Zululand

Zululand was the Zulu-dominated area of what is now northern KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Zululand stretches from the Tugela River in the South to Pongola River in the north. The area was consolidated into one kingdom under the Zulu king Shaka who united a number of clans under the Zulus. Shaka was assassinated in 1828 by his half-brother Dingane who took over leadership of the nation. Dingane was responsible for the execution of Piet Retief and a number of Boers in 1838. In 1840 Dingane was murdered near Hlatikhulu Forest on the Lebombo Mountains near Ingwavuma. Mpande succeeded Dingane and reigned until 1872 when his son Cetshwayo became king. In 1878 Sir Henry Bartle Frere, British Commissioner for South Africa, issued an ultimatum that he disband his army and concede to a number of demands. (This ultimatum was delivered at the Ultimatum tree, which can still be visited on the Natal bank of the Tugela river, below the present-day N2 highway bridge). The Anglo-Zulu War resulted. Initially the British suffered heavy defeats at the Battle of Isandlwana January 22, 1879 where more than 1000 British soldiers were killed on one day by the Zulu army. The defeat prompted a reorganisation of the war and more troops were sent to Natal to ensure a British victory at Ulundi in 1879. Cetshwayo was exiled and Zululand was cut up into 13 regions each administered by a kinglet. The largest of these was given to John Dunn, a white hunter who had befriended Cetshwayo. After the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 a British resident Melmoth Osborne was appointed to mediate between the local chiefs and the British government, but continuing strife prompted the annexation of Zululand on May 9, 1887, followed by its attachment to Natal on December 31, 1897. ''(say more about the administration of Zululand) In 1895 the areas of Ubombo and Ingwavuma were visited by Sir Charles Saunders of Eshowe and subsequently annexed to Zululand in 1897.

Postal system

\nA post office was established in Eshowe in 1887, but an official postal system was not started until May 1, 1888, at which time both Zululand and Natal became members of the Universal Postal Union. At first, the territory used postage stamps of Great Britain and Natal overprinted "ZULULAND"; regular ("Key Plate") issues with a profile of Queen Victoria, inscribed "ZULULAND" appeared in 1894 and were in use at 21 post offices, up until the annexation by Natal. Only the lowest values are commonly seen today, priced at US$2 or so, while some higher values are worth hundreds of dollars. Category:Zulus