Emperor Shaka the Great - A Zulu Epic ...

Emperor Shaka the Great - A Zulu Epic by Mazisi Kunene 1979 (2006), Eposy - Podania - Kroniki(1)

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//-->Kunene, Mazisi [from Emperor Shaka the Great (1979)]Kunene, Mazisi [from Emperor Shaka the Great (1979)]Bibliographic detailsBibliographic details for the Electronic FileKunene, Mazisi Emperor Shaka the GreatCambridge2006ProQuest Information and LearningAfrican Writers SeriesCopyright © 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning company. All Rights Reserved. Do notexport or print from this database without checking the Copyright Conditions to see what ispermitted.Bibliographic details for the Source TextKunene, Mazisi (1930-)Emperor Shaka the GreatLondonHeinemann1979xxxvi, 433 p.© Mazisi Kunene 1979PoetryPreliminaries omitted.AWS series number: 211First published: LondonFirst published by: HeinemannFirst published: 1979Language of original publication: ZuluFirst published in the African Writers Series in: 1979ISBN: 0435902113[Page ]EMPEROR SHAKA THE GREAT[Page ]Front matter1[Page ]Dedicated to all the heroes and heroines of the African continent and all her children who shallmake her name great[Page (xi) ]PrefaceIt is regrettable in a way that this book should first appear in translation before it is published inthe original. The reasons for this are many and complex. Suffice it to say here that its publicationis in itself a tremendous achievement. It is only through the collective efforts of many of myrelatives and friends that this has been possible. I was fortunate in having relatives both on mymother's side (Ngcobo family) and my father's side who took great pride in preserving andnarrating our national history. As is well known, the peoples of the African continent developed,par excellence, the techniques of oral literature, its preservation and its performance.Through these traditions and literary techniques I was able to learn much about the history ofSouthern Africa. The dramatization and enactment of the important historical episodes addedgreat meaningfulness to the facts of the cultural life. Since I began travelling extensively in theAfrican continent I have learned how greatly valued are the oral traditions of telling the story, ofdramatizing the story and of making it socially relevant. This is true of much of the Africanliterature from the northern part of the African continent to the southern part. I have, intranslating my work from Zulu to English, cherished particularly the thought of sharing ourhistory and literature with the many peoples of Africa and also of other parts of the world.It is impossible to thank all the people who assisted me in this formidable task. I can onlymention the few whom I think indicate the scale of involvement of people with different interestsand skills. I thank particularly my brother and leader, Prince Gatsha Buthelezi, who greatlyinspired and encouraged me. His glorious example of leadership is a true continuation of thetradition of his ancestor, Shaka the Great himself. Through such vision as he possesses, theactions of the forefathers became a living reality.I thank, too, Rev. K. J. Msomi and E. Ngema who nurtured my talent. I thank my father whotook direct interest in 'the[Page (xii) ]thoughts and actions that reflect our traditions and histories'. I thank my friend Mathabo for herpatience and encouragement. I thank Canon John Collins and Mrs Diana Collins who enabled usto live to tell the story. Collectively and with respect I thank all who contributed to the success ofthis effort. They include my friend and leader, Robert Resha, Professor Richard Hoggart, BasilDavidson, Serge Thion, John Rosenburg, Dan Sperber, JoDeen Urban and Melonee Moses(editors), my sister, Sthandwe Kunene, and my ever kind clansman and friend, Hon. PolycarpDlamini.I pay tribute to all the African martyrs from Algeria to South Africa who have shared the greatdream of a great Africa for all her children.I also thank UNESCO for its contribution towards the publication of this translation.Finally, few authors have had so great and fulfilling an encouragement from their publishers as Ihave had from Mr James Currey of Heinemann.If there are shortcomings in translation I hope they shall be compensated by other aspects thatdepict the vision of this incredible African genius.[Page (xiii) ]IntroductionThere have been many outstanding leaders and generals in the African continent, but nonecaptures the imagination as Shaka of Senzangakhona. From a small volunteer army ofapproximately 200 and a territory that seemed, in comparison with other neighbouring states, nomore than a small, local district, Shaka built in a period of ten years a formidable standing armyof about 60,000 to 70,000 highly trained men. His rule extended over a large part of SouthernAfrica. Areas that were not under his direct rule were either under his protection or had fallenunder the suzerainty of the generals who had adopted his military tactics. Many of these generalsestablished their own powerful kingdoms.Shaka was a consummate leader. Not only was he a great military genius, but his varied giftsdemonstrated qualities of organization and innovation that were unique. The military machineryhe initiated brought about, fifty years later, one of the most dramatic defeats the British armysuffered in all its colonial history.How did it happen? In order to reach a suitable answer it is necessary to cut through the thickforest of propaganda and misrepresentation that have been submitted by colonial reports andhistorians. The following epic poem is an attempt to present an honest view of the achievementsof Shaka.Political and economic backgroundThe political development of the southernmost tip of Africa from the twelfth to the eighteenthcenturies was characterized by elaborate population movements, as various clans and theirregiments attempted to found family kingdoms and settlements. Because of various pressures inmany of the[Page (xiv) ]neighbouring regions and the constricted area of the southern end of the African continent, thesefamily-states began to compete with each other for land. At first the competition was no morethan a response to potential threats or constraints, but by the close of the eighteenth century theconflicts between states had become more and more acute, resulting in a change in the methodsand intentions of warfare. The late pre-Shakan period was marked by these conflicts.The power of the original pioneering families eventually crystallized in highly centralizedgovernments. In most of these states the ruling clan often combined with other weaker clans toprovide collective protection, and through direct action and persuasion the larger clan attractedother groups and nationalities to form bigger units, so that families succeeded in strengtheningtheir political authority and subsequently extended their territorial claims.Alongside these family-led states there existed the 'bandit princes', who lived by raiding and byconfiscating the wealth of the settled communities. Often such princes commanded a largefollowing, comprising mainly the breakaway members of the Junior House of the original rulingfamily but also adventurers and admirers. In most cases they avoided attacking the Senior House,or original family, since doing so would have meant defiling the sacred graves of theirforefathers. These wandering princes should be distinguished from migrating groups like theMkhizes, the Bheles and the Hlubis, who went out in search of fertile lands and eventuallysettled. The bandit princes and their followers did not and never intended to settle: they roamedwherever there was opportunity for looting. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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