What Would A Surviving Zulu Empire Look Like?

[AltoRegnant]

one state that's always fascinated me is the Zulu empire, a small state on the eastern cape of good hope but one able to inflict one of Britain's most humiliating defeats in the 19th century. However, it was a small kingdom with limited access to more modern weapons and was thusly annexed into cape colony. Your goal is to preserve an independent zulu state, and perhaps expand its power. Perhaps Germany decides to pick up a little friend in a vital region against Britain (if they're given time to adapt and grow)? Though considering their expansion opportunities i doubt this will be good for the Boer
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[pompejus]

What POD can we use? For example would a Dutch Cape colony that avoids a Boer trek, meaning South Africanever expands into the zulu territories work for you?
Maybe Natal is turned into a British protectorate?

 

[AltoRegnant]

What POD can we use? For example would a Dutch Cape colony that avoids a Boer trek, meaning South Africanever expands into the zulu territories work for you?
Maybe Natal is turned into a British protectorate?

any POD works so long as a zulu state is a modern day fact of life

 

[AltoRegnant]

what would ther relations be to britain? London's rivals?

 

[Lalli]

what would ther relations be to britain? London's rivals?

POD would be so far back ago that it would be impöossible to say. They can be whatever from best friends to almost enemies.

And generally surviving Zulu Kingdom in 2020 can be pretty much whatever writer wants. Altough probably not much stronger than Lesotho when there would be surrounding nations which mnight are stronger. And it is quiet plausible that ZK would be at some point protectorate of some European nation(/vassal of possible South African nation.

 

[Vespid]

POD would be so far back ago that it would be impöossible to say. They can be whatever from best friends to almost enemies.

And generally surviving Zulu Kingdom in 2020 can be pretty much whatever writer wants. Altough probably not much stronger than Lesotho when there would be surrounding nations which mnight are stronger. And it is quiet plausible that ZK would be at some point protectorate of some European nation(/vassal of possible South African nation.

It would likely be roughly the same size as KwaZulu-Natal, and if not, it would still have about five million people at least. That's more than double that of Lesotho and quintuple that of Swaziland if you're using a smaller estimate. It also has access to a natural port up in its north, so it is not too disadvantaged.

 

[BELFAST]

What the Zulus need as well as weapons from Germany is a supply of food. any long conflict with the British means they do not have time to harvest their crops.
OTL the Zulus were starving when they lost to the British.

 

[AltoRegnant]

What the Zulus need as well as weapons from Germany is a supply of food. any long conflict with the British means they do not have time to harvest their crops.
OTL the Zulus were starving when they lost to the British.

With German support, could they modernize their agriculture in any meaningful capacity to stabilize their population and yield? Given support in such endeavors what might their population be?

 

[BELFAST]

With German support, could they modernize their agriculture in any meaningful capacity to stabilize their population and yield? Given support in such endeavors what might their population be?

The Zula problem with food was the war continued into the harvest season. The men were not home soon enough to harvest the crops. There was plenty of crops just very people to harvest it.

 

[AltoRegnant]

The Zula problem with food was the war continued into the harvest season. The men were not home soon enough to harvest the crops. There was plenty of crops just very people to harvest it.

Ah, so they'd have to enter into a state of normalized relations with Britain and the boer for a few decades before they could go on the warpath again? And even then unless they had german support it would be an even steeper uphill battle?

 

[Pauh the federalist]

What POD can we use? For example would a Dutch Cape colony that avoids a Boer trek, meaning South Africanever expands into the zulu territories work for you?
Maybe Natal is turned into a British protectorate?

I think the Zulu have a better chance of surviving adjacent to minor colonial powers like a surviving duch south africa (as you mentioned) and porchugese occupied with making the pink map (which can existe without overlapping interference to a Cape to Cairo railway)

 

[GameBawesome]

I don’t think the Zulu Kingdom could become big or industrial enough to fight off European imperialism. However, it could survive as a British Protectorate, and gain independence, and end up like Eswatini or Lesotho

 

[Seandineen]

Impressive. Perhaps Dinzulu could perform a bargaining role with the colonial office.