List of Zulu kings

This article lists the Zulu monarchs, including chieftains and kings 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 Ngoni, but details about him are unknown.


 * NkosinKulu
 * Mnguni kaNkosinKulu
 * Luzumana kaMnguni
 * Malandela kaLuzumana

Chieftains of the Zulus (c. 1700–1818)
When Malandela died, he divided the kingdom into two clans, the Qwabe and the Zulu.


 * Zulu I kaMalandela (c. 1627 – c.  1709), founder of the clan
 * Nkosinkulu kaZulu I
 * Ntombela kaNkosinkulu
 * Zulu II kaNtombela
 * Gumede kaZulu
 * Phunga kaGumede (c. 1657 – c.  1727)
 * Mageba kaGumede (c. 1667 – c.  1745), son of Gumede, chief c.  1727 to c.  1745
 * Ndaba kaMageba, son of Mageba, chief c. 1745 to 1763
 * Jama kaNdaba (c. 1727–1781), son of Ndaba, chief 1763 to 1781
 * Mkabayi kaJama (c. 1750 – 1843), daughter of Jama, regent 1781 to 1787 (until Senzangakhona came of age)
 * Senzangakhona kaJama (c. 1762–1816), son of Jama, chief 1787 to 1816
 * Sigujana kaSenzangakhona, son of Senzangakhona, chief c. 1816
 * Shaka kaSenzangakhona (1787–1828), son of Senzangakhona, chief c. 1816 to 1828

Kings of the Zulus (c. 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.


 * Zulu Kingdom (Independent, 1816–1879)


 * Zululand (Dependency, 1883–present)