Background
His father was Mpande, the previous Zulu King, which made him a half-nephew of the famous and legendary Shaka. His mother was Sanguza, one of Mpande"s many wives.
His father was Mpande, the previous Zulu King, which made him a half-nephew of the famous and legendary Shaka. His mother was Sanguza, one of Mpande"s many wives.
He was a half-brother of the Zulu king Cetshwayo kaMpande. When Cetshwayo was restored in 1883 Dabulamanzi fought on his behalf to maintain the unity of the Zulu kingdom. Anglo-Zulu war
He took part in the Battle of Isandlwana, where he led the Undi Corps.
He then led the Zulu force at the Battle of Rorke"s Drift.
Dabulamanzi"s tactics were ineffective, allowing the small British force to repel the Zulus. Dabulamanzi subsequently organised the Siege of Eshowe, a blockade at Fort Eshowe which isolated British troops for two months.
When Lord Chelmsford arrived with a relief force, Dabulamanzi led the right wing of the Zulu army. At the Battle of Gingindlovu, the Zulus were defeated.
Later career
Dabulamanzi was keen to ensure his brother"s return to power in Zululand.
Conflicts between rival factions prompted the British to reestablish Cetshwayo as king in an attempt to restore order, but the conflicts continued. Dabulamanzi was defeated by Zibhebhu in battle at Msebe and oNdini. After Cetshwayo"s death he supported the king"s son Dinuzulu, negotiating an alliance with Boer mercenaries in 1884.
The exorbitant demands for land by the mercenaries led to further conflicts.
In 1886 he was shot dead during a scuffle with a group of Boers.