The Zulu army defeats the British at Isandlwana

The Belvedere arrived from Calcutta with another group of indentured Indian labourers. Deaths during the voyage reflected the dangers of the system.

The British government annexed the South African Republic and included African territories claimed by the republic. The annexation expanded imperial control and prepared the way for renewed attacks on...

British officials demanded that Cetshwayo dismantle the Zulu military system and surrender sovereignty. The deliberately unacceptable terms provided a pretext for invasion.

British columns crossed into Zululand after Cetshwayo rejected the ultimatum. The invasion began an imperial war to destroy Zulu political independence.

Chelmsford's column camped beneath Isandlwana without entrenching or forming a wagon laager. Zulu forces were already moving to oppose the invasion.

After the victory at Isandlwana, a Zulu reserve force attacked the British post at Rorke's Drift. The garrison held the position after an overnight battle.

Zulu forces attacked Evelyn Wood's troops at Hlobane and drove the British from the mountain. The engagement preceded the larger battle at Kambula.

The British defensive position at Kambula inflicted heavy losses on the Zulu army. The defeat weakened the kingdom's capacity to resist the invasion.

The British burned the royal capital after defeating the Zulu army. The battle destroyed the kingdom's military power and opened the way for its political fragmentation.

Cetshwayo was captured in the Ngome forest after the defeat of the Zulu Kingdom. Colonial authorities imprisoned and exiled him.