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Quick facts
Nickname: Shaka, which means internal parasite
Profession: military genius and emperor of the Zulus
Famous for: creating the Zulu Empire
Born: about 1787, somewhere in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Died: September 22, 1828
A desperate life
Find words that mean: sadness, mean, taking over, afraid
Shaka was the son of Zulu chief Senzangakona and princess Nandi. Because his parentswere not married, Shaka was illegitimate. His father called him Shaka, meaning internal parasite, or unwanted beetle.
When Shaka was six, his parents separated. He went to live with his mother and her relatives, the Langeni. But the Langeni were so cruel, Nandi and Shaka had to leave. The pair moved around from tribe to tribe for many years.
Shaka wasn't happy until he became a soldier for an important chief called Dingiswayo. Suddenly, everyone realised Shaka was a great warrior. Dingiswayo made Shaka leader of the Zulu tribe. First, Shaka took revenge on the Langeni. Then he started conquering other tribes. Soon the Zulus were very powerful.
The Zulus were scared of Shaka but also proud he was their leader. They liked being the most powerful tribe in South Africa.
But when Shaka's mother died, Shaka went crazy. First, he killed 7,000 people. Then he killed all pregnant women and their husbands. He said the deaths would make every family share his grief. Then he made it illegal to plant crops or drink milk.
The Zulus decided to kill Shaka before he did any more crazy things. Eleven months after his mother's death, Shaka was killed by his half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana, and their friend Mbopa.
Europeans arrive In South Africa
Find words that mean the opposite of: weak, left, lost, foreigners
In the late 1400s, the first European sailors arrived in South Africa. They traded with the local Bantu tribes that lived there. 
By 1652, European traders were growing wheat and other crops to sell to passing sailors. Dutch and British farmers began herding cattle. When they found diamonds and gold, others came too. Local people were forced to move away - or to fight for their land.
During Shaka's lifetime, the Zulus were more powerful than the European newcomers. But after Shaka's death, local tribes could not beat powerful European weapons. Within a few decades, the Zulus had lost their position as the most powerful tribe.
Shaka's army
Fill in the blanks: run away, move, escaped, combat
Before Shaka became chief, Zulu warriors stood far away from each other and threw long assegai spears at each other. The first warriors to _________ lost the battle.
Shaka divided the soldiers into regiments called impi. At the start of every battle, soldiers threw their assegai at the enemy. But Shaka also gave them a short ikwla spear to use in close _________.
Shaka also made battle plans. He divided his impi into four groups. The ?chest? impi kept the enemy in one place while two ?horn? impi ran around them and attacked from behind. The ?loin? impi waited at the side and killed anyone who _________.
Shaka also used special officers called indunas to_________ the soldiers about the battlefield. Rather than shout, Shaka used secret hand signals that could be seen from far away.
True or false?
To test your memory, try answering without referring to the text. If you can't remember the details, read the piece again.
1 Shaka had a very happy childhood.
2 Shaka was a military genius.
3 Shaka became chief of the Langeni tribe.
4 When Shaka's mother died, he went crazy.
5 Shaka was killed by his own people.




History-makers Part 18: Shaka - The Great Zulu Warrior