Cetewayo left a son, Dinizulu, who sought the assistance of some of the Transvaal Boers against Usibepu, who was defeated and driven into the reserve. These Boers, led by Lukas Meyer, claimed as a reward for their services the greater and more valu able part of central Zululand. On May 21 the Boer adventurers had proclaimed Dinizulu king of Zululand ; in August following they founded the "New Republic," carved out of Zululand. The British Government intervened, and in Dec. 1884 took formal pos session of St. Lucia bay, caused the Boers to reduce their terri torial demands, and in its truncated form recognized the New Re public—which was in 1888 incorporated in the Transvaal and has since 1903 formed the Vryheid division of Natal.
Under the administration of Sir Melmoth Osborn, the commis sioner, and his successor Sir Marshal Clarke, and the district magistrates, the Zulu became reconciled to British rule.
At the close of 1897 Zululand, in which Tongaland had been incorporated, was handed over by the imperial Government to Natal. In 1898 Dinizulu was allowed to return and was made a "government induna." Officially one of several chiefs he was, in fact, regarded by most of the Zulu as the head of their nation.
In 1905 a poll tax of LI on all adult males was imposed by the Natal legislature ; this tax was the ostensible cause of a revolt in 1906 among the natives of Natal. Bambaata, the leader of the revolt, fled to Zululand. After a hard campaign the rebellion was crushed by July 1906. In all some 3,500 Zulus were killed and about 3,00o taken prisoners, the majority of them being released in 1907. (See further, NATAL : History.) Zululand remained, however, in a disturbed condition, and a number of white traders and officials were murdered. Dinizulu had been accused of har bouring Bambaata, and in Dec. 1907 the Natal Government felt justified in charging him with high treason, murder and other crimes. A military force entered Zululand and Dinizulu surren
dered without opposition. He was brought to trial in Nov. 1908 and in March 1909 was found guilty of harbouring rebels. The more serious charges against him were not proved. Sentenced to four years' imprisonment, he was released on the establishment of the Union in 1910 by Gen. Botha, who had in his early days been one of the founders of the "New Republic." Dinizulu was settled on a farm in the Transvaal, where he died in Oct. 1913.
There had been no disturbance of public order since 1907 and European influence gradually modified native life. In 19o5 the coast belt had been opened up to white planters for the cultivation of sugar cane and from 1922 onward the cultivation of cotton was also undertaken. Most of the country remained, however, a native reserve and the tribal system continued. The Zulu sense of nationality remained strong, and though the rivalry between the Usutu and Usibepu parties continued most of the Zulu desired a paramount chief of the house of Chaka—and in the view of competent European residents in Zululand the appointment of such a chief would have been for the benefit of the people. Zulu opinion was shown at a great indaba held at Eshowe in June, 1925, in honour of the prince of Wales when 40,000 Zulus as sembled. On that occasion Dinizulu's son Solomon, though offi cially of no higher rank than the other chiefs, was selected to address the prince as the spokesman of the nation.