The Zulu Battlefield Tactics
The Zulus are thought of as just about the most terrifying warriors the African continent has possibly provided and they can certainly be grateful for King Shaka for this recognition. King Shaka was the leader of the Zulus from 1816 right up until his death in 1828. During this period, Shaka Zulu dramatically changed the Zulu military. He substituted the regular long throwing spear (Assegai) with a short stabbing spear (Iklwa) using a wider blade. The Zulu enunciation of i-klwa is considered to be the noises the weapon made the way it was thrust into and then withdrawn from an enemies body.
Shaka also arranged logistical support for his huge armies and arranged them into grades of regiment, each with their own distinctive names and patterns on their shields. Shaka was also responsible for developing the famous Zulu battle tactics known as the “Buffalo Horns” (impondo zenkomo). This tactic had originally been utilized by the Zulus for hunting but King Shaka modified it for battle with devastating effect.
The Buffalo Horns would see the Zulus separate their forces into four distinctive elements. Each represented part of the Buffalo; the chest (isifuba), left & right horns (izimpondo) as well as the loins (umuva).
The Chest of the Buffalo would take on the enemy head on. This component of the Zulu impi would typically be made up of the greatest warriors, tested in battle.
As the Chest of the Buffalo was holding down the enemy, the Horns would move off to the left and right, encircling the opposition. All survivors got the choice to join the Zulus, the other choice was death. Individuals who joined the Zulu army became Zulu warriors. These people renounced their preceding tribal loyalties and received complete Zulu instruction. The warriors who made up the Left & Right Horns would mostly consist of more youthful, speedier warriors that could proceed swiftly to surround the enemy.
The rest of the Zulus, the Loins, were as a rule the mature, more knowledgeable warriors and were held in reserve to use whenever required. The reserve warriors would be retained out of sight of the fight and even turned away from the action so they didn’t end up over excited and join the battle too quickly. Shaka Zulu or his commanders would monitor and handle their impi from high ground looking over the battleground and communicate their orders with several runners.
The “Buffalo Horns” tactics were used by the Zulus in tribal battles and continued to be used several years after Shaka’s death. On 22nd January 1879 when the Zulus attacked the British camp at Isandlwana, it was viewed by many as a terrible British defeat but maybe it should be considered a great Zulu victory. Although the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 ultimately saw the defeat of the Zulu nation, the reputation they earned lives on. All over the world, the Zulu is appreciated as a brave and formidable warrior. In the phonetic alphabet, the letter ‘Z’ is identified by the word ‘Zulu’.
Their legacy also brings tourism to this part of South Africa with people travelling to visit the battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift.
King Shaka is the best known of all the Zulu kings. He help defined the legacy of a people who fought so bravely in the Anglo Zulu war of 1879.
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