The Zulus – Africa’s Warriors & South Africa Largest Ethnic Group

The mention of the word Zulu brings a romantic notion of brave African warriors and beautiful maidens to mind, yet in today’s modern South African and African society, the Zulu nation is by far the largest ethnic group with about 20 -22 million people. Looking back at a brief history of how the Zulu nation came into being long ago, they lived as isolated and sometime nomadic family groups. By the late 18th century, political consolidation and a transformation to a more organized form among groups took place resulting in a more cohesive nation, albeit with some force when needed by compelling chiefdoms to swear and support to Zulu chiefs. Military conquest was greatly valued and used as a means to garner support and unite all warring groups under one powerful force Zulu nation, with a then powerful King Shaka ruling from 1816 to 1828, only to be assassinated by his brothers. Within those twelve years, Shaka had, without a doubt, forged one of the mightiest empires the African continent has ever known. What resulted then among the descendants of Shaka’s legacy was treachery and deceipt and death in the form of countless battles between the Boers and Zulus, the British and Zulus, and even Zulus and Zulus.   Today the Zulu are the largest South African ethnic group who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa. Their spoken and written language is isiZulu, and is part of the Nguni subgroup and by far the most dominant language…

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