Shaka Zulu (c. 1787 - c. 22 September, 1828) was the most influential leader of the Zulu Kingdom. As a young man, Shaka joined the army of Dingiswayo and soon became its highest commander. He is widely credited with uniting many of the Northern Nguni people, specifically the Mtetwa 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 and Mzimkhulu rivers, and his statesmanship and vigour marked him as one of the greatest Zulu chieftains.

He has been called a military genius for his reforms and innovations, and condemned for the brutality of his reign. Other historians note debate about Shaka's role as a uniter versus a usurper of traditional Zulu ruling prerogatives, and the notion of the Zulu state as a unique construction, divorced from the localized culture and the previous systems built by his predecessor Dingiswayo.

Research continues into the character, methods and influence of the Zulu king, who still continues to cast a long shadow over the history of southern Africa.

Sources for this text: About.com http://africanhistory.about.com/

Shaka. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved, September 28, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaka