Zulu Kings

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For. a long time I have tried to get a correct list of the Zulu Kings and -rulers, so far as  Zulu memory carries.   I commenced getting their names and order of succession from King Cetywayo, who gave me the following list

Umdhlani

Umalandela, which two are known  as  being  the  Abanguni,  " the Ancients," and from whom the Angonis (really Abanguni) branched off

Untombela

Uzulu

Unkosinkulu

Umageba

Upunga

Undaba

Ujama

Usenzangakona

Utshaka

Udingana

Umpande

Ucetywayo

Udinuzulu

Usolomona

  I have enquired from other old men, but they have confirmed Cetywayo.  I am not surprised at this confirmation, for Cetywayo, like the other Zulu monarchs, was the depositary of Zulu knowledge and history. I only made a casual enquiry into Zulu History, and found that I could not get an agreed and connected account, I abstained from enquiring, in that direction, any further, and so I will, not attempt to give much of Zulu  history.  I  should have  asked Cetywayo, but I did not.  So far as one can gather, Uzulu was the younger brother of Uqwahe, and the Uqwabe should have succeeded Untombela, but Uzulu outwitted I'm) and became the King of Zulu land after Untombela, and from him Uzulu the Zulu nation has taken its name.  So far as one can gather the above is the direct line of the Kings of the people (Natives) who came into Zululand many decades ago, and who I will attempt to show were the descendants of the Ethiopians who came under the power, by conquest, of Moses, though there were many other leading chiefs  subordinate to those Kings, and who gradually set up their own governments.  As always happens, in the best regulated families of tribes and nations, some-thing eventuates, which leads to a clash, and a final emergence of an individual who swoops down, wipes out his opponents and then con­centrates under himself the wealth and governments of his opponents, and that is what King Tshaka did; but all that he gathered under himself has now been gathered by others, and so things will go on for ever.  Now this Tshaka came on the scene in a peculiar manner, so far as can be gathered:  he is known  as being  the  son of  King Senzangakona, per his wife Nandi. But when Nandi conceived him she was not the wedded wife of Senzangakona, who after the concep­tion acknowledged him as his son

  Nandi was the chief daughter of Mbhengi, a great Chief of those days, and lived in the Nguga kraal.  The Zulus used to carry on circumcision ceremonies in those days, as they did for many years thereafter, and these ceremonies were carried out away from the usual home in the veldt, in temporary establishments.   Prince Senzana­kona was out with others of his age, in one of those establishments, which was really of temporary poles and branches, going through cir­cumcision ceremonies, and feasting, as is usually the case during those ceremonies, meat and food is supplied in great abundance, and it so happened that a passer by belonging to the said Nguga kraal section of the tribe called where the ceremonies were being carried out, and was feasted with many good things by tire young prince; when he got to the Inguga kraal he happened to speak about the great kindness and the liberality of that young Prince and Nandi overheard him, whereapon she called together her girls-in-waiting to go with her to see that Prince, and asked the man who had been praising him, to go with them to show them the place where the Prince was; he conse­quently took them there, and when they had got near to the desired object, they were told to stand a little way off, and they were asked what they had come for, oil which Nandi replied that she had come to see the Prince.  When she was asked concerning what had she come to see the Prince, she replied that she loved him, and she was pregnated by him that day, and returned to the Inguga kraal with her com­panions.  Nandi and the Prince were strangers to one another to that clay.  That pregnancy was kept a secret until the secret could not be kept any longer, and Nandi was confined and bore the child Tshaka, which was taken to Nandi's mother's home to be nursed and brought up.  Here Tshaka and the chief son of Mlhengi fell out, and Nandi's mother, fearing that Tshaka might be kilted here, took him away to the Mtetwa tribe, where she was born, to her own mother, with whom she left him to be brought up.   Later on Senzangakona visited the Mtetwa tribe, but became ill and on his return home died.   Subsequently Dingiswayo, the Chief of the Mtetwa tribe, who had taken over Tshaka, and showed him great favors because of his daring and bravery, made a visit to Chief Zwide ka Langa of the Ndwandwe tribe, who, without any apparent cause or reason, caused him to be killed-whereupon Tshaka collected the Mtetwa regiments, attacked Zwide and his tribe, and routed them, in revenge for the killing of Dingis­wavo.  This was what set the Tshaka stone rolling till it had rough ­rolled anti conquered all the Native tribes from Zululand to the Cape and Basautoland.  Dingana and Mpande were sons of Senzangakona by other and separate wives.  Tshaka was cruel, but not any more cruel than our ancestor rulers, and many rulers of modern times who have had it in their minds that one's opponents must be sent West in order that they may have their own way.   Let it be understood that I am not advocating cruelty, as I hate cruelty, but I maintain rule of the masses must be with a firmer hand than it has been of late, not many human beings do not appreciate what liberty is as, for example, see the Laborites, who have gradually grown into Socialists, Communists, anti Bolshevists, and have almost ruined the nations to which they belong.  Mussolini rule is what is wanted for these.   Tshaka always led his men to the fight, and always was able to say   ‘Come on’  instead ‘of go on’.   Tshaka was a great friend of the English, presented to the English inhabitants of Durban a large strip of sea­shore land, on part of which Durban now stands, and instead of ill-treating M.r. Fynn and his companions, who had been stranded on the Zululand coast, helped them to get to the Durban Bluff.  What have we done for Tshaka's Zulus to show our gratitude.