Zululand population 1879?

Posts : 4 Join date : 2016-07-03

Is there a reliable figure for the estimated size of the population of Zululand at the time of the AZW?

Thanks in advance.

Subject: Re: Zululand population 1879? Mon Jul 12, 2021 8:44 am

If I remember correctly from a book I read long ago the population at the time of the war was between 400 and 500,000, but don't hold me to it.

Subject: Re: Zululand population 1879? Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:57 am

Altamont this may assist
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A comment is made that the black population of Natal was bigger than in Zululand.

Posts : 4 Join date : 2016-07-03

Thank you gentlemen for your input.

One of the footnotes in the paper linked by Frank shows an estimate for Zululand of 200,000 and gives the black population of Natal at about 320,000 in 1879. Apparently the Whites in Natal, mostly British immigrants, were outnumbered 15 to one by the Africans, so a figure approaching 350,000 in total would be about right. I believe Colenso stated the Zulu army totalled 35,000 (approximately 35% of the entire male population!).

Subject: Re: Zululand population 1879? Wed Jun 29, 2022 3:39 pm

Trollope visited SA in 1878 and wrote a two-volume 'travelogue' on the colonies. He was given an estimate of the Zulu population of Natal at 320,000 but from his perusal of the hut tax figures thought it about 10,000 more. The white population was given as 20,000.
Zululand's population isn't covered so estimates are just that. The Zulu army was reckoned as almost 50,000 in 1879 (The Zulu Army and Headmen booklet) - I think that a slight underestimation from my own research. By the time you add women, children and very old men not under arms you might well be looking at between 200,000 and 250,000 total population.

Subject: Re: Zululand population 1879? Thu Jun 30, 2022 4:27 pm

The Statesman's Year Book 1899 records that Zululand's population in 1897 was 196,511. By that time of course there would have been a considerable exodus to Natal and Transvaal for full- and part-time work. This would seem to endorse my suggested 1879 population of 200,000 to 250,000 in my previous post.

» Zululand at War 1879
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