CETSHWAYO

born c. 1826, , near Eshowe, Zululand [now in South Africa] died Feb. 8, 1884, Eshowe also spelled Cetewayo last great king of the Zulus (reigned 187279) whose strong military leadership and political acumen restored the power and prestige of the Zulu nation, which had declined during the reign of his father, Mpande (Panda). As absolute ruler of a rigidly disciplined army of 40,000 men, Cetshwayo was considered a threat to British colonial interests; the Zulu War (1879) and subsequent destruction of Zulu power removed that threat. Inspired by the exploits of his illustrious uncle Shaka, Cetshwayo took part in fierce raids on European settlers when he was only 12. He further distinguished himself in wars against the Swazis (185354). Partly because the practice of polygamy produced so many heirs, his claim to his father's throne was not secure until six of his many half brothers were slain and two others forced to flee. After Mpande's death in 1872, Cetshwayo was proclaimed king according to tribal custom. A coronation ceremony performed by Sir Theophilus Shepstone, British secretary for native affairs in Natal, followed. Until the annexation of the Transvaal by the British (1877), Shepstone remained on good terms with Cetshwayo. But as the new governor of the Transvaal, Shepstone reversed himself and supported Boer claims against the Zulus in disputed territories. As an angry Cetshwayo increased the size of his forces, Sir Bartle Frere, the British high commissioner for South Africa, decided to eliminate what he regarded as a standing menace to European settlers. On the pretext that Cetshwayo had violated earlier agreements with Shepstone, an ultimatum was sent in December 1878 demanding what amounted to the dissolution of the Zulu military system. When, as Frere expected, the demand was not met, the British invaded Zululand. Armed with little more than spears, the Zulus, in a surprise attack at Isandhlwana (Isandlana) on Jan. 22, 1879, wiped out an entire British regiment. The British recovered and decisively defeated the Zulus at Ulundi (July 4, 1879). Cetshwayo was captured in August and confined near Cape Town, and Zululand was divided among 13 chiefs. Refusing to submit to exile, Cetshwayo beseeched the authorities, including Queen Victoria, to allow him to visit Britain and present his case. Proud and dignified, he made a great impression in London; and, because the division of Zululand proved unworkable, the British restored him as ruler of central Zululand in January 1883. Several of the new chiefs, however, refused to accept him. Beaten in battle by a rival, he became a fugitive and sought the protection of the British resident at Eshowe, where he died of a heart attack. Cetshwayo's grave, deep in the Nkandla forest, is considered sacred and is guarded by Zulus. Additional reading C.T. Binns, The Last Zulu King (1963); Donald R. Morris, The Washing of the Spears (1965, reissued 1986); Jeff Guy, The Destruction of the Zulu Kingdom (1979).