Zulu
leaders after 1828/ the Zulu state after Shaka
Zulu Kingdom under Dingane 1828-1840
He ruled Zululand from 1828 until
1840 and during his reign the white settlers more interested in Natal and
generally Zulu land.
Shaka had had contact with traders
from Port Natal (later Durban). The white settlers assisted Shaka in his decisive
battle against the Ndwandwe in 1826, but it was not until after his death that
they took a greater interest in Natal. Dingane and his sister was one of the
assassins of Shaka with an Induna Mbopa. He succeeded Shaka from the
throne in 1828.
He was by nature a lazy and peace
loving man and tried at first to relax the discipline of Shaka's period, but a
revolt led by one of Shaka's Generals convinced him of the need to keep the
army occupied and sent his regiments out on a number of expeditions.
Dingane was concerned with Natal
because of the increase in white settlers and African refugees from Zululand
who used to go there.
By 1835, there were 30 whites and
2,500 Africans in Port Natal. He attempted to deal with this double threat by
making an agreement with Captain Allen Gardiner, a British naval officer who
had turned into a Missionary.
Gardiner agreed to return Zulu
refugees to Dingane, who undertook in return to respect the position of the
white settlement in Natal. But Gardiner was unable to keep his side of the
agreement.
The Natal whites would not have any
thing to do. By this time the Boer Trekkers were moving into Natal and one of
the Trekkers Piet Retief, reached there by October 1837.
Dingane was now faced with the
threat of the Boer Trekkers who could lead to erosion of Zulu independence.
Dingane like Shaka avoided conflict
with the whites and had to deal with his opponents especially the Boers who had
just defeated the Ndebele led by Mzilikazi and was making other threats and
demands.
He decided to use force with no
advice and help and he signed away Natal to the Boers on 4th
February 1838. Two days later, Piet Retief and his party were murdered.
It's likely that Dingane intended
the action to be followed by attack on the white settlers in Natal. Despite
isolated successes on white settlements he was unable to expel the Boers.
The arrival of Andries Pretorius
with a commando band of 500 men with firepower who fought a position and
tactics of wagons into laagers (or protective circle) made Dingane's forces
defeated.
The Zulu attacked but were unable to
overcome the firepower of the Boers who fought from a good defensive position
and on 16th December the Zulu were defeated at Blood river battle.
This marked the end of Zulu resistance to the Boers and gave up control of
areas south of Tugela River as the Boers threatened to destroy the Zulu nation.
The Zulu were also divided between
Dingane and his brother Mpande, the latter allied with the Boer. In February
Dingane was killed by a band of Swazi militias as he fled northwards and
Mpande; his brother was proclaimed King of the Zulu by Andries Pretorius and
the Zulu state became a vassal territory of the Natal republic.
Achievements of Dingane
He relaxed Shaka’s militarism and
raiding in Nguniland, He controlled the Zulu army and their leaders.
Set up his capital at eMgungudhlovu
(near later Ulundi)
He tried to flash out white
settlements and settlers at Port Natal.\he establish his power far north as the
Delagoa Bay. The Portuguese threat was handled by 1833.
Dingane defeated the Ndebele between
1829 up to 1831.
He accepted diplomatic negotiations
with the British to create the Victoria East District.
He resisted Boer invasions on his
state by April 1838.
Had created a powerful 3000 Zulu
Impi regimental force.
He resisted Boer challenge on his
country (especially Piet Retief and Gerit Maritz).
He calculatively and tactfully
welcomed Boer leaders at his capital.
He used the Boers to capture Tlokwal
Tlokoa wealth (cattle, horses and guns) which had been stolen by Chief
Sekonye1a. By 1840 he was controlling land from the Frankenberg far to the
Upper Valley of the Tugela River.
He successfully defeated the Ngwane
in Swaziland with the half of Port Durban whites.
He controlled/ restricted military
expeditions in Zulu land.
He had cordial relations with the
Cape Town Governor D’urban
Cattle captured from the executed
Boers were disturbed to his people masses and warriors.
Problems faced by Dingane:
By 1828 he ruled jointly with his
brother Mhlangane
Dingane and Mhlangane constantly
quarreled until the former killed the latter.
Shaka's generals like Mdlaka posed a
threat to his rule until he was killed.
Many regimental warriors resented/
objected Dingane’s killing of Mhlangage.
Faced the threat of the whites and
coloureds with superior fire arms, wagons and horses.
The white settlers (colons) took
part of his territory and occupied it.
Many whites in the Cape Colony
wanted to settle in Natal.
The Boer trekkers/ Afrikaaner invade
spied on his country from Cape Colony under Piet Uys.
The Boer trekkers were determined to
get land in his state between 1837-38. The Boers disastrously defeated Dingane
by December 1838 (the Battle of the blood river 16th December
Many of his African enemies sided
with white men to challenge him.
He was ill advised by his Court
Councilors secretly to overthrow him. Missionary work in Natal was a threat to
his rule like the work of Gardiner.
His army had poor fighting tactics
that of the white who used guns, cannon to wrought havoc in his 'impis'.
The Boers refused his diplomatic
gestures by 1840.
By 1840 he wandered north of the
country (Zululand) where he fought the last and hopeless battle against the
invaders.
He faced the Khisan and coloured -
Boer allies up to 1840.
By 1839, the Boers demanded 19,000
herds of cattle as tribute from Dingane and when he fried to negotiate, his
envoys were executed.
By 1840 a civil war broke among the
Zulu royals up to the defeat of Dingane by Mpande at Makonko bills.
His impis proved useless in face of
Boer firearms.
It's so inspirational
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