Shaka Zulu was one of the greatest military minds in history. But if his childhood was any indication, you never would have guessed he would create a mighty nation.
Shaka’s parents were royalty, and after a turbulent relationship, including his father’s refusal to claim Shaka as his son, Shaka and his mother were banished to live among his mother’s people. But Shaka didn’t find peace there either, constantly getting bullied and teased.
As he grew, however, he got taller and stronger and soon outmatched his peers. By the time he was 23, he was a fearsome warrior king who had fought his way to the throne.
He fashioned new spears, trained his soldiers to run barefoot, and conquered tribes across the vast South African terrain. With each conquest, he united those he conquered into one powerful kingdom.
By the time he was assassinated, Shaka Zulu had conquered hundreds of chiefdoms and forged the founding nation for Zulu speakers across the globe. Regardless of our beginnings, all of us have this ability to create an impact in the world - or even take it over.