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Many have heard about the existence of such a people as the Zulus, but few know that the Zulus were one of the most formidable warriors that the African continent knew.

The Zulus live in the southeast of South Africa, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, belong to the Bantu people and the Nguni group. Long before our era, the Bantu peoples began to spread to the south of the African continent. For the first time in the territory of present-day South Africa, they appeared in the VI century. It is difficult to establish the exact time of the penetration of the Bantu tribes into Natal, but it is known that by the 16th century the territory of Natal was already inhabited by the Bantu, and not by the Khoisan peoples (Bushmen and Hottentots). Since Natal was the periphery of the vast Bantu world, the ancestors of the Zulus - the Eastern Ngunian tribes - borrowed many words from the language of the autochthonous population of South Africa - the Khoisan peoples. The Khoisan languages ​​also significantly influenced the phonetics of the Zulu language, although this influence was less than that of the western neighbors of the ancestors of the Zulus, the Xhosa tribes.

The Eastern Nguni were an extremely warlike people. In addition to military raids, they lived off handicrafts and cattle breeding. Until the 18th century, the Eastern Nguni lived in separate clans, formally recognizing the authority of the supreme leader.

The pagan beliefs of the Eastern Nguni included belief in the primordial ancestor and at the same time the demiurge named Unkulunkulu, who created the world, taught people how to make fire, cattle breeding, agriculture and crafts, but ceased to influence people's lives, now managing only natural elements, they also believed in magic and countless spirits. An important part of the Ngunian religious life was the so-called. "sniffing out" - the search for evil sorcerers among the people by priestesses. Those whom the priestesses declared to be sorcerers were subjected to a painful execution.

The very word "Zulu" (Zulu, amaZulu) comes from the name of the leader of one of the Nguni clans, Zulu KaMalandela, who lived in the late 17th - early 18th centuries. Zulu means "sky" in the Eastern Nguni language. After his death in 1709, members of his clan began to call themselves amaZulu, that is, the children of the Zulu. By the beginning of the 18th century, population growth, the improvement of agricultural production and trade competition with Europeans led to the need for centralization and expansion of the power of the leaders. Two tribal unions were particularly successful, one under the Ndwandwe north of the Umfololozi River and the other under the Mthetwa south of it. The Zulus became one of the clans in the union led by the Mthetwa.

In 1781 Senzangakona kaJama became king (inkosi) of the Zulus. By that time, there were about one and a half thousand people in the Zulu clan. In 1787, an unmarried girl named Nandi was born to the King of Senzangakona a man who was destined to glorify the name of the Zulus for centuries. His name was Shaka (also sometimes Chaka).

Since Shaka was illegitimate, from childhood he had to experience many humiliations and hardships. When Shaka was six years old, his father expelled him along with his mother due to the fact that, due to an oversight, the shepherdess Shaka, a dog killed a sheep. He managed to find refuge in the lands of Mthetwa. At the age of 21, Shaka entered the military service of the Mtetwa king, Dingiswayo, and was enrolled in a regiment (ibuto or impi) called Izi-tswe.

Shaka soon won the respect of the command and comrades with his courage and intelligence. His battle tactics were very different from how other Nguni fought. According to tradition, the nguni met for battle in a predetermined place and entered into a firefight with light throwing assegai (spears), defending themselves with large shields and picking up the assegai thrown by the enemies in order to throw them in response. The battle was accompanied by numerous fights of the bravest warriors one on one. The battle was watched by women and old men. As a rule, both sides suffered very modest losses, and at the end of the battle, one of the sides recognized itself as defeated and agreed to pay tribute.

Shaka Zulu (1787-1828)

Shaka considered this tactic to be foolish and cowardly.

He ordered for himself a long assegai with a wide tip, which was suitable for hand-to-hand combat. This type of assegai is called "iklva". He also gave up sandals to speed up his movement. During the war with the tribal alliance of the Ndwandwe, whose king was Zwide, Shaka showed himself perfectly. Soon he was already in command of the Izi-tsve regiment.

For all his subordinates, Shaka ordered to make the same assegai and introduced the custom for warriors to walk barefoot. In addition, the Knobkerry wooden club was adopted. He also began to use a new tactic "bull's head": the regiment was divided into three parts; on the left and right flanks (“bull’s horns”) were young warriors who embraced the enemy in battle, and in the center (“bull’s forehead”) were the most experienced warriors who did the main work to destroy the enemy. From now on, his soldiers did not take anyone prisoner, unless there was an order expressly prescribing the capture of prisoners.

In 1816, the Zulu king Senzangakona died, and his son, Sigujana, became his heir. Shaka, aided by the Mtetwa king Dingiswayo, killed Sigujana and became king of the Zulu himself. Shaka's first priority was military reform. All able-bodied men from 20 to 40 years old were mobilized by Shaka for military service, and they could leave the service only for special merits by order of the king. Marriage for unmarried warriors was forbidden.

From these new warriors, new regiments (hereinafter referred to as impi) were formed. The commanders of the impi ("Hindu") were the closest associates of Shaka.

Girls were also called to the royal service - they did not fight, but were engaged in economic activities under centralized guidance. Long assegai and other technical and tactical inventions of Shaka were introduced everywhere. Any violations and disobedience were punished by death. The military training of boys began at the age of seven, regular exercises were conducted for teenagers and soldiers using training weapons. The Zulu army soon became the strongest native army in the region.

In 1817, the king of the Mtetwa, Dingiswayo, died. He was captured by the Ndwandwe and executed on Zwide's orders. The resulting power vacuum was quickly filled by the energetic and determined Shaka. He subjugated the tribes of the Ndwandwe alliance, waging a war not for destruction, but for subjugation. In these wars, he was often merciful to his enemies - his plans included the creation of a politically unified people. The system of conscription into the royal army extended to all conquered peoples, which contributed to the integration of disparate tribes into a single Zulu people. Some tribes (such as the Hlubi and Mfengu), not wanting to submit to the Shaka, were forced to migrate.

impi

In addition to being drafted into the army, an important tool for strengthening Shaka's power over the tribes was the construction of military kraals (ikanda) on subject lands.

Shaka also severely limited the power of the priests. Now, during the "sniffing out" of the sorcerers, only the king finally determined the guilt of the suspect.

In addition to strengthening his power among the former tribes of the Mthetwa alliance, Shaka fought with the Ndwandwe king Zvide, wanting to avenge Dingiswayo. This war was extremely tense and bloody. At the Battle of Gokli Hill in 1817, the 5,000-strong Zulu army, thanks to the qualitative advantage and military talent of Shaka, defeated 12,000 Ndwandwe in parts. 7,500 Ndwandwe remained on the battlefield, but 2,000 Zulus also died.

The Ndwandwe borrowed their tactics, weaponry and military system from the Zulus. But Shaka still defeated them. Once he almost captured Zvide. Zvide escaped, but his mother was captured by Shaka. Shaka gave the food to the hyenas. Finally, in 1819, at the Mlatuz River, the Ndwandwe were finally defeated. Zwide fled and died in exile in 1825. Many tribes that were part of the Ndwandwe alliance fled, fearing the revenge of Shaka. The Shangans fled to the territory of the future Western Mozambique and Eastern Rhodesia, where they created their own state of Gaza. The Ngoni created their own state in the vicinity of Lake Nyasa.

Matabele chief

In 1823, one of Shaka's Indians, Mzilikazi, who came from the Kumalo tribe, did not get along with the king. Rather than face a royal court and be executed, he rebelled and took his men north to Mozambique. In 1826, the Mzilikazi people (who formed a new tribe - Matabele or Ndebele) moved to the Transvaal. The slaughter committed there by the Matabels was so horrendous that the Boers, who began to arrive in the Transvaal in the 1830s, hardly met the indigenous population there. On the other hand, they met the warlike impi Matabels, with whom bloody battles began, and military success was more often accompanied by the Boers than the Matabels.

In 1838, Mzilikazi takes his people west to what is now Botswana, and then crosses the Zambezi and visits what is now Zambia. However, Zambia, which was part of the tsetse fly belt, which are carriers of sleeping sickness, was not suitable for cattle breeding, so the Matabels go to the southeast, cross the Zambezi again, in 1840 conquer the Shona tribes and themselves settle in the southwest of the future Southern Rhodesia This area became known as Matabeleland. The Kingdom of Matabele fell in 1893 during the First Anglo-Matabel War.

In 1826, a friend of Shaka Mgobozi died. In 1827, his mother, Nandi, died. Shaka believed that the mother was a victim of witchcraft. He destroyed everyone who, in his opinion, did not mourn Nandi enough and introduced mourning for a year, during which people were put to death for even the most minor offenses.

On September 22, 1828, due to dissatisfaction with the tyranny, Shaki was killed in his own kraal. One of the conspirators became king - Shaka's brother, Dingane kaSenzangakona, also known as Dingaan.

Shaka forever remained in the memory of the Zulus as a great king who created their people, and a military genius who terrified all the tribes of South Africa. At the end of his reign, the Zulu army had a strength of about 50 thousand people.

Zulu warrior, military historical miniature

Dingane did not live in the old capital of Shaka, Bulawayo kraal, but built his own kraal - Mgungundlova. He softened the discipline in the Zulu state: now young people were called up for only six months and could establish their families and households. The position of Hindu became hereditary. The power of the king became less despotic - now he made decisions only with the consent of the Indians.

During the reign of Dingane, the so-called Great Trek fell - the resettlement of the Boers (descendants of the Dutch colonists) to lands where English laws did not apply - the Boers moved east, into the territory of Natal. There were minor clashes between the Boers and the Zulus.

In November 1837, Dingane met with one of the leaders of the Boers, Piet Retief, and signed the act of transferring land to the Vortrekker Boers. On February 6, 1838, while Boer negotiators were in the Dingan kraal, Retief and his companions were killed by order of the king. On February 17, Retief's trekboers, left without guidance, were massacred by the Zulus. About 500 people died, including women and children.

Monument to the Retief delegation, carved by the Zulus - only the negotiators are listed here, without the hundreds of settlers who were killed a little later

At the end of the year, Dingane decided to destroy the trekboer party led by Andris Pretorius and Sarel Silliers. On December 16, a Zulu detachment led by the Indian Ndlela attacked the Boers at the Inkoma River. 470 brave Boers repelled the onslaught of the Zulu army, which numbered at least 12 thousand people. Three thousand Zulus died, the losses of the Boers - only three people were wounded. The battle was called the Battle of Bloody River. Then the Boers destroyed the capital of the Zulu kingdom.

On March 23, 1839, peace was concluded between the Vortrekkers and the Zulus. The Zulus abandoned all territories south of the Tugela River, and the Republic of Natal was founded on these lands, the capital of which was the city of Pietermaritzburg.

These battles influenced the military affairs of the Zulus: long-range weapons - throwing spears - returned to use. However, the assegai "iklwa" remained the main weapon of the Zulus.

Massacre of Boer settlers in February 1838

In January 1840, Dingane's younger brother, Mpande, rebelled against him, enlisting the support of the Boers, led by Praetorius. In the Battle of Makongo on January 29, 1840, Dingane was defeated and fled to Swaziland, where he was soon killed. Mpande became king of the Zulus.

In 1843, the Republic of Natal was annexed by the British and became the British colony of Natal. Many Boers left for the north, where they founded the Boer republics - the Republic of South Africa (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State (Freistat). In October 1843, the boundaries between British Natal and the Zulu kingdom were defined.

In the early 1850s, Mpande decided to conquer Swaziland. Although the Swazis were technically vassals of the Zulus, Mpande wanted to achieve the complete subjugation of Swaziland in order to have lands to which he could retreat in the event of an invasion of Voortrekkers or the British from Natal. In 1852, war broke out with the Swazis. Although the Zulus defeated the Swazis, Mpande had to leave Swaziland due to British pressure.

In this war, the eldest son of Mpande, Ketchwayo, showed himself well. Although he was the eldest, he was not considered the official heir, which was proclaimed by another son of Mpande - Mbuyazi. The Zulus split into supporters of Mbuyazi and supporters of Ketchwayo. In 1856, it came to an open clash - the people of Mbuyazi ravaged the lands of the supporters of Ketchwayo. On December 2, 1856, the parties met in a battle near the British border, on the Tugela River. Ketchwayo's troops outnumbered Mbuyazi's 7,000-strong force by almost three to one, but 35 British were on Mbuyazi's side. This did not help - Mbuyazi's soldiers were defeated, he himself was killed. Ketchwayo became the de facto ruler of the Zulus.

Mpande (1798-1872)

Only in 1861, with British mediation, was it possible to achieve reconciliation between father and son, but Mpande increasingly lost interest in state affairs: he became a beer alcoholic, it was difficult for him to walk.

Under Mpande, the Zulu kingdom became more open to foreign influences. If Shaka mocked white technology, religion, and politics, Mpande contacted them. Missionaries worked under him, the first Zulu grammar was compiled, the Bible was translated into the Zulu language. At the end of 1872, Mpande died, and Ketchwayo became king of the Zulus, making Ulundi his capital.

Since 1873, the contradictions between British Natal and the Zulus gradually increased. The British felt threatened by the Zulus, and Ketchwayo was in conflict with Christian missionaries. In addition, the British were unhappy that the king was preventing the influx of workers into the country. Ketchwayo had a powerful thirty-thousandth army with a detachment of musketeers, planned to organize a cavalry.

In 1875, the British commander Wolseley decided that the South African problems of Britain were solved only by the annexation of Zululand, and in 1877 the Transvaal was annexed by the British (independence of the Boers would be restored only in 1881 after the Battle of Mayube). In the same year, Native Affairs Minister Natalya Shepard wrote to the British Colonial Secretary, Lord Carnarvon, that the Zulu state was the root of evil and should be destroyed.

On December 11, 1878, Ketchwayo was given an ultimatum to disband the army, abandon the Shaka military system, ensure the free admission of British missionaries to Zululand, and place a British commissioner in the Zulus. A month was given to fulfill the conditions, but Ketchwayo refused, and on January 11, 1879, the Anglo-Zulu War began.

Battle of Isandlwana

On January 22, 1879, at the hill of Isandlwana, a British detachment of 1,700 people was defeated by a 20,000-strong Zulu army. The Zulu managed to capture the Martini-Henry rifles, but they lost 3,000 men in this battle.

On January 22-23, four thousand Zulus attacked the Rorke's Drift border post, which was defended by only 150 British. In the course of a heroic defense, three Zulus attacks were repelled, and they retreated. The Zulus lost about 1,000 men, the British 17 killed and 10 wounded. 11 white heroes received Victoria Crosses, five more - medals "For Valiant Conduct".

On January 28, the British column under the command of Colonel Pearson was surrounded in the Eschove kraal, the siege continued until April 4. Ketchwayo offered to make peace with the British, but they did not respond to his proposals. Ketchwayo had no plans to invade Natal, which gave the British a breather. On March 12, at Intomba, a Zulu detachment of 500-800 soldiers defeated a hundred British. 62 English soldiers were killed. On March 28, at Hloban, 25,000 Zulus attacked a British detachment of 675 people, and 225 British died, Zulu losses were minimal.

On March 29, at Kambul, two thousand British defeated 20,000 Zulus - 29 British and 758 Zulus died. April 2 at Gingindlovu 5670 British defeated 11 thousand Zulus; British losses amounted to only 11 killed, and the Zulus lost over a thousand people.

Battle of Kambul

On June 1, the French prince, Eugene Napoleon, the nominal emperor of the French, was killed in reconnaissance by the Zulus, and on July 4, the last battle of this war took place near the capital of the Zulus, Ulundi.

British troops (six thousand people) methodically shot the Zulus, whose number was 24 thousand. After half an hour of shooting, the Zulu army ceased to exist as an organized force. The British lost 13 people killed, the Zulus - about 500 people, but the moral blow was huge. Kraal Ulundi was burned, Ketchvayo fled, but was captured on July 28. On September 1, the Zulu chieftains surrendered.

Zululand became part of British Natal. The king was deprived of power, 13 leaders began to rule the Zulus under the British protectorate. The natives were soon mired in strife, and in order to put an end to them, the British allowed Ketchwayo to return, which he did in January 1883, agreeing to comply with all the demands of the British. This did not help: between Ketchwayo and the old opponent Zibebu, who did not want to recognize his supremacy, an internecine war began, in which Ketchwayo was defeated. A year later, on February 8, 1884, Ketchwayo died; after him, his son Dinuzulu became king of the Zulus under British rule, enlisting the help of the Boers to fight Zibebu and defeat him. For this, Dinuzulu granted part of his lands to the Boers, where they founded the Boer Republic Nieve Republic (later became part of the Transvaal).

Battle of Rorke's Drift

In 1887 Zululand was annexed. To undermine Dinuzulu's power, the British instigated a rebellion by Zibebu. The uprising was crushed by him, Dinuzulu himself fled to the Transvaal. After extraditing him to the British in 1890, he was sentenced to 10 years in exile on the island of St. Helena, from where he returned only seven years later.

In the years following the Second Boer War, white employers in Natal had great difficulty hiring black workers, preferring to work in the mines of the Witwatersrand. To encourage blacks to work on white farms, at the end of 1905 the colonial authorities imposed a one-pound poll tax on all adult Aborigines.

Chief Bambat, who had 5,500 men under him, was one of those who resisted the introduction of the new tax. In February 1906, two policemen sent to collect taxes in recalcitrant areas were killed by Bambata's people, after which martial law was introduced. Bambata fled north with the tacit support of King Dinuzulu. Bambata gathered a small force of his supporters and began to carry out guerrilla attacks from the Nkandla forest. In April, an expedition was sent to put down the rebellion: at Mome George Hill, the Zulus were surrounded and defeated by the British due to their technical superiority; during the battle, Bambata was killed, and the uprising was crushed at the cost of the death of from 3,000 to 4,000 Zulus, with 7,000 arrested and 4,000 flogged. Thus ended the last Zulu war, after which the Zulu monarchy lost its influence.

Dinuzulu was also arrested; in March 1908 he was sentenced to 4 years in prison. In 1910, the Union of South Africa became a British dominion, and Dinuzulu's old friend, General Louis Botha, was appointed its prime minister, who released him on the condition that he never return to Zululand. On October 18, 1913, Dinuzulu died in the Transvaal; the heir was his son, King Solomon kaDinuzulu, who reigned until 1933 without being formally recognized.

Bekuzulu kaSolomon was king from 1933 to 1968 and was formally restored to royal status in 1951. Under his rule in 1948, the National Party won in South Africa, and the apartheid regime was established - the separation and development of races. Racial segregation deepened and expanded. Some Zulus fought against this regime, more conservative advocated, first of all, for the improvement of the position of the Zulus themselves.

In 1968, Goodwill kaBekuzulu Zweletini became king of the Zulus. On June 9, 1970, in accordance with the law on Bantu self-government, a “tribal homeland” was created in part of the territory of the province of Natal - the self-governing autonomy of Zululand (such autonomies are often called bantustans). The Zulu bantustan was led by Prince Mangosutu Buthelezi, and his capital was located at Nongoma. All Zulus acquired Zululand citizenship and lost South African citizenship. Thousands of Zulus living on private lands outside of Zululand were resettled in bantustan. On April 1, 1972, Bantustan was renamed KwaZulu - in the Zulu way.

In 1975, the right-wing Zulu Inkata Party was created, which advocated the improvement of the life of the Zulus under the apartheid regime, but many Zulus supported the African National Congress, the Pan-African Congress and other organizations that wanted the complete destruction of the apartheid system and equality for all.

In 1980, the capital was moved from Nongoma to Ulundi. In 1981, bantustan received extended autonomy. In 1994, apartheid fell. Bantustan was re-merged with the province of Natal, and it became known as KwaZulu-Natal.

Now the Zulus are the largest ethnic group in South Africa, there are over 10 million people, or 38.5% of the population. In addition to KwaZulu-Natal, there are now many Zulus in Gauteng, the economic and political center of the country (the center of the former Transvaal province with the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria). The Inkata party participated and is participating in the elections, but year by year it is losing support. Zulu President Jacob Zuma has ruled South Africa since 2009.

Zulu
Zulu- an African people of about 10 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in the Republic of South Africa. Small groups of Zulus also live in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. The Zulu language belongs to the Nguni group of the Bantu family. The Zulu kingdom played an important role in the history of present-day South Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries. During the apartheid era, the Zulus in South Africa, being the largest ethnic group, were treated as second-class citizens.

Zulu's own language, Zulu, is the language of the Bantu family, belonging to the Nguni group and close to the Xhosa and Swati languages. Zulu is the most spoken language in South Africa. However, many Zulus also speak English, Portuguese, Sesotho and other South African languages.

Among the Zulus there are Christians, many remain committed to traditional beliefs. The Zulu religion includes belief in a creator god (iNkulunkulu) who is above the daily affairs of man. The spirit world can only be accessed through ancestors (amadlozi), with whom soothsayers (almost always soothsayers) communicate. Everything bad, including death, is seen as the result of evil witchcraft or the actions of offended spirits. Another important aspect of the Zulu religion is ritual purity. Different utensils and utensils are often used for different foods, and ablution must be performed up to three times a day.

AND Zulu history

At the end of the 17th century, the peoples of the Nguni group, who originally lived on the lands of the present Congo, moved to South Africa, to present-day Natal, displacing the local Bushmen population. The Zulus lived in small groups, nominally recognizing the authority of the supreme leader. At the beginning of the 18th century, population growth, improved agricultural technology, and trade competition with Europeans led to the need for centralization and expansion of the power of the leaders. Two clans were particularly successful: the Ndwandwe north of the Umfolozi River and the Mthetwa south of it.

Originally, the Zulus proper were one of the sub-groups (isizwe "people", or isibongo "clan") of the Mthetwa. They got their name (amaZulu, “children of the sky”) at the beginning of the 18th century, when around 1709 the Zulu Cantombela founded his kingdom. By 1781, the Zulu clan had about one and a half thousand members.

The rapid expansion of the Zulu possession began in 1816, when King Shaka, the illegitimate son of the leader of Senzangakona, came to power. In 1817, the Ndwandwe killed the Mthetwa king Dingiswayo (the Zulus did not participate in this war), and Shaka became the supreme ruler of the Mthetwa. Shaka carried out military and social reforms that contributed to the military success of the Zulus and the integration of the conquered clans into his tribe. Already by 1819, the Zulus completely subjugated the Ndwandwe, and in 1824 they reached the borders of the Cape Colony. In 1824 Zululand had an area of ​​20,000 square kilometers and a population of 250,000. The Zulu army grew from 3,000 to 20,000 warriors.

Shaka undertook a complete reorganization of the Zulu military system, from conscription to tactics and weaponry.

Shaka established that upon reaching the age of 18-19, all Zulu youths were called up for royal military service. Recruits formed a regiment (or joined an existing one), which was given a name and assigned a uniform (mainly consisting of a special color of shields and various combinations of ceremonial feathers and furs). The recruits then built regimental barracks and received military training. The warriors remained at the disposal of the king until their marriage, after which they became reservists called up during the war. The permission to marry was issued personally by the king to entire regiments at once, so that the regiment left the service in full force. Naturally, the king sought to keep the warriors in the service as long as possible, and men, on average, married closer to forty years. The Zulus, as in any society, met people who shied away from service, since life in the army was often associated with a half-starved existence and constant fights on sticks with colleagues and rival regiments, and such fights sometimes escalated into a real stabbing (for example, once two court regiments, during a fight between themselves, launched assegai and about 70 people were killed). Such "refuseniks" either went to Natal, which was under the rule of the whites, or became shamans who were not subject to conscription. The Zulu regiment (about 1000 people) was subdivided into battalions (senior and junior), battalions into divisions, divisions into companies, and companies into squads. For example, on the eve of the Anglo-Zulu War, there were 49 companies in 12 divisions in the unusually large regiment of the Handempemwu ("Black and White Head"). The senior officers of the regiment were colonel, lieutenant colonel and majors.

The Zulu shield, introduced under Shaka, was made of cowhide and was up to about 1.3 m high and about 60 cm wide. Later, with the spread of firearms, the shields became lighter and smaller, however, the old-style shields continued to be used. The military shields of all regiments belonged personally to the king and were stored in special warehouses.

The main offensive weapon of the Zulus was the spear. Shaka is credited with a radical reform in this area - as the Zulus reported, "Shaka said that the old custom of throwing assegai was bad and caused cowardice ..." Now the Zulus were armed with an assegai with a long wide tip about 45 cm long and a short shaft about 75 cm long. finds of assegai have smaller tips, however, photographs and eyewitness accounts confirm that Shaka's assegai were similar to those described above.

In connection with the appearance of whites armed with guns, the heirs of Shaka returned throwing spears to the soldiers, which allowed them to fight at a distance, but the piercing spear remained the main weapon. For throwing, the Zulus mainly used a dart with a tip about 25 cm long and a shaft up to 90 cm long, which could be thrown at a distance of up to 45 m, but the effective throw range did not exceed 25-30 m.

In addition to spears, the Zulus were armed with wooden clubs up to 60 cm long. Also, high-ranking Zulus carried battle axes, which were both ceremonial and combat weapons.

The favorite construction of the Zulus was the "bull horns", which consisted of 4 units. The "breast" was moving straight at the enemy, two "horns" tried to surround the enemy and attack from the flanks, the detachment of "lions" stood in reserve. Also in reserve were often the youngest, newly formed regiments, which were used only for pursuit and collection of booty.

After the battle, the Zulu army immediately dispersed to their homes to perform purification rites, and even the royal will could not prevent this.

Shaka was killed in 1828 by his brother, Dingan, who extended the possessions of the Zulus from Umzivyubyu to Deloga Bay. Under him, the Zulus first came into conflict with the whites, namely with the Boers, who in 1837 appeared in the valleys of the east. slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains, initially suffered defeat from Z., but in 1840 they deposed Dingan, who was replaced by his brother Panda, who became a vassal to the republic they founded.

In 1856, internecine strife raged among the Zulus as a result of a dispute between the sons of Panda over the succession to the throne, which ended with the triumph of Kechevayo, or Setevayo, who, upon the death of Panda (1872), became king of Z. The army organized by him in 40,000 people. aroused the fears of the British, who demanded its dissolution and, having received a refusal, moved in 1879 against Quechevaio, under the command of Lord Chelmsford. An English detachment of 1,400 men with 60 officers was destroyed by Z. at Izandhluan on January 22; On June 1, the son of Napoleon III, Prince Napoleon, was killed during reconnaissance. On July 4, the British defeated Kechevayo at its capital Ulundi, and on August 28. took him prisoner. Following that, the leadership of the English. troops passed to Volslei, who completed the defeat of the Zulus. The Zulu country was divided among 8 chiefs of the tribes, including the cat. was the Englishman John Dunn; English was placed above them. resident, and Z. was forbidden to maintain his military organization, bring weapons and wage war.

South Africa is home to many different tribes and peoples. Therefore, they call themselves "rainbow country". But there are two main peoples - Zulu (Zulu) and Xhosa (Xhosa). There are also Swati, and Swazi, and Sotho, and many others, but in principle they are all relatives. Of course, a person who does not "boil in this cauldron" is unlikely to distinguish one from the other, but it is simply impossible not to notice and single out Zulu women. Because of their prominent ass.

Let's clarify a little, in South Africa there are actually only nine main black peoples, and if you count all the African representatives, you get several dozen. But the main ones are those that I wrote about above, Zulu and Kosa.

There is the Bantu people, who traditionally lived in the East and Central Africa, although, relatively speaking, all the black people of Africa belong to the Bantu. From here came the name "bantustan", and the language group "bantu". Almost all African languages ​​are related. The Nguni broke away from the Bantu and migrated south, settling northern South Africa sometime in the 12th century. (A highly controversial date, but before you is not a dissertation). Tribes broke away from the Nguni nation, the largest of which became known as the Zulu and the Xhosa. Perhaps at first there were Zulu, then part of the people separated from them, and began to call themselves a scythe.

The Zulus and the Xhosa have been at war with each other for generations, ever since the time of a Zulu commander named Chaka. Chaka saw strength in the unity of the Zulus, built a tribe under his command. He killed a lot of enemies, forcibly fastening the clans under his rule, created a magnificent army. He himself came up with a tactic used by Alexander the Great. In battle, he hid the phalanxes on the sides, then with a wedge he tried to split the enemy. He pretended to retreat, but he himself brought them under the attack of his flanks, and won. Instead of a spear, he introduced the assegai - a small spear for hand-to-hand combat. He threw a spear, and was left without a weapon, you can fight with an assegai. He also fought with the Xhosa tribe, drove them to the West, from where they were driven by the Boers. This enmity remained under apartheid and was exploited by the government. Divide and rule. To this day, the two tribes do not mix, neither at the domestic nor at the political level. The Zulus are in opposition, in the government mostly - a scythe.

We spent a week in Durban, which is the capital of the very Zulu-dominated province called KwaZulu Natal. Accordingly, the main local population is the Zulus. And it is simply impossible to make a mistake looking at their women. I don’t know what kind of anatomical feature it is, but their butt is just phenomenal. The upper part of the buttocks is parallel to the ground, and the buttocks themselves are of impressive size.

Among the Zulus, a woman is valued if she is in the body. Skinny people are often rejected for two reasons. Firstly, the husband will be teased that, they say, there is no money to feed his wife. Secondly, a thin wife may have AIDS. The tribes used to even have the position of a fat man, whose task was to accumulate weight. During negotiations with the tribes, he was planted next to the leader in order to show, they say, what a rich tribe, since it can support such a boar. Even in parliament, the majority of members are overweight, and the consumption of meat and fatty foods in the parliamentary canteen has increased by 30% since the Africans came to power.

And a selection of photos. I apologize for the quality. They do not like to be photographed, they had to shoot from the waist or on the phone.))

Of course, not all Zulu women are plump, although most of them are. There are simply amazingly beautiful, slender and curvy. But the fifth dot always stands out.)

Our ladies in the gyms are killed in order to somehow correspond to such "Zulu priests", but here it is given by nature.

The many-sided Africa, on the vast territory of which in 61 countries, in the secluded corners of this continent, more than 5 million people of almost completely wild African tribes still live.

Members of these tribes do not recognize the achievements of the civilized world and are content with the benefits that they inherited from their ancestors.

Squalid huts, modest food and a minimum of clothes suit them, and they are not going to change this way.

Their customs

There are about 3 thousand different wild tribes in Africa, but it is difficult to name their exact number, since most often they are either densely mixed with each other, or vice versa, separated. The population of some tribes is only a few thousand or even hundreds of people, and often only 1-2 villages are inhabited. Because of this, there are dialects and dialects on the territory of the African continent, which can sometimes be understood only by representatives of only a particular tribe. And the variety of rituals, dances, customs and sacrifices is enormous. In addition, the appearance of the people of some tribes is simply amazing.

However, since they all live on the same continent, all African tribes still have something in common. Some elements of culture are characteristic of all nationalities living in this territory. One of the main defining features of the tribes of Africa is the orientation to the past, that is, the erection of the culture and life of their ancestors into a cult.

The majority of African peoples reject everything new and modern, withdrawing into themselves. Most of all, they are attached to constancy and immutability, including in everything related to everyday life, traditions and customs, leading their existence from great-grandfathers.

It is hard to imagine, but among them there are practically no those who would not be engaged in subsistence farming or cattle breeding. Hunting, fishing or gathering are completely normal activities for them. Just like many centuries ago, African tribes are at war with each other, marriages are most often concluded within one tribe, intertribal marriages among them are very rare. Of course, more than one generation leads such a life, each new child from birth will have to live the same fate.

Tribes differ from each other in their own unique system of life, customs and rituals, beliefs and prohibitions. Most of the tribes invent their own fashions, often stunningly flamboyant, often astonishing in their originality.

Of the most famous and numerous today, tribes can be considered: Masai, Bantu, Zulu, Samburu and Bushmen.

Masai

One of the most famous African tribes. They live in Kenya and Tanzania. The number of representatives reaches 100 thousand people. Most often they can be found on the side of the mountain, which figures prominently in the mythology of the Maasai. Perhaps the size of this mountain influenced the worldview of the members of the tribe - they consider themselves the favorites of the gods, the highest people and sincerely believe that there are no more beautiful people in Africa than they are.

This self-image gave rise to a contemptuous, often even derogatory attitude towards other tribes, which caused frequent wars between the tribes. In addition, it is customary for the Maasai to steal animals from other tribes, which also does not improve their reputation.

The dwelling of the Maasai is built from branches smeared with manure. This is done mainly by women, who also, if necessary, take on the duties of pack animals. The main share of nutrition is milk or blood of animals, less often - meat. A distinctive sign of beauty in this tribe are elongated earlobes. At present, the tribe is almost completely exterminated or dispersed, only in the remote corners of the country, in Tanzania, there are still separate Masai nomad camps.

Bantu

The Bantu tribe lives in Central, South and East Africa. In truth, the Bantu is not even a tribe, but a whole nation, which includes many peoples, for example, Rwanda, Shono, Konga and others. They all have similar languages ​​and customs, which is why they were united into one big tribe. Most Bantu speakers speak two or more languages, the most commonly spoken of which is Swahili. The number of members of the Bantu people reaches 200 million. According to research scientists, it was the Bantu, along with the Bushmen and Hottentots, who became the progenitors of the South African colored race.

Bantu have a peculiar appearance. They have very dark skin and an amazing hair structure - each hair is curled in a spiral. Wide noses and wings, a low nose bridge, and tall stature—often over 180 cm—are also hallmarks of Bantu people. Unlike the Maasai, the Bantu do not shy away from civilization and willingly invite tourists to study tours of their villages.

Like any African tribe, a major part of Bantu life is occupied by religion, namely, traditional African animistic beliefs, as well as Islam and Christianity. The Bantu dwelling resembles a Maasai house - the same round shape, with a frame of branches covered with clay. True, in some areas Bantu houses are rectangular, painted, with gable, single-pitched or flat roofs. The members of the tribe are mainly engaged in agriculture. A distinctive feature of the Bantu can be called an enlarged lower lip into which small discs are inserted.

Zulu

The Zulu people, once the largest ethnic group, now number only 10 million people. The Zulus use their own language - Zulu, which comes from the Bantu family and is the most common in South Africa. In addition, English, Portuguese, Sesotho and other African languages ​​​​are in circulation among the members of the people.

The Zulu tribe suffered a difficult period during the apartheid era in South Africa, when, being the most numerous people, it was defined as a second-class population.

As for the beliefs of the tribe, most of the Zulus remained true to national beliefs, but there are also Christians among them. The Zulu religion is based on belief in a creator god, superior and separate from the daily routine. Representatives of the tribe believe that you can contact the spirits through the soothsayers. All negative manifestations in the world, including illness or death, are considered as the machinations of evil spirits or the result of evil witchcraft. In the Zulu religion, the main place is occupied by cleanliness, frequent ablutions in the custom of representatives of the people.

Samburu

The Samburu tribe lives in the northern regions of Kenya, on the border of the foothills and the northern desert. About five hundred years ago, the Samburu people settled in this territory and quickly populated the plain. This tribe is distinguished by independence and is much more confident in its elitism than the Masai. The life of the tribe depends on livestock, but, unlike the Maasai, the Samburu raise livestock themselves and roam with them from place to place. Customs and ceremonies occupy a significant place in the life of the tribe and are distinguished by the splendor of colors and forms.

Samburu huts are made of clay and skins, outside the dwelling is surrounded by a thorny fence to protect it from wild animals. Representatives of the tribe carry their houses with them, assembling anew at each parking lot.

It is customary for samburu to divide labor between men and women, this also applies to children. Women's duties include gathering, milking cows and fetching water, as well as arranging firewood, cooking and looking after children. Of course, the general order and stability is in charge of the female half of the tribe. Samburu men are responsible for herding livestock, which is their main livelihood.

The most important detail of the life of the people is childbearing, sterile women are subjected to severe persecution and abuse. Normally, the tribe worships the spirits of ancestors, as well as witchcraft. The Samburu believe in charms, spells, and rituals for fertility and protection.

Bushmen

The most famous, for a long time, European African tribe is the Bushmen. The name of the tribe consists of the English "bush" - "bush" and "man" - "man", but it is dangerous to call representatives of the tribe this way - it is considered offensive. It is more correct to call them "san", which in the language of the Hottentots means "foreign". Externally, the Bushmen are somewhat different from other African tribes, they have lighter skin and thinner lips. In addition, they are the only ones who eat ant larvae. Their dishes are considered a feature of the national cuisine of this people. The Bushmen's way of life also differs from that generally accepted among savage tribes. Instead of chieftains and sorcerers, the elders choose elders from among the most experienced and respected members of the tribe. Elders lead the life of the people, without using any advantages at the expense of others. It should be noted that the Bushmen also believe in an afterlife, like other African tribes, but they do not have the ancestor cult adopted by other tribes.

Among other things, the San have a rare talent for storytelling, song, and dance. Musical instrument they can make practically them all. For example, there are bows stretched with animal hair or bracelets made from dried insect cocoons with pebbles inside, which are used to beat the rhythm during the dance. Almost everyone who has the opportunity to observe the musical experiments of the Bushmen tries to record them in order to pass them on to future generations. This is all the more relevant because the current century dictates its own rules and many Bushmen have to deviate from centuries-old traditions and go as workers on farms in order to provide for their family and tribe.

This is a very small number of tribes living in Africa. There are so many of them that it would take several volumes to describe them all, but each of them boasts a unique value system and way of life, not to mention rituals, customs and costumes.

The Zulus are a mysterious African people with a unique history and culture. Their magical experience contains many unsolved mysteries, which humanity has yet to reveal.

The Zulus number 10 million. They live in South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique. According to the Boers (alien white population), the Zulus are the most efficient, talented and colorful people in all of South Africa. According to archaeological excavations, the ancestors of the Zulus appeared on the territory of South Africa in the first centuries of our era.

The term "Zulu" originated around 1709, when one of the strongest Zulu leaders founded a clan that literally translates as (amaZulu) or "children of the sky." Their main occupations were agriculture, cattle breeding, hunting and tribal wars. The boys were trained in military skills from a young age.

A Zulu village is an ideal small fortified area surrounded by a circular wooden rampart with one or more watchtowers.
Inside there are huts in a strict hierarchical order: the house of the mother of the head of the clan, the house of the head, his first wife, second, third, young people, and so on.

A place of honor in the settlement is occupied by a corral for livestock. The dead are buried right there, apparently believing that the spirits of the dead guard the animals. Among the Zulus, all important concepts: strength, power, power, comfort - are measured by the number of cattle. Milking cows is a sacred act, and it is done exclusively by men. And if you see a buffalo skull with massive horns above the entrance to the dwelling, then this is a sure sign that the head of the family or leader lives here.

The Zulus wear a leopard-skin outfit in high esteem. But only the king, the highest commander or the head of the family clan can wear it. The national clothes of simple Zulus are leather loincloths, aprons, decorations on the calves and forearms in the form of animal tails. Their festive headdresses made of bird feathers look very peculiar and beautiful.

The first famous king of the Zulus - Chaka became famous for his cruelty and talents as a cunning military leader. It was thanks to Chaka that at the beginning of the 19th century the Zulus ceased to be scattered tribes of primitive natives and turned into a powerful nation of "people of the sky", which captured vast territories. Chaka conscripted all men between the ages of 20 and 40 into military service, establishing undivided dominance over them until they were married.

The king himself gave permission for marriage and only the bravest warriors. Of course, the cunning king strove to keep the soldiers in the service longer, and the men "shone" to marry only by the age of 40.

In the regiments, young Zulus eked out a half-starved existence and there were stabbings between them. There were also "refuseniks" who ran away from the Zulu clans to the whites, or became shamans who were not subject to conscription. But in general, the army of Chaka was famous for its discipline, ferocity of warriors and numerous victories over neighboring tribes.

Chaka upgraded the offensive weapons of the Zulus. He armed his troops with short assegai - stabbing spears (75 cm) with a long wide tip, which the soldiers did not let go of their hands, piercing the opponent's chest. For the loss of a spear, the death penalty threatened.

Chaka came up with a special construction of military units - "bull horns", which brought many victories to the Zulus. Two "horns" tried to surround the enemy and attack from the flanks (consisted of the fastest warriors), the "Chest" moved directly to the enemy (the most experienced), the detachment of "lions" (young) stood in reserve for pursuit.

After the battle, the warriors immediately went home to perform cleansing rites, and even the royal will could not prevent this.

In 1828, after a ten-year reign, Chaka was killed by his brother, Dingan. Under Dingan, the Zulus first came into conflict with the whites, suffered one defeat after another, and, in the end, became vassals in their own republic. During the apartheid era, the Zulus were viewed as second-class citizens.

Currently, the Zulus are the most civilized tribe that has mastered English, Portuguese and other languages ​​​​of South Africa. But their adherence to traditional beliefs is very strong, despite the fact that there are Christians among the Zulus.

The Zulus believe in the god Unkulunkula, who is the supreme spirit, ancestor and creator. They turn to the Lord-in-Sky only in exceptional cases and on special hills on which cattle do not graze, and it is possible to climb there only after special preparation.

“Only when we pray for rain do we ascend this mountain. First you need to fast and pray a lot ... We climb in deep fear, lowering our eyes and stepping carefully. Then the rain caster says a prayer. When he speaks to the Lord-in-Heaven, we kneel or prostrate. When he finishes, we return without a word. We do not talk because the one in whose presence we are is terrible, ”says one of the bravest Zulu warriors, shuddering with fear.

There are also “smaller” spirits that can take offense at people and bring evil. Intermediaries between these spirits and mortals are the souls of dead ancestors. But only female soothsayers can communicate with them.

Shadows play an important role in the life of the Zulus. They especially annoy the soothsayers, but they know special medicines, so they do not go crazy. All other people must observe ritual purity so that the shadows do not disturb them. The Zulus believe that in the world of shadows everything is upside down, therefore the shadows are light, since in the world of shadows darkness replaces light, and light replaces darkness. That is why the sweetest delicacy for shadows is bile, because "bile is sweet for them, like honey."

In the world of shadows, the right hand becomes the left, and the left becomes the right. Therefore, soothsayers, servants of shadows, use their left hand during predictions. But there are also benefits from shadows, as they help a person to be reborn in a new quality. For example, shadows are simply necessary for a woman to become pregnant, because then she will become a mother from a childless woman.