Dingane

Dingane kaSenzangakhona (towards 1795 - 1840) was a chief Zoulou of South Africa become King in 1828. Its name is associated with the defeat Zulu of the Bataille Blood River which had followed the massacre of Piet Retief and of the families Voortrekker S. Implied with his/her Umthlangana brother in the Plot which leads to the assassination of their half-brother the king Shaka, Dingane became the king of the Zulus in 1828. He inherited then a powerful military apparatus and immense a Empire conquered with blow of sagaies after having made nearly two million victims.

In November 1837, Piet Retief, a leader voortrekker who had crossed the mountains of the Drakensberg to the head of a convoy of 26 families, asked the permission Dingane to be established in the area of Tugela all while informing him of its desire of living in peace with the Zulu people. Dingane gave him its agreement in exchange of an action of reprisals which were to carry out Retief against a chief of the local tribe rival of Tlokwa. What was made. They were in fact a test the military capacities the Boer S. Their success was in fact perceived like a threat by Dingane.

The instrument of transfer of the area of Tugela-Umzimvubu, although dated from the February 4th 1838, was signed by Dingane the 6. Dingane invited Retief then to come to attend a representation of its soldiers. On a signal given by the Zulu king, the soldiers sank on Retief and the 70 boers disarmed. Retief, its son, his men and its servants, are a hundred people on the whole, were massacred on the hill of Kwa Matiwane. Their broken bodies were devoured by wild animals according to the habit Zulu concerning the fate of the enemies.

Dingane gave the order then to attack the campings boers area and to massacre all those which would be there. In Weneen, more than 500 boers, men, women and children were massacred. In Blaauwkrans and Boesmanspruit, 280 Boers and 200 mongrels, men, women and children were also exterminated.

Boers tried against offensives but Piet Uys and Gert Maritz is killed whereas the other chief boer Hendrik Potgieter gives up the Native one and leaves to be established with the Transvaal.

Alerted by survivors who escaped, the boers families gathered around Andries Pretorius, a farm rich person coming from Graaff-Reinet.

The December 16th 1838, at the edge of the river Ncome, 15.000 warriors Zulu sank on 500 Boers accompanied by their 340 mongrels folded up behind their carriages arranged in circle ( laager ). The battle ended in the death of 3000 Zulu warriors and some casualties boers. Blood coloured of red the Ncome river which was henceforth called Blood River (" river sanglante").

In January 1840, the overcome armies were continued by 400 boers until Kraal de Dingaan in escape towards north. His/her half-brother, Umpande, were then recognized king by Boers to which it yielded half of the Native one.

Dingane in escape was cut down in the forest of Hlatikhulu by Zulu Nyawo, Sambane and Nondawana during a military forwarding.

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