Shaka (roughly translated as "intestinal beetle") was born to the Zulu king. He was the eldest of many sons, but was considered … See more

As Shaka became more respected by his people, he was able to spread his ideas along with greater ease. Using his background as a soldier, Shaka taught the Zulus that the most effective way of gaining power quic… See more

Dingane and Mhlangana, Shaka's half-brothers, appeared to have made at least two attempts to assassinate Shaka before they succeeded, with support from the Mpondo elements and some disaffected iziYendan… See more

Some older histories have doubted the military and social innovations customarily attributed to Shaka, denying them outright, or attributing them variously to European influences. More modern researchers argue that such e… See more

Scholarship in recent years has revised views of the sources on Shaka's reign. The earliest are two eyewitness accounts written by European adventurer-traders who met Shaka during the last four years of his reign. … See more

Though much remains unknown about Shaka's personal appearance, sources tend to agree he had a strong, muscular body. He was tall and his skin tone was dark brown.
Shaka's en… See more