The Rise, Effects and Consequences of the Zulu, Ndebele and Sotho Tribes.

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The Rise, Effects and Consequences of Powerful South African Tribes’ Rise to Power. By Cara Mazzola. From circa 1810 to 1835, a number of South African tribes came to be very powerful and shaped history greatly, there were many factors that influenced their rise to power. The Zulu, Ndebele and Sotho tribes each used their own methods and styles to establish their nations, and all of them have had a profound effect on history and the way people perceive the nations to this day. The main factor that influenced the Zulu nation’s rise to power is believed to be the Amabutho system as well as the fierce army strategies that king Shaka implemented. He introduced new battle techniques and weapons that improved their defense force greatly. Shaka’s style of building and expanding his community was quite malicious, although it got the job done and proved to be a very effective means of ruling his nation. He did, however, use diplomacy as another way of strengthening his tribe. His welcoming attitude towards the British traders helped keep a reasonably peaceful relationship between them. (Before the war against the British, of course.) After defeating opponents, Shaka would give the survivors an ultimatum - to join or die. Not surprisingly, many accepted the offer to join, and this helped to grow his army’s numbers and therefore power. The Zulu citizens believed in a celestial being, whom they called ‘Umvelinqangi’, meaning “the one who is always there.” They also believed that the souls of their deceased relatives had the power to bless or punish the living, this motivated them to do what was seen as honorable at the time – to fight for ones nation and people. This helped to bind the nation under a common belief and contributed to the spirit of unity and brotherhood, as well as build a patriotic atmosphere and expand the military force, making them a force to be

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