Mpande kaSenzangakhona

Early career Mpande was born in Babanango, Zululand, the son of Senzangakhona kaJama (1762–1816) and his ninth wife Songiya kaNgotsha Hlabisa. He was considered a weak man in comparison to his contemporaries. While other half-brothers were eliminated when his brother Dingane assassinated Shaka to become king in 1828, he was allowed to live. Mpande apparently showed no interest in Zulu power politics. The Boers immediately were granted claim to a large stretch of territory in exchange for their help. Early reign In October 1843 British commissioner Henry Cloete negotiated a treaty to define the borders of Natal and Zululand. Mpande also negotiated with the Boers, ceding land around the Klip River in 1847, which the British considered a violation of the treaty. Mpande had to reoccupy the land with his own troops. Mpande managed to avoid further disputes with the British but continued to grant favours to the Boers. Mpande adopted an expansionist policy in the early 1850s, initially raiding the areas surrounding the Zulu kingdom. These moves culminated in the invasion of Swaziland in 1852. The Swazi were under Zulu suzerainty, but maintained effective independence under Mswati II. According to historian Philip Bonner, Mpande wanted Swaziland to be under his control because of fears of Boer expansion from Natal. He "was intent on turning Swaziland into a physical sanctuary should he become embroiled with Natal, and was not prepared to settle for anything less than effective control". However, the British pressured him into withdrawing, which he did quickly. Succession conflicts Cetshwayo's success as a leader led to a conflict with Mpande's second, and favourite, son Mbuyazi. According to Gibson, "in his later days he became so fat he was unable to walk". ==Assessment==

Mpande's apparent passivity has been interpreted in different ways. He has often been identified as a "simpleton" or "the fool of the family", in the words of J Y Gibson. James O. Gump, however, describes him as a "savvy survivor in the Machiavellian world of Zulu politics". Gibson himself says that in his youth he was an imposing figure, quoting a French witness who said he had a regal bearing such that "a Parisian might believe that Umpande, in his youth, had frequented the palaces of kings". However, there is considerable evidence of his "lethargy and indifference" to ruling, even in his early years, when many of the decisions were made by his sons. Colenso's associate, Zulu convert Magema Fuze, gave a Biblically inspired account of the history of the Zulus in his book The Black People and Whence they Came. In this account God punishes wicked rulers like Shaka and Dingane, but the Zulus flourish under "Mpande's peaceful, enlightened rule." Cetshwayo was cursed because of his impious murder of Nomantshali. H. Rider Haggard's Allan Quatermain novel Child of Storm is set during the power struggle between Cetshwayo and Mbuyazi. Mpande (called "Panda") is depicted as an indulgent, passive figure. ==See also==