essay

The Kingdon of the Zulu of South Africa

african political systemsLondon • Published In 1955 • Pages: 25-55

By: Gluckman, Max.

Abstract
This source presents a comparative study of Zulu political organization in the mid-19th century under King Mpande and in the mid-20th century under European rule. After a brief introductory section on cultural history, the discussion turns to an analysis of the role of the king, the various chiefs of the political order and their relationship to and integration into the kinship system of the traditional Zulu period. As with other sources in this file, no clear definition is given of what constitutes a 'chief' -- references are sometimes given to a tribal chief, at other times to a ward head (INDUNA) and frequently the reference is only to 'chief' alone without any political point of reference. Under European rule the political structure has changed considerably. The Zulu king still exists, but primarily as a ceremonial figure. Under reserve administration the various Zulu tribes are grouped into magisterial districts, each under the supervision of a chief with limited judicial authority. The real political power today is vested in the European magistrate who is the superior political and judicial officer in KwaZulu-Natal. The comparisons and contrasts between these two political systems constitute the major bulk of the material in this source.
Subjects
Acculturation and culture contact
Status, role, and prestige
Ingroup antagonisms
Territorial hierarchy
Districts
Provinces
Chief executive
Deliberative councils
External relations
Public welfare
Revolution
Military organization
Ethnosociology
culture
Zulu
HRAF PubDate
2005
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Southern Africa
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 1979
Field Date
1936-1938
Coverage Date
ca.1450-1938
Coverage Place
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Notes
Herman Max Gluckman
Includes bibliographical references
LCSH
Zulu (African people)