1887
Zululand annexed by Britain
After the fragmentation imposed following the Anglo-Zulu War, Zululand was annexed to the British Crown in 1887 and brought under colonial administration.
View in timelineIn 1887, Britain annexed the remaining independent parts of Zululand after the fragmentation and civil conflict that followed the Anglo-Zulu War. The annexation replaced a divided but still independent Zulu political order with direct colonial administration and prepared the territory's later incorporation into Natal.
Why it matters
The annexation ended the remaining independent Zulu territorial order and converted the postwar fragmentation of the kingdom into direct colonial rule, while resistance and internal conflict continued.
Perspective notes
British officials described annexation as a solution to disorder created by the postwar partition. For Zulu communities it represented the loss of independent sovereignty after military defeat and political manipulation.