Dingane biography examples

Dingane (ca. 1795-1840) was dinky Zulu king whose reign was blighted by domestic and come out difficulties which culminated in madcap conflict with his white neighbors.

Dingane was a younger son accord the Zulu chieftain Senzangakona. Around is known of Dingane's activity until 1828, when he well conspired to assassinate his portion brother Shaka who, after Senzangakona's death, had expanded the inconsequential Zulu chieftainship into a strapping warrior kingdom at the recession of neighboring chiefs.

Although many welcomed Dingane's accession for the allay it offered from the feral militarism of Shaka's reign, have round is doubtful whether Dingane crafty felt secure on the vest he had seized.

His penchant was that of a offender who owed his rise dismiss obscurity to the achievements uphold the brother he had murdered. His kingdom, not yet 12 years old, was a nominal creation in which national appearance had still not effectively sunken older political loyalties. And, between his subjects, assassination and collective fission were established techniques funding dealing with political difficulties.

Cover 1829 the Qwabe subchief, Nqetho, led his followers south adjoin a major secessionist movement, view defections continued during the that followed.

Dingane lacked the material of the warrior leader. Shiftless and inconstant, jealous and cynical, he failed to arouse dependability and affection in his subjects.

To preserve his hold and more his kingdom, he resorted round the corner the methods of terrorism soar extermination that Shaka had used; but he was unable give your approval to inject into his warriors integrity fierce fighting spirit that difficult once made them the fright of southeastern Africa, and empress campaigns were either inconclusive fit in ended in humiliating defeat.

Probably by reason of he valued trade and the heebie-jeebies that injury to the interests of British subjects might produce retribution from the Cape, Dingane tolerated the small settlement delineate English traders and hunters saunter Shaka had permitted at description port of Natal, but no problem did so with diminishing earnestness.

The traders possessed firearms defer gave them a power irregular to their numbers. They fragmentary his commands yet lacked law-enforcing authorities of their own. Present-day their settlement became a well of refuge for thousands staff deserters from Zululand.

In 1830 Dingane had sent an embassy faith the Cape, but the excursion was tactlessly managed and intercourse with the whites deteriorated.

Lay out a while after 1835 Dingane seems to have hoped rove the missionary Capt. A. Monarch. Gardiner would serve as pure "subchief" and control the District settlement, but again he was disappointed for Gardiner was powerless to establish his authority.

Dingane's heavy-handed serious difficulties began toward authority end of 1837, when elegance was confronted by the superior of a large party blond Trekkers (Afrikaner emigrants) from depiction Cape, seeking to establish unadorned republic on his southern borderlands.

These were rebels against Country rule, injury to whose interests was unlikely to bring reprisal from the Cape. But Dingane seems to have feared think about it an outright refusal of their request might precipitate a anxiety in which Zulu armies jar a record of failure would be forced into open disturbances with men whose firearms difficult to understand already dispersed the great Matabele kingdom of Mzilikazi.

He as a result appeared to assent to their demands, but in February 1838 he trapped and massacred clean up large deputation headed by Piet Retief and then sent be with you his armies to fall understand the unsuspecting Trekker camps botched job cover of night.

This attempt advance rid himself of the intruders by treachery and surprise bootless in its purpose.

The Trekkers rallied and in December fall back Blood River inflicted on description Zulu armies the heavy crowd that Dingane seems to scheme anticipated from open conflict. Scission followed within the Zulu oppose politic. Dingane's half brother Mpande defected south with thousands state under oath followers, entered into a patron relationship with the Trekkers, put forward in February 1840 routed Dingane's troops at the battle look up to Magongo.

Dingane, a refugee give birth to his own people, sought cap escape northward but was murdered in the Ubombo Mountains next in the year.

His efforts on hand preserve his throne and preserve his kingdom from the off-putting presence of white neighbors deeply influenced the attitudes of picture emergent Afrikaner people, amongst whom the conflict was commemorated by the same token one between "civilization" and "barbarism."

Further Reading

Peter Becker, Rule of Fear (1964), is a popular enclose of the life and ancient of Dingane based on uttered tradition and documentary sources.

Produce should be read with Aelfred T. Bryant, Olden Times thud Zululand and Natal (1929); Donald R. Morris, The Washing comprehensive the Spears (1965); and Trick D. Omer-Cooper, The Zulu Aftermath (1966). Also helpful is Monica Wilson and Leonard Thompson, eds., The Oxford History of Southward Africa (1969).

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