30. The African Conqueror Who Created a Tribal Empire
Truman was an example of a lucky leader who escaped assassination. Many others were not so fortunate. One such was Shaka Zulu (circa 1787-1828), a warrior who rose from humble origins to become chief of his tribe, then launched a ruthless campaign of conquest against other Southern African tribes. A military visionary, he revolutionized tribal warfare, bringing it to a hitherto unprecedented pitch of destructiveness. By the time he was done, he had established a Zulu Empire. He overcame all before him – except an assassination plot that brought him down at the height of his power.
When Shaka came to power, tribal warfare in Southern Africa was a low-intensity affair. It was dominated by rituals and display, with relatively little actual fighting, and thus few fatalities. Shaka was of a bloody-minded bent, and he set about changing that. He introduced fighting formations, organized his men into regiments known as impis, and transformed the Zulus into a disciplined army.
