by James Mace
- Mehlokazulu kaSihayo, 1882
Courtesy of The Zulu War – Then and Now, by Ian Castle and Ian Knight
Appendix C: Historical Accounts of a Turncoat Zulu
As mentioned in the previous volume of this series, I have been compelled to include many fictional characters into this otherwise historical narrative, in order to fill in the gaps of a novel. One such character from the Zulu perspective, Mandlenkosi, is an amalgam of both known history and conjecture. The same can be said for his son, Kwanele, who served as the main Zulu protagonist in the first volume, Brutal Valour. Like many British characters, I had to utilise what is recorded about the ‘average’ man who joined the ranks, and I needed to do the same with the Zulus. Originally, I had no intention of bringing Mandlenkosi back after the second book of this series, Crucible of Honour. His presence was to give both a face and humanity to the Zulu warriors, who so often remain nameless on film. In the 1964 film, Zulu, as well as its 1979 prequel, Zulu Dawn, not one Zulu aside from King Cetshwayo is ever mentioned by name. Even the old warrior commanding the attack on Rorke’s Drift, who despite being about twenty years too old is likely meant to represent Prince Dabulamanzi, is only mentioned once. Even then, Lieutenant Adendorff simply refers to him as, ‘That old boy up on the hill’.
The other purpose behind the character of Mandlenkosi was to give emotional weight to the horrific casualties suffered by the Zulus. The men of the uThulwana were all around fifty-two years of age, and it is likely that many had sons serving within the amabutho. Prominent amakhosi, such as Ntshingwayo and Mnyamana, are said to have lost sons at Isandlwana and throughout the war. Mandlenkosi was my attempt at giving that sorrow a long-deserved voice. Though I had intended to end his story arc following the aftermath of Rorke’s Drift, historical events during the northern campaign gave me the opportunity to continue Mandlenkosi’s already tragic story.
The account of a turncoat Zulu who falls in with his former regiment during the retreat from Hlobane, only to abscond once again and warn the British that the impi intended to attack Khambula, has its basis in historical fact. Indeed, every warrior from Hamu’s followers who fought for the British at Hlobane and Khambula had previously taken part in the Isandlwana campaign, fighting for the Zulus. The warrior in question is never named in any of the sources, except that he had previously served with the uThulwana Regiment and was cut off during the retreat from Hlobane, was accepted back by his mates, and once he learned of their intentions to attack the fort at Khambula, he made his escape. Nothing else is known of him. Given the importance of this event in the overall historical narrative, it made more sense for me to give this role to an already established character, rather than having to create a new one from scratch; something that I confess has been a challenge, as I’ve been compelled to do so with every book in this series.
As the uThulwana was King Cetshwayo’s personal regiment, and the one that he had first joined when he was around seventeen, it is daunting to comprehend one of these warriors betraying his king, who he very well may have known since childhood. Granted, betrayals even within families are nothing new in either European or African cultures. Cetshwayo’s uncle, King Shaka, was betrayed and murdered by his own brothers, including his successor, King Dingane. Dingane was in turn overthrown by Cetshwayo’s father, King Mpande. And Cetshwayo himself had only won the amaZulu throne by winning a bloody civil war that saw at least five of his brothers slain. However, that is not to say that any warrior within the uThulwana, or the entire Zulu amabutho, would take lightly the prospect of committing treason against his king and nation.
The most likely explanation is that the warrior in question, being a follower of Prince Hamu and living within his lands, feared greatly for the safety and well-being of his family. Starvation and deprivation were already affecting the common Zulu people, particularly in the north where the constant raids by Wood’s No. 4 Column had seen thousands of cattle taken and countless crops destroyed. And as a member of the uThulwana Regiment, it is extremely likely that this warrior fought at Rorke’s Drift, which may have led him to questioning whether the Zulu Kingdom could ever win the war against the armies of Queen Victoria.
It is not my intent to justify or condemn these actions, only to add humanity and emotional weight to what must have been a terrible internal conflict within an even greater tragic story.
Appendix D: Glossary of Terms
Note: All terms from the isiZulu language will appear in italics
Assegai – Term used to describe a Zulu spear, though it does not appear in the isiZulu language. Their actual name for the short stabbing spear is iklwa. Assegais usually referred to the throwing spears, though it was often used to describe all spears carried by the Zulus.
Battalion – British Army unit designation consisting of eight line companies plus battalion staff officers. Commanded by a lieutenant colonel with the sergeant major as the senior non-commissioned officer.
Boer – From the Dutch term meaning ‘farmer’, refers to all Dutch-speaking settlers in South Africa.
Bombardier – An artilleryman, roughly equivalent to an infantry lance corporal, except a bombardier was rated as a full non-commissioned officer, while a lance corporal was not. They wore a single gold chevron on their right shoulder.
Boy – British army rank given to those who were underage. The minimum age was fourteen, and they served as buglers, bandsmen, and officers’ servants. Upon reaching the age of eighteen, they were given the option of enlisting onto the roles as a private. Contrary to the myths depicted in both art and film, the youngest boy at Isandlwana was sixteen.
Brevet – A temporary promotion given to officers who were filling a billet above their substantive rank, as well a reward to those who had performed exceptional service. Though they would wear the insignia and be addressed by their brevet rank, they were still paid at their substantive grade and were always subordinate to substantive officers of the same rank. Example: Henry Pulleine was a brevet lieutenant colonel, yet he was still paid as a major and was subordinate to Antony Durnford, who was a substantive lieutenant colonel.
Captain – Commissioned officer, just above lieutenant and below major. Most often given command of line companies, and in some cases used as battalion staff officers.
Colonel – A senior commissioned officer just above lieutenant colonel and below brigadier general. Most often used as staff officers at the highest levels or in command of columns consisting of multiple battalions.
Colour Sergeant – The senior non-commissioned officer within a company, responsible for day-to-day training, drill, discipline, and logistics. He was the equivalent to a modern Company Sergeant Major (British Army) or First Sergeant (U.S. Army). He wore an insignia of three gold chevrons with two crossed flags and a crown above on his right shoulder.
Company – British Army unit consisting of up to a hundred soldiers including officers and other ranks. Commanded by a captain with a colour sergeant as the senior non-commissioned officer. Note: Companies on overseas service were notoriously understrength, with seventy to eighty total soldiers being the norm.
Corporal – First of the non-commissioned officer ranks in the British Army. They acted as assistants to the sergeants and were sometimes given command of their own sections or specialty units, such as company sharp-shooters. They wore two white chevrons on their right shoulder.
Drift – A natural river crossing more commonly known as a ‘ford’ in modern times.
Hlomula – Literally meaning ‘beautify’, it was the ritual where Zulus would repeatedly stab a fallen enemy, even after they were dead. Differing in meaning from the process of disembowelling, which was meant to free the trapped spirits, hlomula was viewed as a sign of respect towards a dangerous and worthy foe.
Ibutho (plural amabutho) – A term used to describe a Zulu regiment. Each ibutho was age-based, with the king raising new regiments around the time young Zulu males turned seventeen to twenty, based on the needs of the kingdom. T
hey served as the chief labour force at the king’s pleasure, in addition to their military responsibilities in defence of the kingdom. Zulu men were considered youths until they were allowed to marry, usually around the age of thirty. At which time, and with the king’s permission, they would take wives, often marrying en mass together. and be allowed to take charge of their own households. Married regiments were exempt from labour and menial details and were only assembled during times of war or national emergency.
Ikhanda – A Zulu name similar to barracks. An ikhanda was specific to a given regiment and was often where military equipment, such as shields, were stored. It also served as the muster field, where the izinduna could account for their warriors before attending the king’s summons at the royal kraal.
Impi – The name given to a large Zulu army consisting of numerous amabutho.
Induna (plural izinduna) – An officer within the ibutho, selected by his peers. Most often given charge of roughly a hundred warriors, they were roughly the equivalent to a captain in the British Army.
Inkosi (plural amakhosi) – A Zulu chieftain, sometimes referred to as a ‘baron’ by the British, for their titles came by birth right, rather than appointment. In war, they commanded the amabutho, with the older and more experienced amakhosi placed in charge of the younger regiments.
Inyanga (plural izinyanga) – Diviners, also derogatorily referred to by Europeans as ‘witchdoctors’. They oversaw all spiritual ceremonies for the Zulu impi, as well as serving as herbalists and healers.
Iqawe (plural abaqawe) – Zulu warriors of great renown who had shown extreme bravery and prowess in battle. Those elevated to the abaqawe were regarded as the most valiant heroes of the Zulu Kingdom.
Koppie – Comes from the Dutch term, ‘kop’, which literally means ‘head’. It is used to describe a small, stony hill that stands out on an otherwise flat landscape.
Kraal – Though not a Zulu term, it came to describe local African homesteads. Typically, they consisted of several huts surrounding a central cattle pen. Kraals that belonged to the nobles of the amakhosi could hold dozens or even hundreds of huts with thousands of residents. The Royal Kraal at Ulundi is said to have had several thousand huts with numerous cattle pens and arena pits.
Laager – A term used by the Dutch to describe encircling wagons as a means of defence. Can also be used to describe temporary wood or stone fortifications.
Lance Corporal – An uncommon British Army rank just above private. Though not officially a non-commissioned officer (a status which changed in 1961), they are often given leadership responsibilities and used to assist the sergeants and corporals. They wore a single white chevron on their right shoulder.
Lance Sergeant – Another uncommon British Army rank, lance sergeants were corporals who were either temporarily appointed to a sergeant’s billet or who displayed great leadership potential and were waiting for promotion to full sergeant. They wore three white chevrons on the right shoulder.
Lieutenant – Junior commissioned officer most often used as a subaltern within a company or staff officer at the battalion. Because promotions were so painfully slow during most of the Victorian Era, they tended to vary considerably in age, with older lieutenants often given command of companies while waiting for an eventual promotion to captain. Note: While the U.S. Armed Forces pronounce the rank as it is spelled “lew-tenant”, in British and Commonwealth Forces it is pronounced “left-tenant”.
Lieutenant Colonel – A commissioned officer above major and below colonel, it is the rank used by commanding officers at the battalion level.
Major – A commissioned officer above captain and below lieutenant colonel. Most often used as staff officers, there are two per battalion, each of whom can assume overall command if needed.
Ndabazitha – A Zulu term of reverence to their king, equivalent to ‘your majesty’.
Nek – Refers to the lower ground between two high points. In modern times, this has been mostly replaced by the term ‘saddle’.
Private – Most common rank in the British Army, outnumbering all other combined ranks approximately eight-to-one, and given to all other ranks upon their enlistment and completion of basic recruit training. In a company, between seventy and ninety of the soldiers will be privates. They wear no rank insignia.
Quartermaster – A commissioned officer tasked with overseeing all supply and logistics for the battalion. Though the equivalent of a major, because they are in the Support Arms (i.e. Commissariat / Transport / Medical) they technically cannot give orders to combat soldiers (i.e. infantry, cavalry, artillery). They are, however, given the respect of their rank and referred to as ‘sir’ by subordinates.
Quartermaster Sergeant – A senior non-commissioned officer acting as chief assistant to the battalion quartermaster. Though nominally equivalent to a colour sergeant in terms of rank, they were senior due to their position being a regimental appointment. They wore four gold chevrons on the right sleeve.
Second Corporal – A junior non-commissioned officer within the Royal Engineers and Army Service Corps. They wore a single chevron on the right shoulder, similar to infantry lance corporals. The difference being, second corporals were billeted as NCOs, whereas lance corporals were not.
Sergeant – A non-commissioned officer, given command of a section consisting of up to twenty soldiers. They answered directly to the colour sergeant and oversaw the daily drill, discipline, and welfare of their soldiers. Each sergeant usually had at least one corporal or lance corporal to assist him. They wore three gold chevrons on the right shoulder.
Sergeant Major – The senior non-commissioned officer within the battalion, he is responsible for the overall training, standards, and discipline. He also acts as a mentor to the younger lieutenants, even though they technically outrank him.
Subaltern – Term to describe the junior commissioned officers of a company, usually lieutenants, who were tasked with aiding the officer commanding. The senior subaltern would assume command in the captain’s absence.
Usuthu (sometimes spelled uSuthu or uZulu) – Refers to the uSuthu faction who fought for Cetshwayo during the Zulu civil war of 1856. Following Cetshwayo’s victory, it became the battle cry of all Zulus who fought for the king.
Voorlooper – An African boy used to guide the teams of oxen and draught animals.
Further Reading / Bibliography:
Bibliography
Castle, Ian, and Ian Knight. 1992. Zulu War 1879, Twilight of a Warrior Nation. Oxford: Osprey.
Guy, Jeff. 2002. The View across the River: Harriette Colenso and the Zulu Struggle against Imperialism. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press.
Harford, Henry Charles. 2015 (first edition 1881). The Zulu War Journal. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books.
Jones, Huw M. 2006. The Boiling Cauldron: Utrecht District and the Anglo-Zulu War, 1879. Bisley: The Shermershill Press.
Knight, Ian. 1990. Brave Men's Blood: The Epic of the Zulu War, 1879. London: Greenhill Books.
Knight, Ian. 2011. Voices from the Zulu War: Campaigning Through the Eyes of the British Soldier, 1879. Barnsley: Frontline Books.
Laband, John. 1992. Kingdom in Crisis: The Zulu Response to the British Invasion of 1879. Barnsley: Pen and Sword.
Lock, Ron. 1995. Blood on the Painted Mountain: Zulu Victory and Defeat, Hlobane and Kambula, 1879. London: Greenhill Books.
Mathiane, Nomavenda. 2013. Eyes in the Night: An Untold Zulu Story. Johannesburg: Bookstorm, Ltd.
Office, Horse Guards War. 1873. Queen's Regulations and Orders for the Army - 1873. London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office.
The story of the Anglo-Zulu War reaches its tragic conclusion in book five.
Tears of the Dead: Requiem of the Zulu Kingdom
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