The Creation of the Zulu Kingdom, 1815-1828 : War, Shaka, and the consolidation of power / Elizabeth A. Eldredge.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Eldredge, Elizabeth A., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shaka, King of the Zulu, 1787?-1828.

Shaka.

Zulu (African people)--Kings and rulers--Biography.

Zulu (African people).

Zulu (African people)--History--19th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiii, 406 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This scholarly account traces the emergence of the Zulu Kingdom in South Africa in the early nineteenth century, under the rule of the ambitious and iconic King Shaka. In contrast to recent literary analyses of myths of Shaka, this book uses the richness of Zulu oral traditions and a comprehensive body of written sources to provide a compelling narrative and analysis of the events and people of the era of Shaka's rule. The oral traditions portray Shaka as rewarding courage and loyalty and punishing failure; as ordering the targeted killing of his own subjects, both warriors and civilians, to ensure compliance to his rule; and as arrogant and shrewd, but kind to the poor and the mentally disabled. The rich and diverse oral traditions, transmitted from generation to generation, reveal the important roles and fates of men and women, royal and subject, from the perspectives of those who experienced Shaka's rule and the dramatic emergence of the Zulu Kingdom.

Contents:

Political history in pre-colonial Africa : the case of the AmaZulu kingdom

Powerful chiefs before Shaka

Shaka's early life : oral traditions, tales and history

Shaka as warrior

AmaZulu expansion and repercussions : early conflicts and migrations

Chiefs, chiefdoms, violence and political reconfiguration

Challenges and consolidation 1824-1827

Royal women : authority and subservience

Zulu voices, Zulu meanings : ancestors, praises and history

Shaka's rule : social configuration and social control

Shaka's ambitions

The legacy of Shaka's reign

Appendix : James Stuart interviewees.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-316-08335-7

1-316-05735-6

1-316-05498-5

1-316-08099-4

1-316-07626-1

1-107-42802-5

1-139-87168-4

1-316-07153-7

1-316-07863-9

1-316-07389-0