The Zulu warriors emerged as one the most formidable fighters in South Africa because of their large shields, clubs, and stabbing spears as well as their sophisticated military strategy, tactics, techniques, and procedures. The Zulu warriors evolved into a significant fighting force in the early 19th century under their charismatic and powerful military commander King Shaka, who skillfully reorganized and strengthened the Zulu Army with new weapons and battle tactics.
KING SHAKA
Tall, majestic, brilliant, and cruel, King Shaka made the Zulu people powerful. Born sometime in 1787, he was the son of a Zulu chief who rejected him; therefore, he grew up with a neighboring tribe. When his father died, he returned home to become chief of the Zulus. He increased Zulu power by conquering local tribes and taking their defeated soldiers into the Zulu Army. By transforming the Zulu Army into an effective fighting machine, King Shaka made the Zulu Army the dominant native power in the region and laid the military foundation for building future Zulu armies and commanders. The Zulu people eventually began to hate King Shaka because of his extreme cruelty, and they assassinated him in 1828.
ZULU ARMY
Although Zulu warriors were not professional soldiers, they were thoroughly educated and trained in the art and science of warfare from the time of their late teens where they could be called up to fight when necessary. By the time of the war against the British in 1878, the Zulu Army consisted of several regiments made up of men of the same age group. While living mostly off the land, the Zulu Army had extreme mobility and agility when they were traveling long distances to fight their enemy. Before a battle, Zuku warriors would carefully examine the landscape for the high grounds, the cover offered by hills, and the long grass to hide their fighting men. Commanders would then orchestrate attacks through hand signals. The Zulu Army employed a traditional and effective battle formation designed to envelope their enemy. This battlefield formation was known as the beast’s horns.
BEAST’S HORN
The “beast’s horns” consisted of a strong central body of experienced fighters forming the “chest,” while younger, faster warriors formed the “horns”. The warriors in the horns would attempt to rapidly surround the enemy, while warriors in the “chest” would execute the main fighting. Later, a reserve warrior force, the “lions”, waited behind the chest to inflict a final and crushing blow on the enemy.
ZULU WEAPONS
Zulu weapons were simple, but deadly killing tools. The IKLWA was a lethal stabbing spear designed with a broad, 45 centimeter blade and a meter long handle. A longer spear, about two meters long, was used for throwing to soften up enemy formations before the Zulus attack with their beast’s horn formation. The KNOBKERRIE was a deadly club made up of a mixture of wood and metallic elements with a spherical knob designed to smash open a person’s skull. The Zulu had a few guns, but these weapons were outdated and unreliable. Therefore, when fighting his enemy, a Zulu warrior employed an upward thrusting motion, aiming for his opponent’s stomach while blocking his opponent’s strikes with his shield.
For protection, the Zulus used tall, oval shaped, cowhide shields. The colors varied according to the regiment: younger units had mainly black shields; more experienced regiments were equipped with white shields. One of the many Zulu tactics was the hook maneuver where a warrior would hook his shield inside his opponent’s shield to sweep it to the left where the opponent’s side was exposed for a spear thrust.
THE BATTLE OF ISANDLWANA
On 22 January 1879, the Zulus’ achieved their greatest military victory against a British Army in the Battle of Isandlwana. The Anglo-Zulu War had begun as British colonization spread across southern Africa. A British force of about 1,200 infantrymen invaded Zululand and created a military camp at Isandlwana. The British sent out patrols to look for their enemy, but the Zulus, with about 20,000 warriors strong, had advanced undetected before attacking the British Army with their horn
The Zulu warriors were able to defeat a few European Armies equipped with guns because of their lighting fast attacks and their employment of superior numbers. However, by the late 1800s, when gunpowder technology evolved along with the invention of the Gatling gun, the Zulus were eventually defeated on the battlefield because of superior western gunpowder technology.
PRIMARY SOURCES: Kohn, Childs George; Dictionary of Wars; Checkmark Books, 1999. Zimmerman, Dwight Jon; The Book Of War; Tess Press Publications, 2008. Zimmerman, Dwight Jon; The Book Of Weapons; Tess Press Publications, 2009. Harpur, James; Warriors; Atheneum Books, 2007