Zulu kingdom · 1816-1828

Shaka and the rise of the Zulu kingdom

In about twelve years Shaka turned a small chiefdom into the most powerful kingdom of south-east Africa. Students look at his army reforms, the wars and migrations of the time, and why historians still argue about him.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
45 minutes
Ages
12–15
On the map
3 steps, AD 1815 to AD 1880
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

In about twelve years Shaka turned a small chiefdom into the most powerful kingdom of south-east Africa. Students look at his army reforms, the wars and migrations of the time, and why historians still argue about him.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Locate the Zulu kingdom between the Drakensberg mountains and the Indian Ocean.
  • Describe how Shaka reorganised the Zulu army and expanded the kingdom.
  • Explain why historians disagree about Shaka and about the causes of the Mfecane.
2

Explore the map

12 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1815

Between mountains and sea

Open the map in 1815 and find the label Zulu between the Drakensberg mountains and the Indian Ocean. How large is it at this time?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1815

Neighbors

Zoom out a little. Find the labels Xhosa to the south-west and Delagoa Bay to the north. Which peoples and places would the Zulu meet first?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1880

Fifty years later

Move the slider to 1880. Find Zululand and the new states around it, such as Natal, Transvaal and Swaziland. How has the region changed since 1815?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

14 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Shaka turned a small chiefdom into a powerful kingdom in about twelve years. What made that possible?
  2. Historians debate which military ideas Shaka invented and which he learned from his mentor Dingiswayo. Why does it matter who invented something?
  3. Much of what Europeans wrote about Shaka came from traders who had reasons to exaggerate. How should we read such sources?
  4. The wars and migrations of this time are called the Mfecane. Historians argue about their causes. List three possible causes.
  5. Shaka is a national hero to many South Africans today. Why can a ruler be both a hero and a source of fear?
4

Game round

9 min

Play one round of Rule History as Napoleon Bonaparte, whose last battles were fought just as Shaka came to power in 1816. Compare their armies: both reorganised soldiers into new units and relied on speed. Was Shaka's success about weapons or about organisation?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.