Natal Colony facts for kids

The Colony of Natal was a British colony located in south-eastern Africa. It became a British colony on 4 May 1843. This happened after the British government took control of the Boer Republic of Natalia. On 31 May 1910, the Colony of Natal joined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa. It became one of the provinces within this new country. Today, this area is known as the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.

When it first started, the Colony of Natal was about half the size of the current province. Its north-eastern borders were the Tugela and Buffalo rivers. Beyond these rivers was the independent Kingdom of Zululand, also known as kwaZulu in the Zulu language.

How the Colony Began

The British and the Zulu people had many conflicts. These fights eventually led to people leaving the city of Durban. By 1844, the Boers, who were Dutch settlers, accepted British rule because of military pressure. The British then appointed a governor to manage the region. Many new settlers came to Natal from Europe and the Cape Colony.

Growing the Colony

In the 1860s, the British started a sugar cane industry in Natal. Growing sugar cane needed a lot of workers. However, farm owners found it hard to get Zulu people to work on their large farms. Because of this, the British brought thousands of workers from India. These workers were called "indentured labourers," meaning they agreed to work for a certain time.

As a result of these Indian workers arriving, Durban became a city with a very large Indian population. In fact, it had the biggest group of Indian people living outside of India at that time.

Images for kids

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  A painting showing the Battle of Rorke's Drift during the Anglo-Zulu War

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  A map showing the war area in northern Natal

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  The first public sale of Natal sugar in Durban, 1855

See also

In Spanish: Colonia de Natal para niños