Shaka zulu life story
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Who Was Shaka Zulu? Life, Rule, & Death of the Zulu Warrior King
In the early 19th century, in the region of what is now KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa, a powerful kingdom was born. At its head was the clever but brutal King Shaka. Under his rule, the small and insignificant Zulu tribe came to dominate all other tribes at a time of immense conflict in the area.
He defined and refined Zulu culture as his conquests created a legacy that exists as a powerful link to the Zulu people today.
His story was one of struggle and violence, as well as immense grief, sadness, and insanity.
The Early Life of Shaka
The birth of Shaka was a result of a violation of Zulu tradition. uKuhlobonga was the act of non-penetrative sex, and it served an important function. The practice was believed to wash away the umnyama – darkness or bad omens caused by killing another man. Thus, when Zulu warriors went to or returned from war, uKuhlobonga was a very common act.
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Shaka
King of the Zulu Kingdom (–)
For other uses, see Shaka (disambiguation).
Shaka kaSenzangakhona (c.&#;–24 September ), also known as Shaka Zulu (Zulu pronunciation:[ˈʃaːɠa]) and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from to One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms that reorganized the military into a formidable force.
King Shaka was born in the lunar month of uNtulikazi (July) in the year , in Mthonjaneni, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The son of the Zulu King Senzankakhona kaJama, he was spurned as an illegitimate son. Shaka spent part of his childhood in his mother's settlements, where he was initiated into an ibutho lempi (fighting unit/regiment), serving as a warrior beneath Inkosi Dingiswayo.[3]
King Shaka further refined the ibutho military system with the Mthethwa Paramountcy's support over the next several years. He forged alliances with his smaller neighbours to cou
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HHe promoted good neighbourliness and peace among the people of all races who resided within the kingdom and pioneered (international) trade in the area south of Delagoa Bay (Maputo). Ivory and cattle were the key items of the trade, which flourished under his guidance. As time passed, cattle ceased to be items for commercial exchange, and became important possessions for spiritual and ritual purposes, and served as material and spiritual wealth within the kingdom.
Shaka created a stratified society based on a combination of subtle socialisation and “reasonable degree” of force. At the apex were the king and aristocracy, which consisted the Zulu ruling house and the groups that were incorporated into the Zulu state during the early stages of its expansion. Closely linked to Zulu royalty and its aristocracy were the more important amakhosi (chiefs) and notables, iziphakanyiswa,who were drawn from the chiefdoms that were subjugated in the early stages of Zulu expansion. They were