, there is a wide variety of opinions, but those made by the castaways who described them as peaceful beings who respected the laws that were governed and on the other hand, there are the opinions of the settlers Of Africa, that at that time, as we all know, what interested them was not exactly knowing the tribe and described them as violent and wild.
All this is the shaka zulu storya Warrior who changed the history of southern africa and a survivor who took what little he had to become strong and big, but above all smart, to become a strategist and a military leader that many will remember with respect.
That was how Shaka Zulu completely changed the history and the African setting.