The genesis of the Zulu impi thus lies in tribal structures existing long before the coming of Europeans or the Shaka era.

The impi, in its Shakan form, is best known among Western readers from the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, particularly the famous Zulu victory at Isandhlwana, but its development was over 60 years in coming before that great clash.

The Zulu deployment at Isandhlwana shows the well-organized tactical system of the impi.

While the term " impi " has become synonymous with the Zulu nation in international popular culture, it appears in various video games such as Civilization III, Civilization IV: Warlords and Civilization: Revolution, where the Impi is the unique unit for the Zulu faction with Shaka as their leader and also as an appearance as unique unit of the Bantu nation in Rise of Nation ( Zulus are among many tribes who make up the Bantu people ).

When Dingane sent an impi ( armed force ) of around twelve thousand Zulu warriors to attack the local contingent of Voortrekkers in response, the Voortrekkers defended themselves at a battle at Nacome River ( called the Battle of Blood River ) on 16 December 1838 where the vastly outnumbered Voortrekker contingent defeated the Zulu warriors.

The column was joined by John Dunn, a white Zulu chief, who led an impi ( army ) of 2000 Zulu warriors to join the British.

Soon thereafter, two survivors from Isandlwana – Lieutenant Gert Adendorff of the 1st / 3rd NNC and a trooper from the Natal Carbineers – arrived bearing the news of the defeat and that a part of the Zulu impi was approaching the station.

Some Zulus also had old muskets and antiquated rifles stockpiled, a relatively few of which were carried by Zulu impi.

Cetshwayo sent the 24, 000 strong main Zulu impi from near present-day Ulundi, on 17 January, across the White Umfolozi River with the following command to his warriors: " March slowly, attack at dawn and eat up the red soldiers.

The Zulu impi had advanced over in five days while Chelmsford had only advanced slightly over in 10 days.

Near the end of the battle, about 4, 000 Zulu warriors of the unengaged reserve Undi impi, after cutting off the retreat of the survivors to the Buffalo River southwest of Isandlwana, crossed the river and attacked the fortified mission station at Rorke's Drift.

The measure of respect that the British gained for their opponents as a result of Isandlwana can be seen in that in none of the other engagements of the Zulu War did the British attempt to fight again in their typical linear formation, known famously as the Thin Red Line in an open-field battle with the main Zulu impi.

Memorial erected at the site commemorating the valour of the fallen Zulu impi at Isandlwana Hill, which is visible in the background

Following the disaster at Hlobane on 28 March 1879, Colonel Evelyn Wood ’ s forces prepared to receive an attack by the entire Zulu impi, of which they had only previously encountered the leading sections.

Shortly after this the Zulu impi was sighted 5 miles away across the plain, coming on due westwards in five columns.

South-East African systems provide the classic examples, such as the Zulu impi system of fighting regiments based on age sets.

While the left horn was being repulsed, the rest of the Zulu impi appeared over the crest.

The Zulu impi withdrew with 350 killed.

The Zulu impi reached the plain shortly after the British had departed.

In the southeast, in eastern South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and southern Mozambique, they were adopted from a Tuu language or languages by the languages of the Nguni cluster ( especially Zulu, Xhosa, and Phuthi, but also to a lesser extent Swazi and Ndebele ), and spread from them in a reduced fashion to the Zulu-based pidgin Fanagalo, Sesotho, Tsonga, Ronga, the Mzimba dialect of Tumbuka, and more recently to Ndau and urban varieties of Pedi, where the spread of clicks is an ongoing process.

In related Zulu, though nasal assimilation is velar, that only indicates that the onset of the rear articulation is velar ; the release is still uvular.

* 1838 – Battle of Blood River: Voortrekkers led by Andries Pretorius and Sarel Cilliers defeat Zulu impis, led by Dambuza ( Nzobo ) and Ndlela kaSompisi in what is today KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Before the introduction of UTC on 1 January 1972 Greenwich Mean Time ( also known as Zulu time ) was the same as Universal Time ( UT ) which is a standard astronomical concept used in many technical fields.

However, in English it is often used to refer to a Zulu regiment, which is called an ibutho in Zulu.

The advantage of this capture is debatable due to the alleged tendency of Zulu warriors to close their eyes when firing such weapons.

This conflict is often popularly conceived of in terms of the well known battles between Zulu King Dingane and the Boers, most notably at the Battle of Blood River.

A further link is supplied by the Zulu belief that the magician's familiar is really a transformed human being ; when he finds a dead body on which he can work his spells without fear of discovery, the wizard breathes a sort of life into it, which enables it to move and speak, it being thought that some dead wizard has taken possession of it.

He is widely credited with uniting many of the Northern Nguni people, specifically the Mtetwa Paramountcy and the Ndwandwe into the Zulu Kingdom, the beginnings of a nation that held sway over the portion of southern Africa between the Phongolo and Mzimkhulu Rivers, and his statesmanship and vigour marked him as one of the greatest Zulu kings.

It is probable that, over time, the Zulu were able to hone and improve their encirclement tactics.

The Zulu monarch was killed by three assassins sometime in 1828, September is the most often cited date, when almost all available Zulu manpower had been sent on yet another mass sweep to the north.

His 10-year-long kingship resulted in a massive number of deaths, mostly due to the disruptions the Zulu caused in neighbouring tribes, although the exact death toll is a matter of scholarly dispute.

The most populous languages with clicks, Zulu and Xhosa, use the letters c, q, x, by themselves and in digraphs, to write click consonants.

Zulu warrior armed with the iklwa stabbing spear ( assegai ) and iwisa club ( knobkerrie ).

The later period Zulu soldier went into battle relatively simply dressed, painting his upper body and face with chalk and red ochre, despite the popular conception of elaborately panoplied warriors.

What was unique about the Zulu was the degree of organisation, consistency with which they used these tactics, and the speed at which they executed them.

: Combined with Shaka's " buffalo horns " attack formation for surrounding and annihilating enemy forces, the Zulu combination of iklwa and shield -- similar to the Roman legionaries ' use of gladius and scutum -- was devastating.

By the time of Shaka's assassination in 1828, it had made the Zulu kingdom the greatest power in southern Africa and a force to be reckoned with, even against Britain's modern army in 1879.

Shaka also made a decoy gambit-sending the Zulu cattle off with a small escort, luring Zwide into splitting his force.

The Zulu also allowed their opponents too much time to set up fortified strongpoints, assaulting well defended camps and positions with painful losses.

For example, four miles past the Ineyzane River, after the British had comfortably crossed, and after they had spent a day consolidating their advance, the Zulu finally launched a typical " buffalo horn " encirclement attack that was seen off with withering fire from not only breach-loading Martini-Henry rifles, but 7-pounder artillery and Gatling guns.

Under Mashoeshoe I, Basutoland joined other tribes in their struggle against the Lifaqane associated with the reign of Shaka Zulu from 1818 to 1828.

Other major political parties represented in Parliament include the Inkatha Freedom Party, which mainly represents Zulu voters, with 4. 55 %; and the Congress of the People with 7. 42 % in the 2009 election.

Sketch of a Zulu warrior As Shaka became more respected by his people, he was able to spread his ideas with greater ease.

According to Donald Morris in this mourning period Shaka ordered that no crops should be planted during the following year, no milk ( the basis of the Zulu diet at the time ) was to be used, and any woman who became pregnant was to be killed along with her husband.

Dingane ruled for some twelve years, during which time he fought, disastrously, against the Voortrekkers, and against another half-brother Mpande, who with Boer and British support, took over the Zulu leadership in 1840, and ruled for some 30 years.

Though Shaka probably did not invent the iklwa, according to Zulu scholar John Laband ( 37 ), the leader did insist that his warriors train with the weapon, which gave them a " terrifying advantage over opponents who clung to the traditional practice of throwing their spears and avoiding hand-to-hand conflict.

The fast-moving Zulu raiding party or " ibutho lempi " on a mission invariably traveled light, driving cattle as provisions on the hoof, and were not weighed down with heavy weapons and supply packs.