the rise and fall of zulu kingdom.pdf - 1 views
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Shaka
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Memories of humiliation gave him a ferocious thirst for power. As a youth he joined Dingiswayo’s forces and earned a reputation for reckless courage. This found him favour with the chief. In 1816, after the death of his father, with the aid of Dingiswayo, he removed a brother from the chieftaincy of Zulu and became the chief of Zululand. Shaka proved to be a military leader of outstanding genius.
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Shaka Zulu grew up very hard because he was chased away with his mother when he was young, as the result he grew to become the strong man. Shaka took over when his father died, because it was seen that he is powerfully and can lead the zulu clan.
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He built up his forces by training his followers in new methods of warfare. The traditional warfare of his day had been a casual business conducted by spear-throwing warriors who advanced in loose formation. Little permanent damage was done by these war games which were not designed for slaughter but for cattle raids. In place of the traditional spear throwing he introduced the short-handled stabbing spear that could be retained throughout a battle. This enabled the troops to manoeuvre and fight in close formation. The formation most generally used was crescent-shaped and was known as the ‘cows’ horns’.
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To prove that Shaka was indeed one of the kind, when he was staying with king Dingiswayo he change the method of fighting.
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