Mzilikazi
| Mzilikazi kaMashobane | |
|---|---|
Mzilikazi, as portrayed by William Cornwallis Harris, c. 1836 | |
| King of Matebeleland | |
| Reign | c. 1823–1868 |
| Coronation | c. 1820 |
| Predecessor | Founder (father murdered; formerly a lieutenant of Zulu King Shaka) |
| Successor | Lobengula |
| Born | c. 1790 Mkuze, South Africa |
| Died | 9 September 1868 Matebeleland |
| Burial | 4 November 1868 a cave at Entumbane, Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe |
| Spouse | several wives |
| Issue | Lobengula (son), Nkulumane (son), and many others |
| House | Khumalo; founder of the Ndebele people |
| Father | Mashobane kaMangethe (c. late 1700s – c. 1820s), |
| Mother | Cikose Ndiweni, a princess of the Amangwe clan |
Mzilikazi Moselekatse, Khumalo (c. 1790 – 9 September 1868) was a Southern African king who founded the Ndebele Kingdom now called Matebeleland, which is now part of Zimbabwe. His name means "the great river of blood". He was born the son of Mashobane kaMangethe near Mkuze, Zululand (now known as KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa), and died at Ingama, Matabeleland (near Bulawayo, Zimbabwe). Many consider him to be the greatest Southern African military leader after the Zulu king, Shaka. In his autobiography, David Livingstone referred to Mzilikazi as the second most impressive leader he encountered on the African continent.