List of Zulu kings
{{Short description|none}}
{{For|Zulu King of Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA|Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club#King of Zulu}}
{{Disputed|date=May 2023}}
{{Use South African English|date=May 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox monarchy
| royal_title = King
| realm = the Zulus
| native_name = Ingonyama yamaZulu
Isilo samaBandla
| border = provincial
| coatofarms =
| coatofarms_article =
| type =
| his/her = His
| image = King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.jpg
| incumbent = Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini
| incumbentsince = 7 May 2021
| other =
| image2 =
| incumbent2 =
| incumbent2since =
| other2 =
| heir_apparent = Jubezizwe ka Misuzulu
| first_monarch = Zulu I kaMalandela
| date =
| residence = Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal
| website = {{URL|http://zulumonarch.org/}}
}}
This is a list of the monarchs of the Zulu nation, including chieftains and kings{{cite web|title= Royal Zulu Monarch|url= http://zulumonarch.org/overview/family_history/|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120329095304/http://zulumonarch.org/overview/family_history/|archive-date= 29 March 2012}} of the Zulu royal family from their earliest known history up to the present time.
Pre-Zulu
The Zulu King lineage stretches to as far as Luzumana, who is believed to have lived as long ago as the 16th century. Luzumana is the child of Mnguni, but details about him are unknown.
- NkosinKulu
- Mnguni kaNkosinKulu
- Luzumana kaMnguni
- Malandela kaLuzumana
Chieftains of the Zulus ({{circa}} 1600–1818)
When Malandela died, he divided the kingdom into two clans, the Qwabe and the Zulu.
- Zulu I kaMalandela ({{circa}} 1627 – {{circa}} 1709), founder of the clan{{cite journal |last1=Gillings |first1=Ken |title=King Dingane Kasenzangakhona's KwaDukuza |journal=Military History Journal (The South African Military History Society) |date=December 2012 |volume=15 |issue=6 |url=http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol156kg.html |access-date=28 August 2020}}
- Nkosinkulu kaZulu I
- Ntombela kaNkosinkulu
- Zulu II kaNtombela
- Gumede kaZulu
- Phunga kaGumede ({{circa}} 1657 – {{circa}} 1727)
- Mageba kaGumede ({{circa}} 1667 – {{circa}} 1745), son of Gumede, chief {{circa}} 1727 to {{circa}} 1745
- Ndaba kaMageba, son of Mageba, chief {{circa}} 1745 to 1763
- Jama kaNdaba ({{circa}} 1727–1781), son of Ndaba, chief 1763 to 1781
- Mkabayi kaJama ({{circa}} 1750 – 1843), daughter of Jama, regent 1781 to 1787 (until Senzangakhona came of age)
- Senzangakhona kaJama ({{circa}} 1762–1816), son of Jama, chief 1787 to 1816
- Sigujana kaSenzangakhona, son of Senzangakhona, chief {{circa}} 1816
- Shaka kaSenzangakhona (1787–1828), son of Senzangakhona, chief {{circa}} 1816 to 1828
Kings of the Zulus ({{circa}} 1818–present)
After Dingiswayo's death at the hands of Zwide, king of the Ndwandwe, around 1818, Shaka assumed leadership of the remnants of the Mthethwa Paramountcy, thereby becoming king.{{Cite web|last=Wilkinson|first=Stephan|date=2017-03-14|title=Shaka Zulu: Africa's Napoleon?|url=https://www.historynet.com/shaka-zulu-africas-napoleon.htm|access-date=2020-05-27|website=HistoryNet|language=en-US}}
;Zulu Kingdom (Independent, 1816–1879)
{{Succession table monarch
| name1 = Shaka kaSenzangakhona
| nickname1 =
| native1 =
| life1 = {{circa}} July 1787 – 22 September 1828
(aged 41)
| reignstart1 = 1816
| reignend1 = 22 September 1828
| notes1 = Half-brother of Sigujana kaSenzangakhona
| family1 = Zulu
| image1 = KingShaka.jpg
| alt1 = Shaka kaSenzangakhona of Zulu Kingdom
| name2 = Dingane kaSenzangakhona
| nickname2 =
| native2 =
| life2 = {{circa}} 1795 – 29 January 1840
(aged 44–45)
| reignstart2 = November 1828
| reignend2 = 29 January 1840
| notes2 = Half-brother of Shaka kaSenzangakhona
| family2 = Zulu
| image2 = Dingane.png
| alt2 = Dingane kaSenzangakhona of Zulu Kingdom
| name3 = Mpande kaSenzangakhona
| nickname3 =
| native3 =
| life3 = 1798 – 18 October 1872
(aged 73–74)
| reignstart3 = 10 February 1840
| reignend3 = 18 October 1872
| notes3 = Half-brother of Dingane kaSenzangakhona
| family3 = Zulu
| image3 = King-Mpande-1.gif
| alt3 = Mpande kaSenzangakhona of Zulu Kingdom
| name4 = Cetshwayo kaMpande
{{small|(1st reign)}}
| nickname4 =
| native4 =
| life4 = 1834 – 8 February 1884
(aged 49–50)
| reignstart4 = 18 October 1872
| reignend4 = 28 August 1879
| notes4 = Son of Mpande kaSenzangakhona
| family4 = Zulu
| image4 = Cetshwayo-c1875.jpg
| alt4 = Cetshwayo kaMpande of Zulu Kingdom
}}
;Zululand (Dependency, 1883–present)
{{Succession table monarch
| name1 = Cetshwayo kaMpande
{{small|(2nd reign)}}
| nickname1 =
| native1 =
| life1 = 1834 – 8 February 1884
(aged 49–50)
| reignstart1 = 29 January 1883
| reignend1 = 8 February 1884
| notes1 = Son of Mpande kaSenzangakhona
| family1 = Zulu
| image1 = Cetshwayo-c1875.jpg
| alt1 = Cetshwayo kaMpande of Zululand
| name2 = Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo
| nickname2 =
| native2 =
| life2 = 1868 – 18 October 1913
(aged 44–45)
| reignstart2 = 21 May 1884
| reignend2 = 18 October 1913
| notes2 = Son of Cetshwayo kaMpande
| family2 = Zulu
| image2 = Dinizulu.jpg
| alt2 = Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo of Zululand
| name3 = Solomon kaDinuzulu
| nickname3 =
| native3 =
| life3 = 1891 – 4 March 1933
(aged 41–42)
| reignstart3 = 1 November 1913
| reignend3 = 4 March 1933
| notes3 = Son of Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo
| family3 = Zulu
| image3 = Screenshot 20210518-174534 Gallery.jpg
| alt3 = Solomon kaDinuzulu of Zululand
| name4 = Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon
| nickname4 =
| native4 =
| life4 = {{Birth date|1924|8|4|df=y}} – {{Death date and age|1968|9|17|1924|8|4|df=y}}
| reignstart4 = 27 August 1948
| reignend4 = 17 September 1968
| notes4 = Son of Solomon kaDinuzulu
| family4 = Zulu
| image4 = Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon.jpg
| alt4 = Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon of Zululand
| name5 = Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu
| nickname5 =
| native5 =
| life5 = {{Birth date|1948|7|14|df=y}} – {{Death date and age|2021|3|12|1948|7|14|df=y}}
| reignstart5 = 17 September 1968
| reignend5 = 12 March 2021
| notes5 = Son of Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon
| family5 = Zulu
| image5 = King Goodwill Zwelithini.jpg
| alt5 = Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu of Zululand
| name6 = Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini
| nickname6 =
| native6 =
| life6 = {{Birth date and age|1974|9|23|df=y}}
| reignstart6 = 7 May 2021
| reignend6 = Incumbent
| notes6 = Son of Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu
| family6 = Zulu
| image6 = King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.jpg
| alt6 = Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini of Zululand
}}
=Timeline=
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:35
PlotArea = top:20 bottom:30 right:100 left:30
AlignBars = justify
DateFormat = yyyy
Period = from:1815 till:2025
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:1815
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:10 start:1815
Colors =
id:canvas value:rgb(1,1,1)
id:m value:blue
id:r value:green
id:eon value:blue
Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas
BarData =
barset:Rulers
bar:eon
PlotData =
align:center textcolor:black fontsize:40 mark:(line,black) width:45 shift:(0,-5)
bar:eon color:eon
width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
barset:Rulers
from: 1816 till: 1828 color:m text:"Shaka"
from: 1828 till: 1840 color:m text:"Dingane"
from: 1840 till: 1872 color:m text:"Mpande"
from: 1872 till: 1879 color:m
barset:break
barset:skip
barset:skip
barset:skip
from: 1883 till: 1884 color:m text:"Cetshwayo"
from: 1884 till: 1913 color:m text:"Dinuzulu"
from: 1913 till: 1933 color:m text:"Solomon kaDinuzulu"
from: 1948 till: 1968 color:m text:"Cyprian Bhekuzulu"
from: 1968 till: 2021 color:m text:"Goodwill Zwelithini"
from: 2021 till: end color:m text:"Misuzulu Zulu"
}}
{{-}}