Isandlwana () (older spelling ''Isandhlwana'', also sometimes seen as ''Isandula'') is an isolated hill in the
KwaZulu-Natal province of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. It is located north by northwest of
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
. The name is said to mean
abomasum
The abomasum, also known as the maw,[The Cham ...](_blank)
, the second stomach of the cow, because it reminded the Zulus of its shape.
History
This mountain has historical significance. On 22 January 1879, Isandlwana was the site of the
Battle of Isandlwana, where approximately 22,000
Zulu warriors defeated a contingent of approximately 1,750 British and African troops in one of the first engagements of the
Anglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Following the passing of the British North America Act of 1867 forming a federation in Canada, Lord Carnarvon thought that a similar political effort, cou ...
. The Zulu force was primarily under the command of
Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza
Ntshingwayo kaMahole of the Khoza ( 1809 – 21 July 1883) was the commanding general ('' inDuna'') of King Cetshwayo's Zulu Army during the first Anglo-Zulu War.
Anglo-Zulu War
Ntshingwayo was given overall field command of the Zulu impi against ...
. The battle was one of the worst defeats suffered by the British Army during the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
.
The Battle of Isandlwana
/ref>
Isandlwana hill rises Northeast of Rorke's Drift
The Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879), also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was an engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War. The successful British defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenants John Chard of the ...
, a ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
on the Buffalo River, a tributary of the Tugela River
The Tugela River ( zu, Thukela; af, Tugelarivier) is the largest river in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. With a total length of , it is one of the most important rivers of the country.
The river originates in Mont-aux-Sources of the D ...
.
See also
* Battle of Isandlwana
*List of mountains in South Africa
List of Mountains in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini is a general list of mountains in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini with elevation. This list includes mountains in two other sovereign states, in the Stormberg-Drakensberg range, where t ...
*SAS Isandlwana (F146)
SAS ''Isandlwana'' (F146) is the second of four s for the South African Navy built by the European South African Corvette Consortium. SAS ''Isandlwana'' was named after the Battle of Isandlwana at a ceremony held in Kiel in December 2002, by Depu ...
- a Valour-class frigate
The ''Valour'' class is a class of frigates built for the South African Navy. Part of the MEKO family of warships, the German shipbuilder Blohm+Voss officially designate the class as the MEKO A-200SAN.
Designed as a multiple purpose, multi capab ...
of the South African Navy
References
External links
Zulunet description of the battleTravellers Impressions
Hills of South Africa
Landforms of KwaZulu-Natal
{{KwaZuluNatal-geo-stub