LEADERSHIP BY TERROR 169When Shaka was in his early twenties, he became a warrior for King
Dingiswayo, the chief of the nearby Mtetwa tribe. Dingiswayo soon
recognized his extraordinary fi ghting ability and decided to train him
as a future Zulu chief. If Dingiswayo could control the Zulu through
his ‘ disciple, ’ Shaka would act as a buffer against the forces of his main
rival in southern Africa, King Zwide. Shaka rose quickly through the
ranks of the Mtetwa army and soon became their commander.
When his father died, Shaka (with Dingiswayo ’ s military backing)
seized control of the small Zulu clan. Once chief, he took immediate
revenge on those responsible for his childhood torment, ordering the
execution of large numbers of eLangeni and Zulu. He then decided to
turn his small group of warriors into a fi ghting machine. Shaka trained
the Zulu soldiers rigorously, punishing the slightest sign of hesitation
with death. He commanded his army to be celibate, created an all -
encompassing regimental structure, and instilled his own fi ghting spirit
in his warriors.
Shaka built on Dingiswayo ’ s experiments in social engineering.
Dingiswayo had replaced traditional puberty rites involving circumci-
sion with a system whereby young men were organized into age - based
military regiments. Under Shaka, coming of age meant being inducted
into a regiment (under direct control of the king) and stationed away
from home. Once part of a regiment, every male earned his manhood
by accomplishments on the battlefi eld. The young men were required
to ‘ wash their spears ’ in blood. Through such interventions, Shaka reor-
ganized the Zulus into a formidable fi ghting force, turning them into
an army more Spartan than the soldiers at Sparta — a force unchallenged
in southern Africa.
Shaka revolutionized Zulu weaponry and military tactics. Using the
assegai as a stabbing rather than a throwing spear, his men were able to
retain their weapons and advance toward their enemies behind protec-
tive shields. He also perfected several complex battle formations that
outfl anked and confused his enemies.
When Dingiswayo was murdered by his old rival Zwide, Shaka
stepped into the vacuum. In 1819, after a series of inconclusive battles,
he fi nally defeated Zwide and took over his territory. Conquering
tribe after tribe, he assimilated all his conquests into the Zulu nation.
When a chiefdom was conquered, it became a territorial segment of
Shaka ’ s kingdom - at - large. The warriors became part of his royal army
and were drilled and fought beside combatants from other chiefdoms.
Tribes that resisted were annihilated. The Zulu did not take prison-
ers: old people were killed, and young men and women were incor-
porated into existing regimental systems. To reinforce his reign, Shaka