Isandlwana


Isandlwana is an isolated hill in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It is located north by northwest of Durban. The name is said to mean abomasum, the second stomach of the cow, because it reminded the Zulus of its shape.

History

This mountain has historical significance. On 22 January 1879, Isandlwana was the site of the Battle of Isandlwana, where approximately 22,000 Zulu warriors defeated a contingent of approximately 1,350 British and Native troops in one of the first engagements of the Anglo-Zulu War. The force was largely wiped out by the Zulus under Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza. The battle remains the single greatest defeat for the British Army at the hands of a native army.
Isandlwana hill rises Northeast of Rorke's Drift, a ford on the Buffalo River, a tributary of the Tugela River.