This period of revolutionary change known as the Mfecane by the Zulu and the difaqane by the
Sotho is also often referred to as the time of troubles. The Difaqane/Mfecane was a period of
disturbance or scattering between 1815 and 1835. This period is characterized by the rise of the
Zulu State under Shaka. While the factual details of this disturbance or scattering of people
remain widely disputed, what is certain is that it had the consequence of dispersing people to the
various Southern African countries and thus entrenching cultural inter-connectivity with our
region and beyond. The Difaqane/Mfecane spread its influence over an enormous area stretching
from the Cape Colony to East and Central Africa. Therefore, this academic piece of writing will
shade more light with clear examples elucidating the causes and the negative effects of the wars
of wondering in southern Africa caused by Shaka.
However, Shaka started the Mfecane wars round about 1818. A combination of local factors
population growth, the depletion of natural resources was the cause of the wars, and devastating
drought and famine led to revolutionary changes in the political, economic, and social structure
of Bantu-speaking communities in southern Africa in the first half of the nineteenth century.
Thousands of people died because of ecological catastrophe and warfare; thousands more were
displaced. Large centralized states of tens of thousands of people with standing armies of up to
40,000 men and autocratic leaders emerged where before there had been only small-scale
political entities and no chief had had total power (Beach, 1983).
Beach (1983) stipulated that, the causes of the wars of wondering in southern Africa were
emerging by the end of the eighteenth century, when population levels increased rapidly, and
ecological resources were sometimes scarce. Communities that previously had often spread
across the countryside or had repeatedly divided and moved along the frontier became more
settled and more concentrated. The introduction of corn from the Americas through the
Portuguese in Mozambique was one major reason for this trend. Corn produced more food than
indigenous grasses on the same land, and thus could sustain a larger population. Trade in ivory
with the Portuguese in Delagoa Bay was another factor that induced people to settle just south of
Mozambique. Moreover, possibilities for population movement had become much more limited
by the end of the eighteenth century because land was in short supply. Bantu-speaking farmers
had reached the margins of arable land on the edge of the Kalahari Desert in the northwest and in
1|Page
, the mountains on the southern border of the Highveld, and people settling in the area found their
access to water more and more limited (Charters, 1839).
Eldredge (2014) stated, the other causes of wars of wondering in southern Africa was declining
rainfall in the last decades of the eighteenth century, followed by a calamitous ten year drought
that began about 1800, caused massive disruption and suffering. The adoption of corn as a major
staple gave this drought an even greater impact than those of the past because corn needed much
more water than local grains in order to produce. When the rains failed, therefore, the effect was
devastating. People fought one another for meager supplies of grain and cattle, hunted down
whatever game they could find, and sought out any remaining water supplies in a desperate
attempt to survive. Warfare erupted, and two kingdoms the Ndwandwe under the leadership of
Zwide, and the Mthethwa under Dingiswayo battled for control of resources. Both kingdoms
became more centralized and militarized, their young men banded together in age regiments that
became the basis for standing armies, and their kings became more autocratic as they fought for
survival. The Ndwandwe appeared victorious in 1818 when Dingiswayo was killed and his
forces scattered, but they were soon overcome by Shaka, founder of the Zulu state.
During most of the 1820s, Shaka consolidated his power through a series of wars against
neighboring peoples. His armies raided for cattle and food which was also the causes of wars of
wondering in southern Africa, they attacked any who challenged the authority of the Zulu
monarch and they extended the limits of Shaka's realm north to the borders of present day
Mozambique, west across the Drakensberg Mountains, and south to the margins of the area that
would later become the Transkei homeland. He also welcomed British traders to his kingdom
and sent diplomatic emissaries to the British king.
Moreover, Shaka was assassinated at the height of his powers in 1828 and was succeeded by
Dingane, his half-brother and one of the assassins as this causes the war. Dingane was a much
less accomplished ruler than the founder of the Zulu state. His weak claim to the throne and his
constant fear of assassination made him a despotic ruler. Dingane maintained the centralized and
militarized organization of the Zulu state and sent his armies out on raiding missions. Victories,
however, were few because of the growing strength of neighboring African kingdoms, and by
the end of the 1830s Dingane’s hold on power were being challenged by internal discontent and
external threats (Wright, 2010).
2|Page
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller nicholasmubanga. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R132,90. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
