Battle of Rorke's Drift Battle of Rorke's Drift The Battle of Rorke's Drift, also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was a battle in the Anglo-Zulu War. The defence of the mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenants John Chard of the Royal Engineers and Gonville Bromhead, immediately followed the British Army's defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879, and continued into the following day. Just over 150 British and colonial troops successfully defended the garrison against an intense assault by 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu warriors. The massive but piecemeal Zulu attacks on Rorke's Drift came very
INkatha (Zulu artifact) INkatha (Zulu artifact) The iNkatha (plural: iziNkatha ) was the magic and sacred 'grass coil', a symbol of unity of the Zulu nation. The sacred item was normally kept under guard, and Zulu kings sometimes seated themselves on it when going to war. The preparation of an iNkatha can be traced back to the time of king Senzangakhona, the father of Shaka. The last "inkatha yezwe" (grass coil of the nation) was destroyed in 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War. Specialized iziNyanga (or medicine men) initiated a ritual vomiting exercise when the Zulu army prepared for battle, by administering an emetic