The Zulu Wars
C aim – to analyse why the British wanted Zululand and explain how they conquered it
B/A aim – to analyse what the most important causes were of the colonisation of Zululand
‘Cetshwayo is the secret hope of every independent
chief hundreds of miles from him, who feels the
desire that his colour shall prevail. The sooner the
root of the evil, which I consider to be the Zulu power
and military organisation, is dealt with, the easier our
task will be.’ British Special Commissioner Shepstone.
What motives are
there for the
colonisation of
Zululand?
What do you think
would happen in the
colonisation of
Zululand?
The Background
• Policy of Confederation – early 1870s
Britain hoped to unite its southern African colonies (the Cape and Natal), with the Boers states of
the Orange Free State and the Transvaal, into one country, under British supremacy.
In 1877 the British formally annexed the Transvaal. Orange Free State was not annexed.
Why did war with the
Zulus look likely?
Shepstone had established agreements with
the powerful Zulu warrior kingdom. However,
new colonialists were trying to establish their
position and taunted him for this. Frere
decided he would have a new approach.
The British wanted to
expand their policy of
confederation to the Zulu
kingdom for the possibility
of more minerals, to access
a new black African labour
force, and to protect routes
to the mines.
Shepstone had reached an agreement with
Cetshwayo’s father that the Zulus must give a strip of
land in the North of Natal to the Boers as they had
ancestral rights there. However, now that Cetshwayo
had established power as a result of Civil War, he
wanted to gain further support. He informed Britain
that this agreement was no longer valid and that the
Zulus would be maintaining their rule over this strip of
land.
How did these men influence
the colonisation of Zululand?
Shepstone
Frere
Rorke’s Drift
In December 1878 the Zulus were awarded an area of Natal by the British as the Boer’s
could not produce any documentary proof that the former king had given it to them.
However, the new British governor and high commissioner of the cape Frere gave them this
news with an ultimatum valid for 30 days, that the Zulus must allow missionaries to be
restored (although they had never actually been expelled!), the King must abolish his
military system and that the King must accept a British Resident (that Zulu land became a
protectorate).
This was issued due to the Policy of Confederation, long running feud with the Zulus, Frere
trying to establish himself in his new position, and Frere whipping up a press campaign to
gain support.
The Zulus refused as it would effectively have meant that Cetshwayo would have had to
revoke his kingship. and 30 days later the British invaded in January 1879.
The British set up camp at Rorke’s Drift and sent scouts and marched some men to go and
defeat the Zulus. The Zulus left Ulandi (their royal capital), they defeated the British at
Isandhlwana. They then went around the British, and awaited in a ravine near Rorke’s Drift
so that they could not be seen.
Rorke’s Drift
Look at the picture and answer these questions.
1. What is happening to the British and Zulus at Rorke’s Drift?
2. Queen Victoria commissioned this painting, why would she have done this?
3. How may the painting be inaccurate?
Only a handful of British men survived.
Example
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Reason
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Why did the
British want to
conquer
Zululand?
Reason
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Reason
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Homework – Due Thursday 21st
November
• Research the Zulu wars online and produce a
handwritten timeline showing the sequence
of events