The Sunday News
Tshaka’s initiatives: He used spies. He introduced the idea of total warfare. He introduced a highly trained army. He introduced female regiments. He introduced assegais. He introduced headgears.
Initiatives of others: Dingiswayo, Zwide and Sobhuza had initiated some of Tshaka’s innovations. The regimental system was already in use in the states. Long shields were adopted from Dingiswayo. The cow horn formation was borrowed from Dingiswayo. Banning circumcision was borrowed from Dingiswayo. Creation of a standing army was adopted from Dingiswayo.
Tshaka’s Generals / Military Indunas / Commanders: These were Dingane, Mhlangana, Mgobozi, Mzilikazi, Mdlaka.
Features of Tshaka’s policy of total warfare: Burning of homesteads. Absorption of enemy women and children. Capturing of enemy livestock. Killing of enemy royal family members. Destruction of enemy food reserves. Poisoning of water sources
Weapons used by Tshaka’s soldiers: Long shields, assegais, knobkerries, knives, guns, battle axes.
Methods used by Tshaka to control the Zulu state: Use of spies. Idea of total warfare. Use of a standing army. He set up military settlements all over Zululand. Fasimba army was always at the king’s court. Practice of autocracy. Tshaka appointed chiefs and headmen who were loyal to him. He encouraged rivalry amongst his subjects so as to exploit such conflicts. Full absorption of lineages closer to the centre of the Zulu state. Exploitation of lineages in the periphery. Holding of ceremonies like inxwala ceremonies.
Shaka warriors
Use of national symbols like inkatha. Speaking Zulu language was made compulsory. Tshaka personified the kingdom. The king led at all religious ceremonies. He subjugated all independent rainmakers. Rewarding warriors [they were given beef]. Maintaining a tight discipline of Amabutho [soldiers]. Control of religion. Punishment by death. Perennial warfare.
Demanding tribute. Marriage at 40 years. Displacement of conquered chiefs. Did these methods show that Tshaka was cruel?
Cruelty of Tshaka’s methods: Killing as a punishment was extreme cruelty. Strict discipline denied freedom. He infringed on people’s rights by prohibiting soldiers to marry before the age of 40. Tshaka was a dictator. He solely made decisions. The idea of total warfare was an extreme exercise where there was complete destruction. Forcing people to speak Zulu.
However, Mfecane period demanded a strong leader like Tshaka. Tshaka was a product of Mfecane. A period of warfare need to constantly fight. There was need for unity. He wanted to create more space for the Zulu [expansionist policy]. He wanted to gain cattle, grain and boys [booty]. For defence of the state.
Question: Did the people of Zulu state benefit from Tshaka’s leadership at that time?
Benefits: They defeated the Ndwandwe. This enabled the Zulu state to survive. He created a strong and superior army. The Zulu became dominant in Natal. They obtained cattle and grain through raids. Tshaka managed to unite the Zulu nation. The Zulu had more land for cultivation after Mfecane. The Zulu had access to trade. Zulu became politically stable.
Non benefits: Perennial warfare led to dissatisfaction. Soldiers were keen to marry early. The Zulu lived in constant fear of Tshaka. Tshaka ruled as a dictator. Problems faced by Tshaka as the Zulu king. Tshaka’s expansion characterised by violent warfare, plundering and raiding other states created enemies for himself. Death of Nandi [Tshaka’s mother] created problems for him as he killed many people.
This created enemies for him. Even his sister suspected that he was responsible for the death of Nandi. Tshaka had jealous relatives who ultimately killed him. High rates of executions created enemies for him. Mzilikazi rebelled against him in 1822. Tshaka had fear of further rebellions after Mzilikazi broke away.
There were threats from expansionist Boers and the British who wanted to colonise the Zulu kingdom. Tshaka battled to control the Delagoa Bay trade route. There was shortage of resources such as land. Tshaka was not trusted by his commanders. Tshaka’s incessant imperialism [wars] created hatred from soldiers and generals though they could not show it for fear of being killed. Scarcity of land resulted in wars against the Boers and the British. Tshaka’s soldiers were tired of his military campaigns.
The death of Tshaka: Tshaka died in 1828. He survived the first attempt on his life in 1824 but was killed 4 years later. Tshaka’s death was plotted by Dingane, Mbopha, Mhlangana and Mkabayi. Dingane and Mhlangana were Tshaka’s brothers. Mkabayi was Tshaka’s father’s sister. After Tshaka’s death Dingane became the king of the Zulu state, but he was not as strong as Tshaka. During his reign, Europeans began to enter Zululand.
People who plotted the death of Tshaka? Dingane, Mhlangana, Mkabayi, Mbopha, Mfokazana.
Reasons for the assassination of Tshaka: Killing of subjects for minor disputes or petty offences. Tshaka’s autocratic rule [he was a dictator]. Tshaka’s endless warfare. He maintained a cruel system even when it was no longer justified. Tshaka’s strict discipline
Manners Msongelwa is the president of History Teachers of Zimbabwe and a teacher at Camelot college in Kwekwe
