Shaka was a prominent leader of the Zulu Empire from South Africa. Remarkably, he was the son of Senzangakona and Nandi . His father was the Zulu chieftain, whereas his mother was an orphaned princess of the Langemi clan. In this case, marriage between Shaka's parents violated the Zulu customs as it was between the same clan. As a result, Shaka was considered an illegitimate son. His single mother raised him after his parents broke up. Nevertheless, he later joined the Mthethwa Empire, where he served as a brilliant warrior. After the death of Senzangakona, Shaka took over Zulu. At that time, the Zulu were among the smallest sub clans of the Nguni-Bantu clans. The arrival of Shaka was the onset of the greatness of the Zulu people 1 . He is renowned for ruling with an iron fist. Hence, he meted out instant death for any slight opposition. He was instrumental in developing a fighting force that conquered the region. Notably, Shaka Zulu was not a madman, but a clever and innovative leader.
Shaka displayed his shrewdness and innovative leadership through the reorganization of the army. He ensured that his people were well armed with spindly throwing spears and oxhide shields. In this case, he assured the preparedness of his people to counter battles from his neighboring clans. The clan that was usually outnumbered suffered casualties and retreated for the takeover of their territories. As a result, Shaka rearmed the Zulu men with short-hafted and long-bladed stabbing assegais. 2 Thus, the Zulu men fought in close proximity. Moreover, he initiated a regimental system, which was based on age groups. They were quartered at different villages (kraals). Remarkably, the reorganization of the army was a creative act from Shaka in defense of his territory.
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Additionally, he acted innovatively by developing new standard tactics used by the Zulu in every battle. He subdivided the regiments into four distinct groups called impi . 3 The strongest group, the chest, was responsible for confronting the enemy and pinning him down. The other two groups, the horns, attacked and encircled the enemy from behind. The other group, the lions, was a reserve and was usually dispatched for reinforcement if the foe threatened to defeat the three groups. Officers called indunas supervised the battle by giving signals to provide direction to the regiments. Consequently, the Zulu warriors were rarely defeated because of smart tactics. Also, the availability of backup was vital in guarding the territory. Indeed, Shaka was an innovative and shrewedleader by inventing standard tactics for battles.
Shaka applied extermination in fighting and incorporated the remnants of the smashed clans into the Zulu, which was an intelligent act to guard the Zulu Kingdom. First, he was involved in decimating the small communities in his neighborhood like the Langemi. 4 . Consequently, the Zulu clan and their army quadrupled their numbers in a single year. In 1817, there was the murder Dingiswayo who was Shaka’s overload. Later, there was the removal of the remaining restraint to the expansion of the Zulu. Besides, Shaka outsmarted and conquered the large clans that were a threat to his empire. 5 These clans were the Quabe and the Ndwandwe. 6 Also, he organized an array of annual campaigns on shut down of complex networks of the clans to southern territories. It resulted in the depopulation of the clans and villages to the south. The survivors broke up their tribal ties as far as the cape colony. Shaka believed in the philosophy that for him to expand and maintain his kingdom, it was necessary to conquer the neighboring clans. Indeed, this was a brilliant act that extended his reign as a Zulu leader.
Shaka proved his intelligence by being very strict in granting permission to the Europeans to enter the Zulu territory. He was right not to trust them to guard his territory 7 . It was until there was an assassination attempt against the king. 8 The king sustained injuries. As a result, Henry Francis Fynn offered medical attention to the king. It was at this time that he realized that the Europeans were kind and caring people. Therefore, the king reciprocated by permitting European settlers into the Zulu Kingdom. Shaka signed a contract with the first Europeans who arrived in Durban, then known as port Natal. The whites were fascinated by the Zulus artifacts and their ways of living. Hence, Shaka allowed the Europeans to stay in his territory. They were taught the Zulu language. As a result, the early settlers Nathaniel Isaacs and Henry Francis Fynn became fluent speakers of the Zulu language. These whites were influential in the development of the Nguni’s early history. It was through their early writings about the clan. Markedly, development of the Zulu’s history by the whites proves that Shaka made an intelligent decision to allow them into his territory.
Besides, Shaka shrewdness was seen in his ability to unite the Zulu. He united the Zulu clans into a cohesive kingdom. Shaka killed thousands of people, including his own, to unify the Zulu clans. He took approximately ten years to unite the Zulu. These acts are justifiable because uniting individuals is costly and faced with opposition 9 . As a result, there was the appointment of a Heritage Day in South Africa. It was a holiday to celebrate the diversity and cultural heritage of the Zulu. On this day, there is a commemoration of the togetherness displayed by the Zulu under Shaka. Initially, the Inkatha Freedom Party declined to sign a bill that proposed the creation of the Heritage Day. 10 A majority of members of this political party were the famous Zulu. They alleged that the holiday did not incorporate the Shaka Day. The unity displayed by the Zulu under Shaka was remarkable. Thus, Shaka was an intelligent and innovative leader.
On the contrary, Shaka was thought to be a madman from his curious acts. He had the zeal to understand how things worked at whatever cost. There were several instances when Shaka displayed his curiosity. First, Shaka sliced a pregnant woman’s belly to see how an unborn baby occupies space in the womb. It was a very daring act of curiosity, and the most infamous that could be thought that Shaka was a madman. Secondly, historians also claimed that he ordered the removal of a man’s eyes. It was an attempt for him to observe the behavior of the man as he adapted to his new circumstances 11 . Nevertheless, he proved that he was not a madman when he made arrangements of sending his loyal men, Sotobe , overseas to England to learn about the British and their weaponry. 12 In this case, Shaka made this attempt to try to counter them whenever they decided to launch attacks on him. Shaka’s actions were all tailored towards innovations. He wanted to learn new ideas all the time. Therefore, curiosity was instrumental in his extended reign as the king of the Zulu. Therefore, slicing the pregnant woman womb and chopping man’s eyes portrayed Zulu as a madman.
Moreover, Shaka displayed high distrust with his officials that portrayed him as a madman. In this case, Shaka trusted few individuals who were allowed to challenge his decisions. One of them was Zulu kaNogandaya, who was Shaka’s protégé. This man had ultimately equal rights to those of Shaka. Zulu kaNogandaya could do whatever he wanted as long as he earned the support of Shaka. Moreover, he was among the few people who dined with Shaka. No other individual was ranked or permitted to act or possess such privileges. The other person was Ngqengelele kaMvuyana. He was a Buthelezi who had earlier arrived as a stranger to the place of Mthaniya. 13 . Shaka made a controversial decision to trust a stranger than the natives. However, trusting very few friends and men was a brilliant move and tactic not to reveal vital information to the enemies 14 . Having many advisors threatens the quality of decisions made by leaders. As a result, Shaka was successful in his leadership by making consultations from a few people. This strategy was instrumental in guarding the secrets of his kingdom. Thus, the trust Shaka had in a stranger and just a few others made him perceived as a madman.
Conclusively, in the reign of Shaka in the Zulu Kingdom, he displayed his character as an intelligent and innovative leader. He was influential in the rising and expansion of the Zulu Kingdom. He reorganized the army in preparation for battles. Besides, he invented standard tactics in fighting by developing three groups for confronting, encircling, and reinforcement. He conquered his neighboring clans through extermination that led to the expansion of the Zulu Kingdom. Shaka was strict in permitting whites into his territory for fear of being overthrown. He was influential in the unity of the Zulu by ensuring cohesion among its clans. Shaka’s curiosity was instrumental in protecting his territory. Shaka trusted few individuals, which was significant to the secrecy of the kingdom and extension of his reign. Conversely, could be perceived as a madman in some ways. Markedly, slicing the pregnant woman womb and chopping man’s eyes portrayed Zulu as a madman. Moreover, the trust Shaka had in a stranger and just a few others made him perceived as a madman. All in all, Shaka Zulu was not a madman, but a clever and innovative leader.
Bibliography
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1 Timbs, Liz. "An In(ter)vention of Tradition: Medical Male Circumcision in
KwaZulu-Natal, 2009–2016." Journal of Natal and Zulu History 32, no. 1 (2018), Pg58. Retrieved from https://sci-hub.tw/10.1080/02590123.2018.1447534
2 Mary. Rita and Mortimer, Louis. South Africa. A Country Study . 3 rd ed. Washington, D.C, p. 21. 1997.
3 Mary. Rita and Mortimer, Louis. South Africa. A Country Study . 3 rd ed. Washington, D.C, pg. 115. 1997
4 Kennedy, Stuart. Interview with Ambassador Richard C. Barkley. 1 st Ed. Library of Congress, pg. 30 2003
5 Ibid
6 Kennedy, Stuart. Interview with Ambassador Harold W. Geisel. 1 st Ed. Library of Congress, pg.25 2006.
7 Morrissey, Caellagh. "Amakosikazi: Undervalued Figures in Zulu History." (2015). p54. Retrieved from https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/23446/OURJ_spring_2015_CMorrissey.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
8 Mary. Rita and Mortimer, Louis. South Africa. A Country Study . 3 rd ed. Washington, D.C, p. 23, 1997.
9 Timbs, Liz. "An In(ter)vention of Tradition: Medical Male Circumcision in
KwaZulu-Natal, 2009–2016." Journal of Natal and Zulu History 32, no. 1 (2018), pg59 Retrieved from https://sci-hub.tw/10.1080/02590123.2018.1447534
10 Mary. Rita and Mortimer, Louis. South Africa. A Country Study . 3 rd ed. Washington, D.C, p. 286, 1997.
11 Mokoena, Hlonipha. "‘The Black House’, or How the Zulus Became Jews." Journal of
Southern African Studies 44, no. 3 (2018), 401-411. pg408. Retrieved from
https://scihub.tw/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057070.2018.1461457?scroll=top&needAccess=true
12 Mary. Rita and Mortimer, Louis. South Africa. A Country Study . 3 rd ed. Washington, D.C, p. 28, 1997.
13 Kennedy, Stuart. Interview with Ambassador Harold W. Geisel. 1 st Ed. Library of Congress, p. 40, 2006.
14 Mokoena, Hlonipha. "‘The Black House’, or How the Zulus Became Jews." Journal of
Southern African Studies 44, no. 3 (2018), p409. Retrieved from
https://scihub.tw/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057070.2018.1461457?scroll=top&needAccess=true
