The+Rise+Of+The+Zulu

 **M**ichael's rise of the Zulu.

**R**esearch Summary
 * 1) Breif History Of Rise
 * 2) King Shaka
 * 3) Geography
 * 4) Conflict with British

Bibliography 


 * E**ssay:

What can we take or learn from the Zulu way of life that is seen or can be used in a society like our everyday life. The Zulu are most well known for being a very militaristic nation. From my research and books I have read I learned that the whole military spotlight on Zulus has not always been on and it was not until King Shaka took over the throne and began his reign over the Zulus that they became known for being the most feared and vicious warriors in all of South Africa. Shaka’s personal life had been filled with hatred and neglect. His father was a past Zulu chief who shunned Shaka and his mother and sent them to live amongst another tribe called the Methewa. It was here that Shaka joined the chief’s army and developed a love for battle. Being such a natural-born leader and loyal soldier the chief gave Shaka his own regiment. He stayed and grew a reputation as a fierce warrior in this tribe until notice of his father’s death in 1816. Being heir to the Zulu throne Shaka was soon hailed as ruler over the Zulu kingdom. As the Zulu empire grew under Shaka’s rule, so did his reputation for being insanely cruel. It is said that when Shaka’s mother died in 1827 he had 7,000 of his own people put to death because they were dry-eyed and showed no signs of grief or sadness at his mother’s passing. Shaka ruled his empire using the same initimidation technique used by many dictators in history – fear. Fear only leads to continued conflict on a much larger scale. In most of today’s societies this is looked at as inhumane and wrong. No one person has the right to dictate how millions of people should think and act. A leader’s role is to produce order and rule not to play God in a way they feel is correct. Shaka’s army of Zulu warriors was known for being ruthless especially when Shaka was in command. His battle tactics were a force to be reckoned with. An example being the way he formed a “bullhorn” manoeuvre whereby he formed a bullhorn-shaped position and literally surrounded his enemy so there was no chance of escape from any direction. If the enemy was defeated Shaka would give the survivors an ultimatum – one which they could not refuse – either join one of his viscious regiments and fight with the Zulus – of be put to death. Most accepted Shaka’s ultimatum and joined his army but others chose not to betray their own army and were executed. In 1828 King Shaka was assassinated by one of his own brothers who no longer wanted to be ruled by such an evil and viscious king. During his reign over the Zulu kingdom he became a legendary tyrant, feared by all who opposed him. The world has come to realize that there is no place in today’s society for tyrannical dictatorships – they only lead to more hatred and evil. The Zulu have been a culture since the 1700s. They are originally from various regions in South Africa but they now live on the eastern seaboard of South Africa formerly known as Kwazululand. However, the Zulu realized they were a rapidly expanding tribe and they felt the need for their own kingdom. They therefore joined with the province of Natal and became known as Kwazulu-Natal. They have gone from being one of the many small clans in South Africa with a population of thousands to being a massive nation of millions. They are presently the largest tribe in Kwazulu-Natal. Due to changes in sea levels long ago Kwazulu-Natal is a very uneven landscape ranging from low-lying mountains – the highest peak stands 3,000 metres above sea level- to low level grasslands and valleys. Streams flow from the mountains which provide well-watered pastures for cattle. The land is very fertile which is excellent for cultivating crops. Due to it’s self-sustaining nature and the fertility of the land as well as access to natural resources Kwazulu-Natal became a popular place for South African tribes although there is still conflict in the form of inter-trival feuding over cattle and natural resources. The Zulu controlled Kwazulu-Natal until 1878. This is the date that Britain sent agents representing their country to South Africa. The British approached various tribes and presented 11 chiefs with an offer they could not refuse. The king at the time was Cetshwayo and he was ordered to disband his viscious army of warriors and surrender to the British. Cetshwayo refused. In 1879 war ensued and due to the fact that the British had firearms and gunpowder they obviously had a huge upper hand. However the Zulu kept fighting even though they were being outweighed with only spears and shields to fight with. The fighting went on for over a year but in the end the Zulu were officially defeated following the capture of their ruler King Cetshwayo. The British divided the Zulu kingdom into 13 kinglets. These kinglets fought amongst each other until Cetshwayo was released by the British and reinstated as king over Kwazulu-Natal. In today’s world we have found ways to solve problems by means other than war and violence with tactics such as negotiation. War in today’s world is a worst case scenario, a last resort when other peaceful means just don’t work. The Zulu knew of no way other than war and violence as the only way they could determine a dispute or argument and it was not looked at as wrong, it is what you did if you were a Zulu warrior. As we have evolved as humans we have learned that here are many different ways of looking at a situation. There is no one way, no easy fix. Zulus, as well as other cultures have a more linear way of dealing with life. Ways which do not involve self-interpretation. They were very close-minded and had a clearer perspective of their purpose on this planet. Today people must go through a lot of self-reflection and open minded thought to feel like they have a purpose. To conclude this essay, research on the Zulu has given me an idea of how remarkable the world we live in is today. It gave me a new found appreciation for our present way of life, our democracies and our constant striving to find peaceful forms of conflict resolution.

