The relations between Zulu King Cetshwayo and the British Authority at Port Natal 1872-1882
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Date
2021
Authors
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
British High Commissioner in South Africa, Sir Bartle Frere (1877-80), said the history of
the Zulu King Cetshwayo ka Mpande (1872-9) was ' written in characters of blood.’ He
described the Zulu king as an "irresponsible, bloodthirsty despot, bloodthirsty and
aggressive despot, ignorant and bloodthirsty despot" and as a "ruthless savage". He
referred to his grinding despotism, his faithless, cruel character, atrocious barbarities,
power of murder and plunder, murders and massacres and his cruelty and treachery. He
alluded that King Cetshwayo's aim was to emulate the sanguinary fame of his uncle
Chaka (Shaka), in shedding blood, to resume the most sanguinary of his predecessors'
practices and to break loose from all restraint and to re- establish the regime of Chaka's
unmitigated barbarism. This study sought to examine, in more systematic detail than what
has been done in recent times, the evidence for and against the contemporary charge
that King Cetshwayo was a cruel tyrant and his relations with the British authorities
culminating in the 1879 conflict. Moreover, Sir Bartle Frere had a strong interest in
discrediting King Cetshwayo, and this in itself should lead one to treat his allegations with
great caution. Frere was a distinguished former Indian civil servant selected by the
Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Carnarvon, to carry out his scheme of South
African confederation. With the wisdom of hindsight, it could be argued that this was a
hopeless task, but Frere was determined to succeed, and obstacles only made him more
determined. He soon decided that the Zulu kingdom was the main obstacle to success.
An independent African kingdom in which the young men were required to serve the king
in a military capacity and were not permitted to work for wages for white employers was
entirely incompatible with the confederated state which Frere was endeavouring to
construct. This and other findings within the search of literature led the research to
investigate the phenomenon under investigation. Using Conflict and Great man theory,
the study will look at the Zulu Kingdom under King Cesthwayo leading to the war of 1879.
A qualitative research approach was adopted and the study relied on secondary sources.
Interviews and archival sources were primary tools. The study finds that both the British
and Zulus had responsibility in the eminent war of 1879.It brings forward that the British
invaded Zululand.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.
Keywords
The relations between Zulu King Cetshwayo and the British Authority at Port Natal 1872-1882, Zulu King Cetshwayo, British Authority, Port Natal