King Cetshwayo, the last great chief of Zululand, was captured after the defeat in the war between the Zulu Kingdom and Great Britain. He was subsequently sent into exile. Cetshwayo had challenged British rule in southern Africa, prompting the invasion of Zululand in 1879. At Isandlwana and Mount Hlobane, the British suffered severe defeats at the hands of Zulu warriors, but in March, at the Battle of Khambula, the tide turned in their favor. In July, at Ulundi, Cetshwayo’s forces were annihilated, and the Zulus surrendered. In 1887, faced with continuing rebellions, Great Britain formally annexed Zululand. In 1897, it was merged with Natal, which became part of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
