NAME: NOKULUNGA GASA
STUDENT NO: 223123481
MODULE: HIST201
TITTLE: ESSAY
I agree with the assertion that Shaka Zulu's legacy is still quite controversial to a larger
extent. Historians, academics, and modern observers alike continue to disagree and
argue over the significance of the early 19th-century Zulu Kingdom commander. Some
denounce Shaka's tactics as cruel and his influence as destabilizing, while others hail
him as a military genius and a uniting force in Zulu history. The conflict regarding
Shaka's legacy results from the intricate interactions between political goals of the
present day, cultural viewpoints, and historical interpretations. This essay explores the
conflicting aspects of Shaka's legacy and its varied nature, including the differing
perspectives on his life and legacy.
BACKGROUND
Shaka was the son of Senzangakhona, the chief of the Zulu, a minor chiefdom. Nandi,
a Langeni chief's daughter, was his mother. All available information regarding Shaka's
early life comes from oral sources. Shaka was allegedly born into Senzangakhona's
family, but the pair had not yet tied the knot in accordance with protocol. A more
plausible explanation is that Shaka was born in Langeni territory at Nandi's uncle's
Nguga homestead, and that the relationship between Nandi and Senzangakhona was
illegal. Senzangakhona's allegation that Nandi was afflicted with a digestive ailment
brought on by the iShaka insect, rather than being pregnant, is credited with inspiring
the moniker Shaka. Nandi was eventually put in as Senzangakhona's third wife, despite
his efforts to deny fatherhood. Thus, Shaka was raised at his father's esiKlebeni farm
close to modern-day Babanango. This sacred area is known as the EmaKhosini, or
Burial-place of the Kings, and it is here that Senzangakhona's ancestors the Nkosinkulu,
or Zulu had been chiefs for many generations. Senzangakhona and Nandi's relationship
appears to have been strained, as evidenced by the chieftain's decision to exclude
Nandi from his court. Nandi went to the Langeni people's Mhlathuze Valley in search of
safety with her son. Here, as a fatherless child, Shaka endured abuse and humiliation
from the Langeni brothers. There were two powerful competing Nguni tribes at the time:
the fierce Zwide-headed Ndwandwe and the Mthethwa, led by supreme chief
Dingiswayo. Later, most likely during the Madlantule (c.1802) Great Famine, Shaka was
brought to the Mthethwa tribe, where he found refuge at Nandi's aunt's house. He thus
grew up at Dingiswayo's court, where they were cordially received. but also endured a
great deal of abuse and taunting from the Mthethwa boys, who disapproved of his
assertions of mainly descent1. Shaka began to find new abilities and capabilities as he
who is Shaka? [online] Available at:
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/who-is-shaka. Accessed 30 March 2024
1 SA History Online,
matured into a man. Though he was tall and solidly built, on the inside he grew a hunger
for power; his talent and bravery gave him a natural authority over the adolescents in
his age group. He was probably drafted into one of the Mthethwa regiments when he
was perhaps twenty-three years old, when he discovered a level of satisfaction he had
never experienced before. He found the camaraderie he had previously missed in the
iziCwe regiment with the impi, and the battlefield served as a stage for him to show off
his skills and bravery. His ruler saw his extraordinary bravery, and as he quickly rose
through the ranks of Dingiswayo's army, he was appointed as one of his top
commanders. Shaka was now christened Nodumehlezi, which means "the one who
causes the earth to rumble when seated." Shaka got deeply involved in strategy and
fighting tactics during his time in the Mthethwa army, and Dingiswayo made a significant
contribution to Shaka's subsequent military successes. From then on, militarism would
become his way of life and the manner he would force it upon countless people.
INTERPRITATION OF SHAKA
Shaka is a wild beast, as seen by the phrases "the wildly unrestrained one who is like
the ear of an elephant" and "the wild. After the two-volume Travels and Adventures in
Eastern Africa by Isaacs was published, almost all later fiction about shaka by white
authors was based on this work, which clearly depicted shaka as a crafty, barbarous
leader during the 19th century. Coca argued that by painting a negative picture of
Shaka at the Cape, traders in Natal fostered British colonial interference2. According to
some historians, Shaka was a "military genius" who united the Zulu people and military
to destroy rival chiefdoms. Shaka was a military tactician preoccupied with defeating
rival kingdoms through innovative tactics in combat. Speaking about history was a
primary means of transmitting knowledge from one generation to the next in African
communities, where oral tradition was prevalent. Praise poems, also known as izibongo
(a Zulu word for praises uttered in a person's honor), are typically lengthy. Oral tradition
has amassed testimonies from individuals who either witnessed or heard about these
events.3 Shaka is also characterized as a brutal tyrant who, because of his strong hold
over his followers, brought about the devastation and suffering of African communities
during the Mfecane. Shaka would give the order to put someone to death if he thought
them to be a threat or traitors to the Zulu empire. Written reports provided the basis for
tales that depicted Shaka as a brutal and ruthless despot. Shaka's life story was only
chronicled in writing by British traders who traveled to the Zulu nation in the 1820s.
Many historians have drawn conclusions about Shaka from the British trader Francis
2 Carolyn Hamilton. “The Character and Objects of Chaka: A Reconsideration of Making of Shaka as
‘Mfecane’ Motor”, The Journal of African History (1992.33.1) 49-50
3 SA History Online. Oral Tradition and Indigenous Knowledge. [Online] Available at:
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/oral-tradition-and-indigenous-knowledge. Accessed 30 March 2024
Fynn's diaries. The diary was written down from what Fynn could still recall, therefore it
did not give an accurate daily report, which casts doubt on the source's veracity.
Furthermore, Fynn was urged by a British trader named Nathaniel Isaacs to write
disparaging things about Dingane and Shaka. Isaacs wrote a letter to Fynn that stated:
"Try to convey a sense of how many people they have killed in their reign and make
them appear as ruthless as you can".4 Shaka is also described as a great leader who
united and fortified the Zulu nation, as well as a nation builder. Not all colonial written
records of Shaka were unfavorable; colonial administrators in Natal also presented
Shaka as a nationalist. This was the case with the unflattering portrayals of Shaka by
British traders. A Natal administrator named James Stuart gathered many oral histories
from persons who heard Shaka tales in the early 1900s. For instance, Stuart spoke with
Jantshika Nongila, the spy son of Shaka, in 1903. The original records that Stuart
penned based on the interviews he conducted are presently housed in the Killie
Campbell Africana Library in Durban, and the following excerpt is taken from them:
Shaka's career in South Africa began almost simultaneously with Napoleon's in Europe,
but instead of being marred by failure, it was marked by extraordinary success. He
started with a little, little-known tribe and gradually elevated it, along with many other
tribes within a five-hundred-mile radius, into a large nation.”5
SHAKA’S LEGACY
Wright claims that from 1880 until the 1920s, the life of Martin Luther King became a
myth for both Whites and Blacks, who saw him as the local revolutionary. Historians
contended that numerous supporters of Shaka might have purposefully altered the
documents to guarantee Shaka's unfavorable perception by upcoming generations.6 In
Southern Africa, Shaka Zulu revolutionized warfare. He significantly altered the Zulu
military's tactics and organizational structure. Among his inventions was the short
stabbing spear called iklwa, so called because of the noise it produced when it was
removed from an opponent's body. Additionally, he instituted regimental arrangements,
in which warriors were housed in amakhanda, or barrack-like structures, according to
age groupings. His soldiers became more disciplined and united as a result7. Shaka
was a cunning politician in addition to a military prodigy. By uniting smaller tribes under
4 H.F. Fynn, D.McK. Malcolm, J. Stuart. (eds)
The Diary of Henry Francis Fynn. Compiled from Original
Sources. (Shater and Shooter: Pietermaritzburg, 1950)
5 Testimony from the James Stuart Archive Available at: https://fhya.org/baleka-ka-mpitikakazi-testimonyfrom-the-james-stuart-archives-of-recourded-oral-evidence-relating-to-the-history-of-the-zulu-andneighouring-peoples-volume-1-ant-lyl [online] Accessed 30 March 2024
6 J. Wright, Mfecane Debate. (1995)
7 G. Santos, Black Historical Heroes Shaka Zulu: The Warrior’s Legacy, Myths and Impact of a Zulu
Legend, Culture Bay [Online] Accessed at:culturebay.co/blogs/black-historical-heroes/skaka-zulu-thewarriors-legacy-myths-impact-of-a-zulu-legend#shaka-zulu-s-lasting-legacy-in-zulu-culture
his governance, he established a strong kingdom that could withstand outside
influences. He used both force and diplomacy in his political plans to annex neighboring
communities into his empire. Shaka established one of the most powerful kingdoms in
African history by this method. Shaka's influence on African history has brought him
international acclaim. His narrative has found a global audience in novels, motion
pictures, and other media. He is well-known throughout the world because he stands for
fortitude and perseverance in the face of insurmountable adversity. As someone who
altered how civilizations organize politically and militarily to meet challenges from both
the inside and the outside, he will always have a special place in world history.
MYTHS OF SHAKA
The circumstances of Shaka's death are surrounded by several tales and stories. There
is a common narrative that says he was killed by European settlers, while other asserts
that he was assassinated by his half-brothers, Dingane and Mhlangana. Historians
disagree on the actual events surrounding Shaka's death, which are still a mystery8.
The idea that Shaka was created from the coupling of a human and a mystical being
often referred to as a god or supernatural entity is one of the most widely held myths
about him. This tale adds to Shaka's mystique and legendary status by making him
seem like a man with divine origins. Furthermore, since Shaka's life story is primarily
told by erratic Zulu storytellers or prejudiced white colonial-era chroniclers, it's possible
that his brutality has been exaggerated and that there is a plausible explanation for his
insanity, even if it has been lost to history. I was raised to believe that Shaka, the
powerful Zulu monarch, killed those who were smaller in stature because he thought
they would not have any bearing on his rule. Moreover, it was widely believed that when
European explorers arrived in Africa and brought new products that Africans had never
seen before, Shaka took advantage of the chance to exchange large areas of his land
for these sought-after goods most notably mirrors because he was deeply fascinated by
the strange and foreign. These stories, which have been deeply embedded in my
knowledge, helped to highlight the significance of myths and the intricate relationships
that arose between native African civilizations and the forces of European colonization
in the 19th century.
CONCLUSION
8 ibid
To sum up, this essay has looked at Shaka Zulu's history, his contentious legacy,
several biographies, and the mythology that surrounds him. The analysis shows that
there are still many differing opinions about Shaka's historical significance and the
effects of his rule, making his legacy extremely contested. The abundance of myths
adds to the confusion around Shaka's persona and accomplishments and further
muddies our perception of him. Shaka's legacy is controversial, which emphasizes how
difficult it is to conduct historical research and how important it is to hear other points of
view. The arguments over Shaka have persisted over time, demonstrating the myth's
continuing strength and the difficulties in interpreting history. In the end, the question of
whether Shaka's legacy is still highly controversial merits further investigation and
thoughtful consideration.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Carolyn Hamilton. “The Character and Objects of Chaka: A Reconsideration of Making
of Shaka as ‘Mfecane’ Motor”, The Journal of African History, (1992,33.1) 49-50
Gil Santos. “Black Historian Heroes Shaka Zulu: The Warrior’s Legacy, Myths, and
Impact of a Zulu Legend, Culture Bay. 28 December 2023 [Online] Available at:
https://culturebay.co/blogs/black-historical-heroes/shaka-zulu-the-rwarriors-legacymyths-impact-of-a-zulu-legend#shaka-zulu-s-lasting-legacy-in-zulu-culture. Accessed
30 March 2024
H.F. Fynn, D.McK. Malcolm, J. Stuart (eds), The Diary of Henry Francis Fynn. Compiled
from Original Sources (Shuter & Shooter: Pietermaritzburg, 1950)
J. Wright. Mfecane Debate, (1995)
SA History Online, Oral Tradition and Indigenous Knowledge. [Online] Available at:
https://www.sahistory.org.za/aricle/oral-traditon-and-indigenous-knowledge. Accessed
30 March 2024
SAHO. Who is Shaka? [Online] Available at: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/who-isshaka Accessed 30 March 2024
Testimony from the James Stuart Archive [Online] Available at: https://fhya.org/balekaka-mpitilikakazi-testimony-from-the-james-stuart-archive-of-recorded-oral-evidencerelating-to-the-history-of-the-zulu-and-neighouring-peoples-volume-1-lyl. Accessed 30
March 2024