The first king of whom any particulars are known was Senzagacone, son of
Ufaina. When this king began to reign he had no legitimate offspring: he
had, however, a natural son by Unamdi, daughter of Umkeki, chief of the
Langmene tribe, named Chaka (the bastard). He afterwards married this
Unamdi, by whom he had a daughter Nuncoba, but no sons. She being his
favourite wife, the king, according to the custom of the country, "gave
her for a son," his natural son Chaka, thus legitimating him. When Chaka
was fifteen, his father, thinking he might become troublesome, sent to
kill him; but Chaka, being warned, fled to Dingiswayo, chief of the
Umtwetwa, where he remained until the king's death, though on the
occasion of his legitimation an invitation was given him to return to
the paternal kraal.
Meanwhile Chaka had become an Induna of great influence and popularity
in the land of his refuge; so when on the death of Senzagacone the Zulu
tribe sent to him requesting him to be their king, and he consented, all
the tribes through which he passed on his way to the Zulus accompanied
him; and the whole of the Zulu clans assembled to meet him, and he was
made king with great rejoicings. In the interim between Senzagacone's
death and Chaka's accession, Umkaibye (paternal aunt of Chaka) ruled the
Zulus and arranged for Chaka's return. It was now that the jealousy long
smouldering between the Umdwandwe and the Umtwetwa, the two most
powerful tribes in that part of Africa, broke into an open quarrel.
Uzwidi, chief of the former, attacked and utterly routed the latter,
killing their chief, Dingiswayo, Chaka's friend and protector. The
worsted tribe naturally applied to Chaka for help. Thereupon Uzwidi
immediately marched to attack the Zulus, and a great battle ensued on
the south of the White Umvolosi. The result was that the left wing of
either army was victorious; but both lost so heavily that they retired
to their respective countries.
On his retreat, Chaka was attacked by the Langmeni, but failing in their
assault, this tribe then deserted their own country and joined the
Umdwandwe. Having defeated another coast tribe which assailed him, Chaka
occupied both these countries, leaving the Emashlabatini district waste
and uninhabited.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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