t of about 900 men-at-arms. It was customary upon the formation of a regiment for an Induna to be appointed and subordinates chosen from among the promising members of the ranks. The function of the regiment was defined when it was ceremonially charged with the care of a herd of cattle belonging ostensibly to the king. These were chosen as much as was possible to correspond with the hide pattern on the shields of each individual regiment.
It was this differentiation that was used to define the colours of each individual regiment. This again owed its origins to Nguni tradition, but most specifically the tight Zulu system of regimental identity and separation. This obviously was to establish a strong identity and esprit de corps within each regiment, and also to foster the sort of healthy rivalry that would inevitably follow. This was the mark of a professional fighting force, and it was this professionalism that Mzilikazi carried with him as a mark of his Nguni origins.
The standard kit of each amaNdebele warrior consisted of two shields, a miniature for use daily as an accoutrement of dress, and another much larger version for parade purpose and practical use in battle. The job of shield cutter belonged to a specialist artisan attached to each military kraal. The product was fashioned out of rawhide cut without a pattern and fixed by a batten secured by cutting traverse slits in the shield and threading through them hide of a different colour. The shield was finished off at its top axis by the tail of an animal threaded over the shaft as a form of decoration. Rank within a regiment was defined by the amount of white on a shield, which permitted commanders to assess at a glance who in battle were the most reliable of his warriors.
As with most armies the uniforms of the amaNdebele were standardized and instantly recognizable. The uniform such as it was had evolved very little from that of the Zulu, although it had deviated enough to support a sense of unique identity among the amaNdebele men at arms. Within the general formation regimental identity was also expressed in subtle variations other than just shield colour, and quite often this would be in the headdress chosen, and within that quite often variations would be in the colour and form of decorative plumage.
The most celebrated of the amaNdebele regiments was the Mbizo, and theirs was a headdress of black ostrich feathers stitched into a net and tied around the back of the head by a leather thong. Besides this the feathers of other elaborately plumed birds might also feature. Some, such as the Isiziba Regiment, favoured the tail feathers of the African Long-tailed Shrike, others the polka dot plumage of a Guinea Fowl. Some sported the yellow feathers of a weaverbird and some the maroon wingtips of a Turaco. In the case of the King, and strictly he, the feathers of the iconic bird of the bushveld, the Lilac Breasted Roller decorated the royal headdress.
The weaponry of an average amaNdebele foot soldier were also standardized, and featured prominently the iconic broad bladed stabbing assegai of the Zulu, and which was used in precisely the same manner. To supplement these each warrior carried a variety of throwing spears, a thrusting lance, a knobkerrie and occasionally a small battle-axe. The manufacture of these weapons was a craft spread widely amongst the individual regimental headquarters, but may also have often have been contracted out to vassal groups, or formed part of the stipend owed to the amaNdebele by tribute groups.
Tactically the amaNdebele army altered the standard Zulu battle formation very little, formations which had themselves evolved under Shaka from earlier patterns of Nguni military organization. Both armies were divided into a number of corps that each consisted of several regiments that in turn were sub-divided into companies. Each corps had a commander and a number of sub-commanders. The most senior of these was the second-in-command, the commander of the left wing and two wing officers. When on the march the army or corps travelled in orde