Zulu Kingdom

The Zulu is one of the largest ethnic groups in South Africa. They are subset of the Nguni, which is a sub-group of the Bantu. They currently live in the province of KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa. Small populations of Zulu live in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Their language, IsiZulu, is an official language in South Africa. The people are collectively referred to as amaZulu and one person is referred to as umZulu.

History

The Zulu migrated from Congo to the South in the 16^th century. By the 17^th and 18^th century the Zulu people had settled in KwaZulu and formed tribes and clans.  

A Zulu king was always succeeded by his eldest son and the kings had many wives. King Malandela KaLuzamu was the first king of the Zulu. In 1709, he was succeeded by his son Zulu KaNtombhela. The ninth king of the Zulu was KaJama Senzangakhona who succeeded his father Jama KaNdaba. Senzangakhona died in 1816 and Shaka Zulu took over the kingdom by force.

Shaka was born in 1787 and he was an illegitimate son of Senzangakhona. His mother was called Nandi and she was the Senzangakhona's third wife. Shaka and his mother were exiled by Senzangakona and they found refuge in the neighboring kingdom called Mthethwa kingdom. Dingiswayo, the king of the Mthethwa, helped Shaka to claim his place as a chief of the Zulu kingdom after making Shaka a commander-in-chief of the Mthethwa Kingdom. Shaka reigned for twelve years over the Zulu Kingdom and he became the greatest leader of his time. He was succeeded by Dingane, his half-brother, who worked together with Mhlangano, another half-brother, to murder Shaka in 1828. Following assassination, Dingane murdered Mhlangano, and took over the throne. He continued to execute many past supporters of Shaka in order to protect his position. Dingane was succeeded by Mpande, his half-brother, in January 1840. Cetshwayo, Mpande's son succeeded him in 1872. The Zulu warriors defeated the British in 1879 at the battle of Isandlwana and the Zulu were later defeated at the Battle of Ulundi on July 4th; this was called the Anglo-Zulu war. Cetshwayo died in February 1884, possibly poisoned and his son Dinuzulu, then 15 years old, inherited the throne. He died in 1913 after being sent to exile on a by the British. Dinuzulu was succeeded by his son Solomon kaDinuzuluand and in 1948 Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon succeeded his father, Solomon. In 1971 Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu succeeded his father Bhekuzulu. He is the current king.

Food

Their main food diet consists of cow and agricultural products including barbecued and boiled meat; amasi (curdled milk), mixed with dry, ground corn or dry, cooked mealie-meal (corn flour); amadumbe (yams); vegetables; and fruits. The Zulu traditional beer is not only a staple food but a considerable source of nutrition. It is socially and ritually important and consumed on all significant occasions.

Clothing

The older Zulu women wear isicholo, which is a wide hat made of straw and decorated beads (ubuhalu) and they also wear a isidwaba, a pleated skirt made of cowhide and softened by hand. Young women decorate their isidwaba with beads whereas older women wear it plain. Clothing for Zulu girls is decorated with beadwork. Beadwork has a symbolic language that may include messages of love, encouragement, reprimands and warnings. Men's traditional clothing consists mainly of cowhide used to cover mainly the bottom font and back. Traditionally, women and men walk barefooted when they wear these clothes.

Religion and Belief

The main religions include Christianity and traditional beliefs. The Zulu traditional belief was in ancestral spirits called Amatongo and these spirits had power to intervene in people's lives, for good or bad. Offerings and sacrifices are made to the ancestors for protection, good health and happiness. Ancestral spirits come back to the world in the form of dreams, illnesses, and sometimes snakes. They believe that many misfortunes, sometimes even death, are the result of angry spirits.

Zulu Today

The Zulu people still celebrate the Zulu girls reed dance where the Zulu girls sing and dance while the Zulu warriors show  the Zulu weapons and shields to their king and weapons. This is done in Kwazulu-Natal where the Royal Palace is located. Shaka Zulu was nominated to be one of the greatest South African in 2004. A South African actor known as Henry Cele acted as Shaka Zulu in the Shaka Zulu movie and he is known as the Shaka of this century.

Sources

Lungi Sosibo and Jasmin Harvey

   2000 Zulu at UCLA: Isizulu. Electronic Document, http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/aflang/zulu/home.html accessed on April 1st, 2009

Zulu

   Zulu people: Information About Zulu Culture, Tribes, Beadwork, KwaZulu Natal & The King Shaka Zulu. Electronic Document,

       http://www.zulu-culture-history.com/ accessed on April 2nd, 2009

Andries Pretorius

   2009  Encyclopedia Britannica: Boer South African Leader. Electronic Document, 

        http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/475588/Andries-Pretorius#ref=ref162745 accessed on April 3rd, 2009

Written by Esther Nalubwama, 2009