The
enthronement in 1840 of King Mpande served to normalise
relations between Zulu and Afrikaaner - and maintain a
cordial Zulu-British atmosphere. His son and
heir-apparent, Prince Cetshwayo, ascended to the throne
in 1872, including in his expansionist campaign, the
harassment and murder of pioneer settler farmers of
mixed nationalities.
Some 40 years
after the Zulus were defeated at the Battle of Blood
River, the then British Governor of Native Affairs, Sir
Theophilus Shepstone, issued a list of unreasonable
demands with an ultimatum of 30 days and presented it to
the Zulu on 11 December 1878, near the mouth of the
Thukela River. The demand stipulated that the Zulus
reply within 30 days or severe action would be taken
upon them.
When
King Cetshwayo failed to respond by the prescribed
deadline - New Year's Eve 1878 - his silence was
interpreted as defiance... and the British authorities
declared war.
Having anticipated the Zulu attitude, Lieutenant-General
Lord Chelmsford immediately launched a three-pronged
assault, and ready-assembled British columns invaded
Zululand from the southeast coastal belt and inland from
the vicinity of Dundee... while Redcoats garrisoned in
the northwest mountains around Utrecht were guarding the
frontier'. The Central Column was the first to engage
Cetshwayo's army, but Chelmsford had grossly
underestimated his foe... with results that were to
shake the British Empire to its core.
Fatal Errors
It
is popularly believed that the Zulu army had no
intention of attacking as their diviners had decided
that it was not a propitious time to do so, and a
British patrol accidentally stumbled on the main Zulu
force where they lay concealed in the Ngwebeni valley, a
few kilometres from Isandlwana and not in the Mangeni
gorge as was believed by Chelmsford.
The
enthronement in 1840 of King Mpande served to normalise
relations between Zulu and Afrikaaner - and maintain a
cordial Zulu-British atmosphere. His son and
heir-apparent, Prince Cetshwayo, ascended to the throne
in 1872, including in his expansionist campaign, the
harassment and murder of pioneer settler farmers of
mixed nationalities.
When
King Cetshwayo failed to respond by the prescribed
deadline - New Year's Eve 1878 - his silence was
interpreted as defiance... and the British authorities
declared war.
It
is popularly believed that the Zulu army had no
intention of attacking as their diviners had decided
that it was not a propitious time to do so, and a
British patrol accidentally stumbled on the main Zulu
force where they lay concealed in the Ngwebeni valley, a
few kilometres from Isandlwana and not in the Mangeni
gorge as was believed by Chelmsford.