Nandi

Nandi was the mother of Shaka, the founder of the Zulu empire in Southern Africa. She was an orphaned princess of the Langeni clan and her marriage to Senzangakona, chieftain of the Zulu, was considered a violation of Zulu custom. This stigma extended to Shaka, and Nandi raised him among her people after separating from Senzangakona. Later, Nandi and Shaka found refuge with a subclan of the Mthethwa. After Shaka became chief of the Zulu, Nandi's death in 1827 led to a period of extreme grief and violence, during which thousands of Zulus were killed.12