Cetshwayo’s place of birth was his father’s kraal of Mlambongwenya, near Eshowe. He was born in a very troubled period in the history of the Zulu kingdom. At time of his birth, Shaka Zulu was wielding a very powerful command of the Zulu nation. Cetshwayo’s father was Mpande, half brother to Shaka Zulu. Though Cetshwayo was not heir to the throne, a turn of events at his early years would put him in the path to becoming the next Zulu king. Shaka Zulu was in conflict with Shoshangane, a leader of a breakaway faction that had fled the Zulu kingdom and had established their kingdom near Delagoa Bay. Cetshwayo’s father was sent to demand tribute and annex the newly established kingdom into the Zulu Kingdom. Mpande’s forces were defeated by Shoshangane’s force and he was forced to retreat. On his retreat he learned about the assassination of the King Shaka. Fearing that the same fate might befall him, he moved to Engakavini where Cetshwayo grew up. At the age of fifteen he became heir apparent. His father had become King of the Zulus following his defeat and surrender of King Dingaan’s army to Mpande in 1840.

He succeeded his father as king from 1872. Initially supported by the likes of Theophilus Shepstone but as soon as the Zulu nation became a threat to British confederation of South Africa, under the British flag, Cetshwayo became a menace. Sir Frere orchestrated a campaign to annex the Zulu kingdom even though British policy at the time was to avoid war with the Zulu kingdom.