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Dingane kaSenzangakhona Zulu (ca. 1795-1840)—commonly referred to as Dingane or Dingaan—was a Zulu
Zulu

The Zulu are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa....
 chief who became king in 1828, setting up his kraal
Kraal

Kraal is an Afrikaans and South African English word for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within an African homestead or village surrounded by a palisade, sod defensive wall, or other fencing, roughly circular in form....
 Ngungunhlovu at .

Challenges of European Advance
Even though modern historians might judge Dingane as the king responsible for the fall of the Zulu military superiority in southern Africa, Dingane was, to a great extent, a popular leader who came into power at a very challenging time.






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Dingane kaSenzangakhona Zulu (ca. 1795-1840)—commonly referred to as Dingane or Dingaan—was a Zulu
Zulu

The Zulu are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa....
 chief who became king in 1828, setting up his kraal
Kraal

Kraal is an Afrikaans and South African English word for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within an African homestead or village surrounded by a palisade, sod defensive wall, or other fencing, roughly circular in form....
 Ngungunhlovu at .

Rise to Power


He came to power after assassinating his half-brother Shaka
Shaka

Shaka was the most influential leader of the Zulu Empire.He is widely credited with uniting many of the Northern Nguni people, specifically the Mthethwa Paramountcy and the Ndwandwe into the Zulu kingdom, the beginnings of a nation that held sway over the large portion of southern Africa between the Phongolo River and Mzimkhulu River river...
 with the help of another brother, Umhlangana, as well as Shaka's advisor Mbopa. The assassination, which was carried out where the present-day town of Stanger is located, was a reaction to the increase in Shaka's brutality after the death of his mother Nandi
Nandi (mother of Shaka)

Nandi was a daughter of Bhebhe, a past chief of the Langeni tribe and the mother of the legendary Shaka, King of the Zulus.Shaka's father was Senzangakona, chieftain of the Zulu clan, which was small and insignificant at the time....
.

Challenges of European Advance


Even though modern historians might judge Dingane as the king responsible for the fall of the Zulu military superiority in southern Africa, Dingane was, to a great extent, a popular leader who came into power at a very challenging time. Even under Shaka—had he not been murdered—the fall of the kingdom may have been difficult to avoid. Great numbers of people of European descent were making their way northward from the Cape Colony
Cape Colony

The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by French Revolution, so that the French revolutionaries could not take possession of...
 with weaponry far superior to the Zulu spear.

Rebellion


Dingane lacked Shaka's military and leadership skills, and the cracks in the kingdom began to show as rebel chiefs broke away. These cracks were exacerbated by armed conflict with the newly arrived Voortrekkers
Voortrekkers

The Voortrekkers were emigrants during the 1830s and 1840s who left the Cape Colony moving into the interior of what is now South Africa. The Great Trek consisted of a number of mass movements under a number of different leaders including Louis Trichardt, Hendrik Potgieter, Sarel Cilliers, Pieter Uys, Gerrit Maritz, Piet Retief, and Andri...
.

Armed Conflict With Voortrekkers


In November 1837 he met with Piet Retief
Piet Retief

Pieter Mauritz Retief , was a South African Boer leader. Settling in the Cape Colony's Xhosa Wars frontier region in 1814, he assumed command of punitive expeditions and acted as spokesperson for the frontier farmers....
 and, in return for their recovering some stolen cattle, signed a deed of cession of lands (written in English) to the Voortrekkers. Two days of feasting later, on 6 February 1838, he killed Retief's diplomatic party. At the same time, his forces ambushed and killed Retief's trek party, about 500 Boers, including men, women and children, at Weenen
Weenen massacre

The Weenen massacre refers to the massacre of Voortrekkers by the Zulu on 17 February 1838. After the murder of Piet Retief and his delegation, the Zulu chief Dingane sent his Impis to exterminate the remaining voortrekkers who were camped at Doringkop, Bloukrans , Moordspruit, Rensburgspruit and other sites along the Bushman River , in the p...
 (Afrikaans, "weeping," in memory of the massacre). Dingane then sent his army with instructions to seek out and kill the other group of Voortrekkers under Andries Pretorius
Andries Pretorius

Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius was a leader of the Boers who was instrumental in the creation of the Transvaal Republic as well as the earlier but short-lived Natalia Republic in present-day South Africa....
. The Zulu impis found the Voortrekker encampment and attacked, but were dealt a crushing defeat in the ensuing Battle of Blood River
Battle of Blood River

The Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838 was fought between 470 Voortrekkers, led by Andries Pretorius, and an estimated 10,000 Zulu attackers on the banks of the Ncome River at in what is today KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa....
 with an estimated 3000 Zulus killed and only three Voortrekkers slightly injured. Dingane's commander at the battle was Ndlela kaSompisi
Ndlela kaSompisi

Ndlela kaSompisi was a key general to Zulu Kings Shaka and Dingane, and also served as Dingane's inDuna - his chief advisor.Senzangakona, Shaka and Dingane's father, was married to Bibi, a sister of Ndlela....
.

Overthrow and Death


In January 1840, Pretorius, with a force of 400 burghers, helped Mpande
Mpande

Mpande was Monarch of the Zulu nation from 1840 to 1872, making him the longest reigning Zulu king. He was a half-brother of Shaka and Dingane, who both preceded him as List of Zulu kings....
 in his revolt against Dingane, which resulted in his overthrow and death. Dingane was assassinated in Hlatikhulu Forest
Hlatikhulu Forest

Hlatikulu Forest is a forest in the Lebombo Mountains of South Africa, between Ingwavuma and the Pongola Gorge. The forest is also known as the Gwaliweni Forest....
 by Zulu Nyawo, Sambane and Nondawana while on a military expedition.

He was succeeded by Mpande
Mpande

Mpande was Monarch of the Zulu nation from 1840 to 1872, making him the longest reigning Zulu king. He was a half-brother of Shaka and Dingane, who both preceded him as List of Zulu kings....
—his (and Shaka's) half-brother.

|- | colspan=3 align=center | King of the Zulu Nation
List of Zulu kings

This List of Zulu kings gives a list of Zulu chieftains and kings from their earliest known history up to the current monarch:* Mnguni* Nkosinkulu...
 |- | align="center" | Preceded by:
Shaka
Shaka

Shaka was the most influential leader of the Zulu Empire.He is widely credited with uniting many of the Northern Nguni people, specifically the Mthethwa Paramountcy and the Ndwandwe into the Zulu kingdom, the beginnings of a nation that held sway over the large portion of southern Africa between the Phongolo River and Mzimkhulu River river...
 | align="center" | Reign
1828-1840 | align="center" | Succeeded by:
Mpande
Mpande

Mpande was Monarch of the Zulu nation from 1840 to 1872, making him the longest reigning Zulu king. He was a half-brother of Shaka and Dingane, who both preceded him as List of Zulu kings....


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