| 1816 |
Shaka succeeds his father, inkosi Senzangakhona. |
| 1824 |
British settlers establish Port Natal. |
| 1826 |
Port Natal settlers support Zulus in Battle of iziNdolowane against the Ndwandwe. |
| 1827 |
Shaka defeats Bheje tribe. |
| 1828 |
(24 September) Shaka assassinated by Dingane. |
| 1834 |
Great Trek and Boer-Zulu War. |
| 1838 |
(6 February) Dingane murders Piet Retief and party. |
| |
(16-19 February) Zulus massacre Boer Voortrekkers. |
| |
(end April) Zulus ravage Port Natal. |
| |
(16 December) Battle of Blood River. |
| 1839 |
Peace treaty between Zulus and Boers. |
| |
(September) Mpande flees to Boer Republic of Natalia. |
| 1840 |
Mpande and Boers defeat Dingane. |
| |
(10 February) Mpande made king by Boers. Cedes part of Zululand to Boers. |
| |
(March-April) Dingane murdered. |
| 1856 |
Battle of Ndondakusuka – Cetshwayo defeats Mbuyazi. |
| 1872 |
(October) King Mpande dies. |
| 1873 |
King Cetshwayo crowned. |
| 1877 |
Bulwer offers mediation in border dispute. |
| 1878 |
Boundary Commission meet at Rorke’s Drift. |
| |
(28 July) Sihayo incident. |
| |
(mid-September) Smith and Deighton incident. |
| |
(11 December) British ultimatum to Zulus. |
| 1879 |
(6-11 January) British invasion of Zululand. |
| |
(4 July) British defeat Zulus at Ulundi. |
| |
(28 August) King Cetshwayo captured in Ngome Forest. |
| |
(1 September) Wolseley partitions Zululand. |
| 1880 |
(May) first unsuccessful Zulu request restoration of King Cetshwayo. |
| 1882 |
(April) second unsuccessful Zulu request restoration of King Cetshwayo. |
| |
(August) King Cetshwayo travels to London to plead his case. |
| 1883 |
(10 January) King Cetshwayo returns to Zululand. |
| |
(30 March) Zibhebhu routs king’s Usuthu in northern Zululand. |
| |
(21 July) King Cetshwayo defeated at Ulundi by rival chiefs, Zibhebhu and Hamu. |
| |
(15 October) King Cetshwayo seeks refuge with British at Eshowe. |
| 1884 |
(8 February) King Cetshwayo dies – probably poisoned by his own people. |
| |
(April-May) internecine warfare continues. |
| |
(2 May) Dinizulu and Boers form alliance. |
| |
(21 May) Boers crown Dinizulu in exchange for 3 million acres of northern Zululand. |
| 1888 |
(March-April) Dinizulu musters supporters on Ceza Mountain. |
| |
(May) Usuthu under Dinizulu join abaQulusi and raid loyalists. |
| |
(2 June) British repulsed by Dinizulu at Ceza. |
| |
(24 June) British abandon northern Zululand. |
| |
(2 July) British restore authority across northern Zululand. |
| |
(6 August) Dinizulu disbands Usuthu and seeks refuge with ZAR. |
| |
(15 November) Dinizulu surrenders to British – placed under arrest. |
| 1889 |
(February-April) Dinizulu tried and then banished to St Helena. |
| 1897 |
(30 December) Colony of Zululand annexed by British and becomes a province of Natal. |
| 1898 |
(January) Dinizulu returned to Zululand in an attempt to restore stability. |
| 1903 |
All parts of Zululand brought under control of Natal authorities. |
| 1906 |
(January) White farmers and settlers authorized to occupy Zululand. |
| |
(February-August) Zulu uprising commences. (Bambatha Rebellion). |
| 1910 |
(31 May) Natal becomes a province of the Union of South Africa. |
| 1913 |
Dinizulu dies. |
| 1923 |
Inkatha kaZulu was formed. |
| 1925 |
(June) Prince Solomon meets with the British heir apparent, Edward, Prince of Wales. |
| 1933 |
(4 March) King Solomon dies. |
| 1952 |
Prince Cyprian recognized as king by the British Government. |
| 1953 |
Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi elected to the tribal constituency of Mahlabatini. |
| 1955 |
(October) Zululand re-established and its lands returned to the Zulus. |
| 1968 |
(September) King Ciprian dies. |
| 1971 |
(4 December) Goodwill Zwelithini crowned king. |
| 1975 |
Prime Minister Buthelezi founds a new version of Inkatha – later the Inkatha Freedom Party |