Shaka
'King Shaka kaSenzangakhona (c. 1787 – c. 22 September 1828), also known as King 'Shaka Zulu, was the most influential leader of the Zulu Kingdom.
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 portion of southern Africa between the Phongolo and Mzimkhulu Rivers, and his statesmanship and vigour marked him as one of the greatest Zulu kings. 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 localised culture and the previous systems built by his predecessor Dingiswayo. Research continues into the character and methods of the Zulu warrior king, whose reign still greatly influences South African culture.
Read more about Shaka: Early Life, The Successor of Senzangakona, Expansion of Power and Conflict With Zwide, Death and Succession, Shaka's Social and Military Revolution, Physical Descriptions, Shaka in Zulu Culture, Legacy, Popular Culture