The Colonial Office and Natal's Annexation of Zululand

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Periodical article

Title:	The Colonial Office and Natal's Annexation of Zululand
Author:	Warhurst, Philip
Year:	1999-2001
Periodical:	Journal of Natal and Zulu History
Volume:	19
Pages:	95-107
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	South Africa Natal Great Britain
Subjects:	colonialism Zulu polity History and Exploration Politics and Government
Abstract:	Natal (South Africa) was first settled by British traders in 1823. Annexed by the British to Cape Colony in 1845, it became a separate colony in 1856. The colonists of Natal had long shown expansionist tendencies. As regards Zululand, the colonists initially limited their interests to exerting pressure on the imperial government to become more involved, to crush the Zulu and, after the Anglo-Zulu war, maintain British domination. When the latter was challenged by the intervention of Boer freebooters and the creation of the New Republic (1884), the question of the incorporation of Zululand into Natal was debated in the Legislative Council for the first time in 1885. For more than a decade the British government opposed Natal's expansion plans but in 1897 it finally agreed with the annexation of Zululand. This article describes the reaction of the Colonial Office to Natal's annexation initiatives. It is based on the official minutes, which reveal the factors involved in the evolution of Colonial Office policies. Notes, ref.