Shaka s Legacy Of The Zulu Nation - 2106 Words

Shaka kaSenzangakhona was born in 1787 to a Zulu chief, Senzangakhona, and an orphaned princess from the small Elangeni clan, Nandi. A man born out of wedlock managed to turn a small insignificant chiefdom who labelled themselves as â€Å"people of the Heavens† into a formidable force to be reckoned with even till this day. The Zulu nation and its people owe lot to Shaka the Great, he built a nation whose numbers were few than two thousands and who neither powerful they were mere sheep. With the introduction of Shaka the Great, Dingiswayo vision of having a united nation of all Ngnui speaking people was possible. However the growth of the Zulu nation has to be attributed to Shaka military organisation that incorporated regiments from defeated tribes and in return those tribes pledged their support and loyalty to his ever growing empire and did not suffer attacks provide they paid homage. This system was used by the Roman conquerors, however with Shaka the Great the notation o f bloodshed and tyrant, dictator, despoiler, destroyer, murderer, savage, barbarian made famous by Hollywood and early white settlers and European historians who had an ignorant view on Africa and could not possibly believe that a black man could match up to leaders such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Attila the Hun, Napoleon and could have a significant impact on our world we live in today. The image of Shaka the Great as man who loved the thirst of blood and lived for destruction is misguide, it isShow MoreRelated Critique of A Biography of the Continent Africa by John Reader1775 Words   |  8 Pagesat the Cape in 1605 which produced a clash in land-use strategies with the indigenous people this and other conflicts between whites and blacks of Africa continue today. The conflicts are not just of race between the whites and blacks. The great Zulu (Shaka) tribes and their â€Å"black on black† violence, brought a major depopulation of the interior regions. This â€Å"black on black† violence was the image that suited the white minority separatists and the ideologies of South African very well. This grew to