Shaka may be the best known Zulu, but he is not the only legendary Zulu king. Cetshwayo kaMpande was leader of the Zulu Kingdom during a time of great turmoil in the region. The British were invading Africa using excessive force. Cetshwayo refused to stand down, instead sending 20,000 Zulu warriors with their traditional spears and distinctive cowhide shields to fight against British troops armed with rifles, mountain guns, and an early type of rocket.

Under Cetshwayo’s command the Zulu warriors wiped out nearly all of the poorly organized British troops, losing only around 1000 of their own. The decisive Zulu victory was the greatest defeat the British had ever suffered against indigenous tribes with more primitive weaponry, but rather than negotiating peace as Cetshwayo hoped, they took a far more aggressive approach sending in a second wave of heavily reinforced troops.