Cetshwayo, Ketchwayo [key], c.1836–1884, king of the Zulus. Cetshwayo gained ascendancy in 1856, when he defeated in battle and killed his younger brother, who was the favorite of their father, Umpanda. On his father's death in 1872, Cetshwayo took over. He was determined to resist European advances in his territory, and in Dec., 1878, he rejected British demands that he disband his troops. The British attacked in 1879, and they ultimately utterly defeated Cetshwayo at Ulundi. After a period of exile he was reinstated (1883) in rule over part of his former territory. Discredited by his defeats in the eyes of his subjects, Cetshwayo was soon driven out of Zululand to die in exile.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Southern African History: Biographies
