06/03/2023
Shaka, also known as Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was a powerful Zulu monarch and conqueror.
He resided in a region of south-east Africa between the Drakensberg and the Indian Ocean, which was home to several separate Nguni chiefdoms. During his short reign, he united over a hundred chiefdoms into a Zulu kingdom that survived not only the death of its creator, but also military defeat and planned attempts to split it apart.
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Shaka continued to find new powers and abilities as he matured to manhood. He was tall and solidly built on the outside, and his talent and courage gave him a natural authority over the youngsters his age; on the inside, he was developing a hunger for power.
He was probably around twenty-three years old when he was recruited into one of the Mthethwa armies, where he discovered a fulfillment he had never felt before. He had the company he had previously lacked with the impi in the iziCwe regiment, and the battlefield provided an arena in which he could exhibit his gifts and courage.
His bravery drew the notice of his ruler, and he quickly rose through the ranks of Dingiswayo's army to become one of his best commanders. Shaka was given the name Nodumehlezi during this time (the one who when seated causes the earth to rumble).
Shaka got engaged with questions of strategy and battle tactics while serving in the Mthethwa army, and Dingiswayo contributed significantly to Shaka's eventual military achievements. Militarism became a way of life for him, and one that he inflicted on many of others.
