Fought on 22 January 1879, this was the first major battle in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.
Eleven days after the British began their invasion of Zululand, a Zulu force of some 20,000 warriors attacked a part of the British main column of about 1,800 colonial, native troops and around 400 civilians.
The Zulus were equipped with the traditional Assegai iron spears and cow-hide shields, but also some muskets and old rifle.
The British and colonial troops were armed with the state-of-the-art Martini-Henry breech-loading rifle and two 7 pounder artillery pieces as well as a rocket battery.
James McConnell (1973)
Zulus killed over 1,300 british troops. The Zulu army suffered around a thousand deaths.
The battle was a decisive victory for the Zulus and caused the defeat of the first British invasion of Zululand.
Eleven days after the British began their invasion of Zululand, a Zulu force of some 20,000 warriors attacked a part of the British main column of about 1,800 colonial, native troops and around 400 civilians.
The Zulus were equipped with the traditional Assegai iron spears and cow-hide shields, but also some muskets and old rifle.
The British and colonial troops were armed with the state-of-the-art Martini-Henry breech-loading rifle and two 7 pounder artillery pieces as well as a rocket battery.
James McConnell (1973)
Zulus killed over 1,300 british troops. The Zulu army suffered around a thousand deaths.
The battle was a decisive victory for the Zulus and caused the defeat of the first British invasion of Zululand.
Brian Palmer
The British army had received its worst defeat against a technologically inferior indigenous force.
Isandlwana resulted in the British becoming much more aggressive leading to a second invasion and the destruction of King Cetshwayo's hopes of a negotiated peace.
Isandlwana resulted in the British becoming much more aggressive leading to a second invasion and the destruction of King Cetshwayo's hopes of a negotiated peace.
