H. Rider Haggard's historical romance recounts the tragic origins of the Zulu nation through the eyes of Mopo, a servant to the tyrant King Chaka. The narrative follows Mopo's fosterling, Umslopogaas, from his birth to his vengeance against Chaka and his brother Dingaan, culminating in a poignant tale of lost love and the destruction of a great people.