List of Zulu kings

For Zulu King of Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA, see Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club § King of Zulu.

King of the Zulus
Ingonyama yamaZulu Isilo samaBandla
Provincial
Incumbent
Misuzulu Zulu kaZwelithini since 7 May 2021
Details
Style	His Majesty
Heir apparent	Jubezizwe ka Misuzulu
First monarch	Zulu I kaMalandela
Residence	Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal
Website	zulumonarch.org

This is a list of the monarchs of the Zulu nation, including chieftains and kings^[1] of the Zulu royal family from their earliest known history up to the present time.

Pre-Zulu

The Zulu King lineage stretches to as far as Luzumana, who is believed to have lived as long ago as the 16th century. Luzumana is the child of Ngoni, but details about him are unknown.

• NkosinKulu
• Mnguni kaNkosinKulu
• Luzumana kaMnguni
• Malandela kaLuzumana

Chieftains of the Zulus (c. 1700–1818)

When Malandela died, he divided the kingdom into two clans, the Qwabe and the Zulu.

• Zulu I kaMalandela (c. 1627 – c. 1709), founder of the clan^[2]
• Nkosinkulu kaZulu I
• Ntombela kaNkosinkulu
• Zulu II kaNtombela
• Gumede kaZulu
• Phunga kaGumede (c. 1657 – c. 1727)^[2]
• Mageba kaGumede (c. 1667 – c. 1745), son of Gumede, chief c. 1727 to c. 1745
• Ndaba kaMageba, son of Mageba, chief c. 1745 to 1763
• Jama kaNdaba (c. 1727–1781), son of Ndaba, chief 1763 to 1781
  • Mkabayi kaJama (c. 1750 – 1843), daughter of Jama, regent 1781 to 1787 (until Senzangakhona came of age)
• Senzangakhona kaJama (c. 1762–1816), son of Jama, chief 1787 to 1816
• Sigujana kaSenzangakhona, son of Senzangakhona, chief c. 1816
• Shaka kaSenzangakhona (1787–1828), son of Senzangakhona, chief c. 1816 to 1828

Kings of the Zulus (c. 1818–present)

After Dingiswayo's death at the hands of Zwide, king of the Ndwandwe, around 1818, Shaka assumed leadership of the remnants of the Mthethwa Paramountcy, thereby becoming king.^[3]

Zulu Kingdom (Independent, 1816–1879)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Shaka kaSenzangakhona	c. July 1787 – 22 September 1828 (aged 41)	1816	22 September 1828	Half-brother of Sigujana kaSenzangakhona	Zulu
Dingane kaSenzangakhona	c. 1795 – 29 January 1840 (aged 44–45)	November 1828	29 January 1840	Half-brother of Shaka kaSenzangakhona	Zulu
Mpande kaSenzangakhona	1798 – 18 October 1872 (aged 73–74)	10 February 1840	18 October 1872	Half-brother of Dingane kaSenzangakhona	Zulu
Cetshwayo kaMpande (1st reign)	1834[1] – 8 February 1884 (aged 49–50)	18 October 1872	28 August 1879	Son of Mpande kaSenzangakhona	Zulu

Zululand (Dependency, 1883–present)

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Cetshwayo kaMpande (2nd reign)	1834[1] – 8 February 1884 (aged 49–50)	29 January 1883	8 February 1884	Son of Mpande kaSenzangakhona	Zulu
Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo	1868 – 18 October 1913 (aged 44–45)	21 May 1884	18 October 1913	Son of Cetshwayo kaMpande	Zulu
Solomon kaDinuzulu	1891 – 4 March 1933 (aged 41–42)	1 November 1913	4 March 1933	Son of Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo	Zulu
Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon	(1924-08-04)4 August 1924 – 17 September 1968(1968-09-17) (aged 44)	27 August 1948	17 September 1968	Son of Solomon kaDinuzulu	Zulu
Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu	(1948-07-14)14 July 1948 – 12 March 2021(2021-03-12) (aged 72)	17 September 1968	12 March 2021	Son of Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon	Zulu
Misuzulu Zulu kaZwelithini	(1974-09-23) 23 September 1974 (age 50)	7 May 2021	Incumbent	Son of Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu	Zulu

Timeline

See also

• Zulu Kingdom

References

1. "Royal Zulu Monarch". Archived from the original on 29 March 2012.
2. Gillings, Ken (December 2012). "King Dingane Kasenzangakhona's KwaDukuza". Military History Journal (The South African Military History Society). 15 (6). Retrieved 28 August 2020.
3. Wilkinson, Stephan (14 March 2017). "Shaka Zulu: Africa's Napoleon?". HistoryNet. Retrieved 27 May 2020.