The Nguni were the dominant African peoples along the east coast at the time.  Several clans were represented in the area, living much in the same way they had since first arriving in the region circa 100 AD.  Encounters with Europeans were rare in South Africa, although stories of the strange pale people with magic powers had trickled down from Mozambique since their arrival.  As a result, many Nguni were both aware of and interested in meeting Europeans by the late 1700s.

This curiosity was fueled when tribal leaders--such as the Tsonga-speaking Mabhudu--gained wealth and stature through trade with the Portuguese.  Trade was a time honored tradition in these northern areas.  Huge empires in Zimbabwe and northern Mozambique developed as early as 900 AD as major trading centers.  In South Africa, however, trade was never as significant as it was in the north.

Mabhudu gained power trading primarily ivory.  He was one of the first leaders to organizing hunting parties solely for the harvest of elephant tusks.  Elephants were considered one of the dangerous and difficult animals to hunt.  Mabhudu's people would not undertake such a difficult task without great reward.  Nor would his competitors.  Such was the strength of the lure represented by the Portuguese.

Few could match Mabhudu's power, but increased efforts by the Portuguese, British and Dutch made more opportunities available for local clans.  At the same time, the increasing population density was placing a strain on local resources.  The best grazing lands were already claimed and competition for the remaining lands was fierce.  Tribal confederations and trade with the Europeans could give a clan a major advantage. 

By 1800, three major groups had risen to power in  South Africa, east of the Drakensberg Mountains:  The Ngwane under Chief Sobuza;  The Mthethwa, the dominant clan in a loose confederation under Chief Dingiswayo;  and the Ndwandwe, under the powerful Zwide.  

Dingiswayo had a talent for forging alliances, and soon built a powerful kingdom of individual clans (his people, the Mthethwa, being the strongest).  His policy was relatively simple: lesser chiefs maintained their autonomy as long as they paid tribute and provided soldiers for the confederation army.  Many clans joined for the protection afforded by Dingiswayo, although few were loyal beyond necessity.  Dingiswayo reached his height when he negotiated a military and trade alliance with the Portuguese-- right under the nose of Zwide.    

7 years of devastating drought forced Zwide to play his hand.  In a daring move in 1817, he attacked and defeated Dingiswayo (who was captured and executed).  He then defeated the Ngwane, forcing Sobuza to flee with his people (they would eventually settle to form the Swazi empire).  In one year, Zwide had upset the balance of power in eastern South Africa.  The fall of the Dingiswayo left the Mthethwa confederation in shambles as some chiefs declared their independence while others swore loyalty to Zwide.  Zwide was at the zenith of his power, and the vacuum caused by his victories left the region wide open.

One such nation was a relatively minor one previously loyal to Dingiswayo.  The Zulu people lived in relative obscurity under their chief Senzangakona with a population of a few thousand.  Senzangakona pledged loyalty to the Mthethwa and Dingiswayo and served an uneventful reign as chief.  Uneventful, that is, except for the birth of his illegitimate son, Shaka.

His name came from the fact that his mother attempted to hide her pregnancy, attributing it to infection from the itshaka beetle (which is known to cause swelling).  In Zulu culture, childbirth outside of wedlock was considered an outrage, giving, Nandi reason to conceal her condition.  When it was discovered, she became a disgrace to her family and was forced to marry Senzangakona.  Word spread quickly, and she and her son were ostracized by Senzangakona's other wives as well as the general public.

Oral tradition speaks of Shaka facing years of torment as a youth, traveling from clan to clan to live with relatives.  He eventually settled with an Mthethwa cousin, where he distinguished himself in battle.  Under Dingiswayo, young men within the Mthethwa confederation were organized in the military regiments (among the first of their kind).  Shaka stood out among his entire regiment for his ferocity and fearlessness in battle.  

Dingiswayo recognized his potential, and soon Shaka was in command of his regiment.  The shrewd Dingiswayo realized that, in Shaka, he had a loyal, powerful ally with royal blood.  After Senzangakona's death in 1816, Shaka returned to his Zulu clan to claim his throne with Dingiswayo's support.  Once in power, Shaka acted quickly.  Following the lead of his mentor, he organized fighting regiments among his people.  His major military innovations were the assegai and the "bull-horn tactic".  The bull horn referred to a formation in which regiments would break from the main body of the army.  These "horns" would encircle their opponents, forcing them into hand-to-hand combat.  In battle, the short, powerful assegai made short work of enemies wielding longer throwing spears.  Shaka began defeating lesser clans around him, strengthening his position until 1817.

The events of the next few months remain a matter of contention to this day.  The Zulu were still a small group, numbering around 3,000 people...no match for the powerful Zwide.  Nevertheless, they were still part of the Mthethwa confederation and loyal to Dingiswayo.  For some reason, however, Shaka either was not present for the final battle between Zwide and Dingiswayo.  Did he miss the battle?  Did he withhold his troops?  Was Zwide too powerful?  Whatever the case, he found himself independent of Mthethwa influence, and trapped between Zwide's hordes and the quarreling clans of the former Mthethwa confederation.

Shaka's greatest challenge came from the Qwabe.  They rejected his request for an alliance, insulting the proud Shaka.  Feeling pressure from Zwide to the north, he mustered his armies and defeated the Qwabe in late 1817.  This important victory gave Shaka a mythical quality in the area.  He used his influence to secure alliances with many of the former clans of the Mthethwa confederation.  By 1818, Shaka had re-established the Mthethwa kingdom with his own Zulu people in charge.  

Then, the inevitable occurred: Zwide struck.  In 1818, Shaka and Zwide met first at  Gqokli hill then one year later at the Mhlatuze river.  In the second battle, Zwide was defeated and his villages burned.  He fled with his people north into Mozambique.  He would never again challenge Shaka in South Africa.  

This major event aggravated the Mfecane which had started just a few years earlier.  Zwide's defeated allies fled north and west, establishing the Ndebele, Shangane, and Angoni peoples.  As they settled, they displaced other peoples who would move on to displace somebody else.  Tens of thousands would die as drought and famine compounded the situation.  The resulting domino effect would affect the modern day countries of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania Malawi, and Zambia.

By 1824, Shaka had defeated or absorbed all remaining clans in the region.  Like his predecessor, he allowed his constituents limited autonomy in exchange for tribute and soldiers.  Those who refused to submit were killed or fled the area (aggravating the mfecane).  He controlled the region east of the Drakensberg mountains, north to modern Mozambique and south to the city of Durban, South Africa.  He was, without question, the most powerful ruler in the area, controlling both traditional trade with the Portuguese and now the growing market with the British.   

Shaka's military tactics brought him control of eastern South Africa.  His power came at a price, however, as he had a brutal tenure as Zulu King.  Executions were rampant.  Warriors who lost their spears or suffered back wounds in combat were executed.  This started in the campaign against Zwide and continued into Shaka's reign.  The Zulu fought hand-to-hand, so the logic went that the only way to lose a spear was to surrender it or drop it in fear.  Either case demonstrated cowardice in battle and was cause for death.  Similarly, the only way to suffer a back injury was to run from the battle--once again a sign of cowardice.  Among the common people, execution came without warning.  One account tells of a man being executed as a demonstration of power for European guests.  Nevertheless, his people revered him in mythological proportions.

Critics today still debate his portrayal in history.  The Zulu continue to honor him as their greatest king.  Many westerners consider him a madman.  Anthropologists have attempted to analyze his upbringing, pointing to his turbulent childhood as a cause of his sadistic behavior.  Others simply point to him as a product of time.  With the intensity of the competition for such limited resources, only an iron fist could bring discipline to the region.  Moreover, it is difficult to evaluate his behavior on western ideals.  After all, the Zulu felt that hanging was a cruel form of execution.  Whatever the case, Shaka remains one of the most influential people (and icons) in all of Africa. 

In 1827, Shaka's beloved mother Nandi died.  In the mayhem that followed, as many as 7,000 people were executed for failing to show proper remorse.  He ordered that the grieving period continue for one year during which no farming was permitted.  This, coupled with continued drought meant starvation for his people.  In a panic, he sent his army on one ill-fated campaign after another in search of grain, livestock, and supplies.  His fatigued army suffered defeat after defeat as his soldiers battled illness and exhaustion along with the enemy.  Finally, in 1828, his half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangane assassinated him, placing Dingane on the throne.  Dingane quickly solidified his power by honoring the defeated army, which was returning from yet another defeat.  Rather than suffer severe punishment at the hands of Shaka, they were decorated and granted furlough by Dingane.  He soon had their support, although neither he, nor any other Zulu king would enjoy the success and popularity of Shaka.

The Zulu kings immediately following Shaka attempted to repeat his military successes but often failed.  This is due, in part, to the fact that the mfecane was now over.  Shaka's power had been so complete that there were none left in the area to challenge Zulu dominance.  Subsequent campaigns required them to cross the Drakensberg Mountains or head far to the north.  By the time the Zulu army (or impi) reached its target, it often suffered from starvation and fatique.  Nevertheless, the  Zulu were still, without question, the most dominant force in eastern South Africa.

For the time being...