Zulu Regiments

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Zulu Regiments & Corps


USixepi Corps
USixepi very few

Nokenke 2000





UmBelele Corps

Umbelele very few

UmHlanga 1000



UMhlambongwenya Corps

Umhlambongwenya very few

UmXapo 1000



UDukuza Corps

Udukuza very few

Iqwa 500



Bulawayo Corps

Bulawayo very few

Nsugamgeni 1000



UDlambedhlu Corps

Udlambedhlu negligible

Ngwekwe 1000

Ngulubi 500



Nodwengu Corps

UmKhlulutshane negligible

UmSikaba 500

Udududu 1500

Mbubi 500

Isanqu 1500



Undi Corps

Uthulwane 1500

Nkonkone 500

Ndhlondhlo 900

InDlu-yengwe 1000

InGobamakhos 6000



UDhloko Corps

Udhloko 2500

AmaKwenke 1500



UmCijo Corps

UmCijo 2500

UnQakamatye 5000

Umtulisazwi 1500



UVe Corps

UVe 3500

Umzinyati 500



UmBonambi Corps

UmBonambi 1500

Amashutu 500



1. uMbonambi

The uMbonambi regiment carried shields of white pattern on black. Their headdress was composed of an ostrich feather and also red feathers of the crested lourie bird.
Fought as left ‘horn’ of army at Isandhlwautf(also reported in ‘chest’)
Fought at Ulundi
Shields black and white (circumstantial)

2. uNokhenke

Fought as right ‘horn’ of army at Isandlwana
Fought as left ‘horn’ of army at Ulundi
Fought as ‘chest’ at Isandlwana

3. inGobamakhosi

The inGobamakhosi regiment's headdress was composed of leopard and monkey skin, cow tails and bunches of widow bird feathers, whilst their chest, back, and legs were adorned with cow tails. They numbered about six thousand men at the Battle of Isandhlwana (circumstantial)
Fought as left ‘horn’ of army at Isandlwana
Fought at Ulundi

4. uThulwana - kings royal regiment (dress is all white)

Reserve at Isandhlwana
Made up of older, married men
White shields and ostrich plumes (Lloyd)
Very high status regiment, King Cetewayo was a former member

5. uMcijo - special forces (dress is all black)

Fought as ‘chest’ at Isandlwana

6. izinsizwa

Appears to be a generic name for unmarried men

7. iNdluyengwe – unmarried

Unmarried
Reserve at Isandhlwana

8. iNloko

9. iNdakawombe

10. imiVa – reserves

Appears to be generic name for reserves
Singular (reserve) = umuVa

11. uFasimba

12. uThalwana

repeat of uThulwana?

13. iziNyozi


14. unDloko (uDloko)

Fought at Rorke’s Drift
Reserve at Isandlwana
Fought at Ulundi
Red shields with white spots (Lloyd)

15. inDwali

16. uBheuwula

Black and white shields

17. uHtwayi

18. uFalza

19. uDududu

Right horn at Isandlwana

20. imVuemnyama

Brown and black shields

21. uKhandempenvu

22. iShlangu (iSangqu)

White and brown shields
Right ‘horn’ at Isandhlwautf(also reported in ‘chest’)
Fought at Ulundi

23. iMgombamakhosi

24. uPoke

25. inKonya Ebenmvu

26. uGibabanye

27. iziPeze

28. iNdlondlo

Reserve at Isandlwana
Fought at Ulundi
Unmarried
Red and white shields
Fought at Rorke’s Drift
Wore ostrich feathers and cow tails

29. umKhuze

30. uNomgamulana

31. umZwangwenya

32. umSikala

33. isiBabule

34. iNkonkoni

Name means blue wildebeest

35. uShisizwe

White and red/brown shield
Raised in 1867?

36. imiDwaimba

37. iNdlu-yengwe (iNdluyengwe)

Reserve at Isandhlwana
Fought at Ulundi
Unmarried
Brown and white shields (also reported as black and white by Lloyd)
Fought at Rorke’s Drift
Cowtail necklaces

38. iMbube

Name means ‘Lion’
Fought at Ulundi
Fought in right ‘horn’ at Isandlwana

39. uMxhapho

Fought at Ulundi
Fought in ‘chest’ at Isandlwana

40. uVe

Young regiment at time of Anglo-Zulu wars (Lloyd)
Fought at Ulundi
Fought in left ‘horn’ at Isandlwana

41. iNsukamngeni,

Fought at Ulundi

42. iQwa

Fought at Ulundi

43. uYengandlovu

Pre-Shakan regiment – Mtetwa tribe
44. imQula

Pre-Shakan regiment – Qwabe tribe
45. amaPela

Pre-Shakan regiment – Ndwandwe tribe