Anglo-Zulu War regret. The ensuing Battle of Isandlwana was the greatest victory that the Zulu kingdom would enjoy during the war. The British centre column was wrecked and its camp annihilated with heavy casualties as well as the loss of all its supplies, ammunition and transport. The defeat left Chelmsford no choice but to hastily retreat out of Zululand. In the battle's aftermath, a party of some 4,000 Zulu reserves mounted an unauthorised raid on the nearby British army border post of Rorke's Drift and were driven off after 10 hours of ferocious fighting. While the British central column under Chelmsford's command
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