Debates in History
Debates in History: Short Academic Review of a book/chapter."...the power of the image of Shaka lies not, as most previous commentators have suggested, in its openness to manipulation, to invention, and to imaginative reworkings. Rather it is to be found in, ... the historical limits and constraints attached to Shakan historiography...and to the possible depictions of Shaka." In this essay I intend to discuss chapter 2, of Terrific Majesty by Carolyn Hamilton. Throughout history Shaka has been portrayed in many different guises, from a despot and villain, to a hero and military genius. This chapter covers various historical accounts of Shaka, and how interpretations of him as a person differ, according to the perception and the motivation, of the author. I shall be comparing the resources utilised in the book, with those that I am already familiar with, for example Fynn and Isaacs, and with the evidence found in the Praise poems, of the relevant period. The first issue presented by the book is the information supplied by Henry Francis Fynn, who in 1822, was among the first people to encounter and document Shaka and the Zulu tribe. He and Francis Farewell travelled across land from the Cape to meet with Shaka in 1824, f
" Brian Roberts, author of The Zulu Kings, claims that a letter from Isaacs to Fynn confirms their intention to discredit Shaka and paint him as a monster, so turning attention away from their own activities during this period. " However, as a result of being unable to raise sufficient funds for another venture, the first anti-Shaka accounts are produced. As the situation at Port Natal deteriorated, King returned to the Cape aboard the Helicon, to replenish his resources. On reading an extract from Fynn's diary, it is clear that trade which had began with the Zulu nation, under the tyranny of Dingiswayo, continued at a more rapid pace during Shaka's rule. Although later presentations of Shaka depict him as a tyrant, this not evident in the Praise poetry of the time. As a genre, the poem I am studying is classed as an Izimbongo, entitled Shaka, it gives a narrative account of the events that occurred during his reign as the Zulu Nation emerged. They were important for their historical value, and criticism was also expressed in song. that the European strangers at Natal received his protection. That Shaka was attentive towards the traders is evident, "The King seeing my foot so bad, sent me a doctor, who applied some vegetable to it. At this time Shaka was depicted as being open to the idea of a British settlement and showed no signs of hostility. "In the first year of his chieftainship he opened a trade with Delagoa Bay, by sending 100 oxen and a quantity of elephants tusks to exchange for beads and blankets. Equally, keen to reinforce his position and status, both with the native tribes and the British, Shaka showed enthusiasm for the idea.
Common topics in this essay:
James Stuart,
Isaacs Fynn,
Fynn Shaka,
Farewell Isaacs,
Francis Farewell,
Delagoa Bay,
British Shaka,
Port Natal,
Fynn King,
Hamilton Throughout,
praise poems,
shaka interpretations,
shaka depicted,
oral tradition,
ruler ship,
zulu nation,
versions poem,
praise poetry,
port natal,
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Acceptance Essays
