Http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-zulu-war-begins The British-Zulu War begins as British troops under Lieutenant General Frederic Augustus invade Zululand from the southern African republic of Natal. In 1843, Britain succeeded the Boers as the rulers of Natal, which controlled Zululand, the neighboring kingdom of the Zulu people. Boers, also known as Afrikaners, were the descendants of the original Dutch settlers who came to South Africa in the 17th century. Zulus, a migrant people from the north, also came to southern Africa during the 17th century, settling around the Tugela River region.
The British wanted to colonize the Southern area of Africa, in addition to other parts of the country. The Zulus controlled the land, and fought valiantly to oppose the colonization. Despite repeated attempts by the Zulus to fight back the British, in 1879 the extremely violent battle was won by the British.
