1. Shaka Zulu Killed Millions Before He Was Killed by His Family
Shaka Zulu revolutionized tribal combat tactics by abandoning the throwing spears used in the region for centuries. This taught men to use short stabbing spears, emphasizing shock tactics and decisive close combat. Zulu tactics and training made them unstoppable, triggering a catastrophe known as the Mfecane, meaning the “crushing” or “forced migration”. Tribes forced to flee Shaka’s onslaught were forced to encroach upon their neighbors, who were then forced to fight or become refugees, encroaching upon their neighbors in turn. The result was a cascade of violence that claimed the lives of millions.
Shaka’s reign finally came to an end in 1828. That year, he sent a regiment raiding up to the borders of the Cape Colony. When it returned, rather than allow it the customary rest, he ordered the regiment out on yet another raid. That and increasingly megalomaniacal behavior led to widespread grumbling. Taking advantage of the disgruntlement, Shaka’s half-brother Dingane organized a plot within the conqueror’s own family. At a signal one day at camp, he and his co-conspirators fell upon Shaka and stabbed him to death.
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Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading
Awesome Stories – Ivan the Terrible Murders His Son
Encyclopedia Britannica – George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence
Encyclopedia Britannica – Henry II, King of England
History Vault – The Mystery of Edward II’s Death
History Collection – 12 Rulers Who Executed Their Relatives
Holland, Tom – Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic (2007)
Jones, Dan – The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England (2014)
Live Science – Mummy Murder Mystery: King Ramesses III Throat Slashed
Massie, Peter K. – Peter the Great: His Life and World (1980)
Rejected Princesses – Wu Zetian: China’s Only Female Emperor
South African History Online – Shaka Zulu
Spartacus Educational – King Richard II
Suetonius – The Twelve Caesars
History Collection – Noble Relationships in History that Had Internal Conflict
Thought Co – Wars of the Roses: An Overview
