African History fact file-The assassination of Shaka Zulu in 1828

Shaka, founder of the Zulu Kingdom of southern Africa, is murdered by his two half-brothers, Dingane and Mhlangana, after Shaka’s mental illness threatened to destroy the Zulu tribe.

When Shaka became chief of the Zulus in 1816, the tribe numbered fewer than 1,500 and was among the smaller of the hundreds of other tribes in southern Africa. However, Shaka proved a brilliant military organizer, forming well-commanded regiments and arming his warriors with assegais, a new type of long-bladed, short spear that was easy to wield and deadly. The Zulus rapidly conquered neighboring tribes, incorporating the survivors into their ranks. By 1823, Shaka was in control of all of present-day Natal. The Zulu conquests greatly destabilized the region and resulted in a great wave of migrations by uprooted tribes.

In 1827, Shaka’s mother, Nandi, died, and the Zulu leader lost his mind. In his grief, Shaka had hundreds of Zulus killed, and he outlawed the planting of crops and the use of milk for a year. All women found pregnant were murdered along with their husbands. He sent his army on an extensive military operation, and when they returned exhausted he immediately ordered them out again. It was the last straw for the lesser Zulu chiefs: On September 22, 1828, his half-brothers murdered Shaka. Dingane, one of the brothers, then became king of the Zulus.

 

Mhlangana and Dingane felt cut out of the line of succession as Shaka was legally a bastard, and since Shaka was a pretty tough ruler who had had people knocked on the head by the dozen for all kinds of reasons, there might have been a bit of self-preservation in there too, or revenge for other relatives killed.

On the evening of the killing Mhlangana and Dingane went to Shaka's kraal, ostensibly to deliver tribute, but in reality to lurk waiting for the chance to strike. Mbhopa struck the first blow according to the oral histories, a treacherous blow struck while Shaka was berating the men supposedly bringing tribute for being late. Mhlangana and Dingane joined in and that was that.

Shaka's version of 'Et tu brute?' was apparently a prophecy that 'The whole land will be white with the the light of the stars, and it will be overrun with swallows.' - interpreted as foreseeing that the recently arrived whites would take over his land.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/shaka-zulu-assassinated