Well, like I promised, here it is. I was my mom's luggage boy today when she went shopping, that's my (truthful) excuse as to why I've taken so long to update.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 5: A Man of Science
Records of Shaka's accomplishments, big and small, are widespread throughout the world, from Oahu to Nippon the long way around. Many a tourist come to Zululand nowadays to witness the glorious structures that Shaka had built throughout his life(many statues of himself, naturally), but a rather peculiar one that seemed rather out of place compared to the rest of Shaka's buildings became a rather attractive option, as it reminded many Asiatic visitors of home.
Shaka continued to forward the studies of his people by writing a book about the art of war. The book became widespread throughout the world, both through the horrors it proposed, and the greatness of it's tactics. Shaka eventually admitted that Pacifism would be ideal, should there not be so many outsiders trying to invade Zululand, that it would never come to fruition. Shaka titled this book 'The Art of War', and later records would show a similar book appearing in China centuries before Shaka wrote his masterpiece, however, results clearly proved that Tsung-Tzu forged Shaka's work. Regardless, the book received enough opponents that among intellectuals, debate of what a government and people should do became widespread, and the burgouise and intellectuals would long be an annoyance on Shaka indefinetly, until the Red Revolution lead by Shaka in the 1600s.
However, despite Shaka's intent on the Zulunda faith remaining the official religion, Shaka decreed religious freedom, but decreed that Zulunda would nominally remain the faith of Zululand. Shaka's hand had been forced by the newly conquered tribes of Northeastern Zululand that had their own animist traditions incompatible with Zulunda. Shaka sent many missionaries to the newly conquered territories to ensure their loyalty, naturally, and animist tradition would soon be wiped out by the Zulunda faith due to their similarities.
Zulu sailors continued to explore along the coast of Frankland, eventually finding Elizabeth's kingdom(and reportedly delivering a boatload of wildflowers from Shaka), when a fleet of galleys approached the sailor's simple ships. The sailors, terrified of a Frankish attack, flew the white flag, but they found the fleet not to be Frankish, but Russian.
Zulu scientists began to prosper without the Zulunda clergy breathing down it's throat for Zulunda correctness, and breakthrough after breakthrough would reach Zululand for years to come, but the first major breakthrough began with the discovery of Machinery, allowing Shaka to finally have some use for all the rivers next to deserts that seemed to flow through Namibia.
Ndondakusuka was founded in Namibia, to commemorate the Zulu ability to turn a desert into a prosperous trade port. Shaka at the time was fully aware that it would be somewhat of a drain on the Zulu economy to fully grow this site, but Shaka was determined to maximize Zululand to it's potential and reach the Zulu homeland of Timbuktu.
Shaka continued to receive much groaning from the Zulunda clergy for his refusal to persecute Zulunda scientists that attempted to disprove Zulunda theology, however, Shaka proved his devotion to the Zulunda faith by building a temple praising every Zulu leader before him, and damming the moron who moved the Zulu people from Timbuktu to the most inhospitable location in Africa.
Shaka continued to expand the Zulu empire at a reasonable pace, always careful to never overstretch, and the first city of several to come was founded next to giant lakes that fed much of the jungle east of Kongo. Shaka immediately ordered the use of slash and burn to destroy all the jungle and make Babanango productive.
More progress by Zulu scientists continued to pour in as Shaka continued to sponsor science over the Zulunda religion, eventually resulting a breakthrough that all material was made from certain particular ingredients, even humans. While how much Shaka truly believed that to be true at the time is heavily debated, Shaka's scientists soon began to create chemicals that served purposes in the creation of goods. Reportedly, the famous Zulu cheese was first made thanks to advent of Chemistry.
A History of the Conquest of Madagascar
Madagascarian pirates had long raided the coast of Zululand, disrupting trade and pillaging the countryside of many Zulu cities. Shaka, fed up with the disturbances by these barbarians, ordered two divisions of men be sent to to Madagascar to kill every person on the island that harbored a barbarian. Shaka's elite specialists in jungle combat and counter-infantry where sent to deal with the reports of massive invasion plan by the confederation of barbarians. Shaka's troops where surrounded, but careful logistics and tracking allowed Shaka's troops to reach higher ground on the jungle, allowing Shaka to destroy 1/3rd of all the barbarians in Madagascar within a year.
However, the conquest does not end there. A tribal woman managed to rally all remaining barbarians to rally against the Zulu invasion, however, Shaka's jungle corps had become even more deadly in the jungle, allowing Shaka's elite division to wipe out another third of the barbarians while the counter-infantry guarded Southern Madagascar from more possible barbarians. Years of experience had turned Shaka's jungle warriors into the fiercest jungle fighters in history, and this time, Shaka launched a preemptive strike against the last remaining barbarians while Shaka's fleet sailed back to Ulundi. Shaka's braves reportedly eliminated every man, woman, and child, for there is no trace left of the native Madagascar culture. Shaka founded the city of Khangela in Southern Madagascar to mark his first victory over the Madagascar savages.
The city of kwaHlomendlini was founded in Northern Madagascar, securing the island for Zululand. However, Zulu problems with Madagascar would never seem to stop as development of the island stagnated while continental Zululand continued to expand and prosper. An island-based nationalism of the original Madagascar inhabitants would come to fruition in the future, based on the unequalness between Continental Zululand and Madagascar, with secession at one point being an almost true possibility. However, the referendum would fail, and Madagascar would remain a part of Federal Zululand.
Reportedly at first, some aboriginal Madagascar inhabitants managed to escape the island before the Zulu corps reached them first and fled into Zululand. They reportedly gave a full account of the events that transpired into the island. One horrified author and inventor, determined to spread the story, tinkered for years, until he eventually invented a contraption that allowed him to print en mass. The story circulated Zululand as even the uneducated learned of Shaka's crimes, and the northern provinces where in open revolt. Shaka was forced into an apology and a promise of life compensation for the survivors of the Madagascar genocide.
Shaka founded the city of Hlobane for the surviving Madagascarian refugees, and made Malay the sole official language of the province and city. Despite looking like a complete backwater, the city would prove to eventually be a strong part of the Zulu State and an industrial powerhouse.(Levee+Biology Farms=3F2H tiles on every square?
) More importantly, it's the sole remaining city with the remnants of the Madagascar culture still withstanding.
As the 16th century dawned upon Shaka's Empire, Zululand had made massive strides in it's influence and technology. Reportedly, Shaka continued to romanticize with Elizabeth of the English, even going so far as to invite her to Zululand for a 'diplomatic visit'. Direct source accounts report Shaka and Elizabeth retiring to Madagascar for a few days where they reportedly made sweet l............
(
The author was found dead, smashed underneath a printing press. It seems to be a true accident, although this is the first time a historian to report on Shaka Zulu's more controversial parts of his life to be found dead by an accident rather than a murder)
(Officer Mdondangu was later found dead after logging the details of the author's death to Shaka's brother Ctsena, the head of the infamous Mossad, the leading Zulu intelligence agency)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I'm planning expansion into the Kongo, making the Kenyan-Somali border my northern border for the time being, as I don't want to expand into more desert. I'm 3 turns off completing SciMethod, at which point I can take liberalism and get biology or communism. I'm planning on heading to Biology, then doubling back to Communism, then going for Steel->Railroads. I'm about 1 turn off of settling a city off the border of Angola. Anyway, wish me luck. I killed A LOT of barbs taking Madagascar! Here are some photos of my explorations.
The Indian Ocean:
Europe:
The Eastern Mediterranean:
I think I could beeline Space and win this easy, but that wouldn't be fun, we have to kill Hatshepsut with Infantry while she whip spams longbows if she's lucky!
Then I wiped out my continent, giving me like 45% of the world's land? Ah, it was fun. Anyway, the round has been played. Can anybody say Zulu Madagascar? I have an enormous tech lead, and I've beelined to SciMethod and Chemistry, meaning that I can either snag Communism or Biology with Liberalism. I'm thinking, Biology, beeline Communism, then spam the map full of Zulu cities. 
I remember settling one of those "backwater" cities. It really paid of, seeing as how it became a powerhouse late game. Early game it was sort of like an island with Moai statues.
Anyway, the big news is, Stalin DOWed on Hatshepsut, and quite literally, she's getting shredded and lost 2 cities already. I'm thinking DOW on Comrade Stalin as soon as he poses even the most minor threat to my expansion.
