The Battle of Isandlwana, which took place on 22 January 1879, marked the first significant clash in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Just eleven days after the British forces invaded Zululand in Southern Africa, a formidable Zulu force of about 20,000 warriors launched an attack on a segment of the British main column, which comprised approximately 1,800 troops, including British, colonial, and native soldiers, as well as about 350 civilians. The Zulu warriors were primarily armed with traditional assegai iron spears and cow-hide shields, although they also possessed some muskets and outdated rifles.