Ask AI: The Mfecane, explain what was the mfecane, when did it occurred, and what triggered it? Please include in-text citation APA 7th style.

The Mfecane, also known as the Difaqane or Lifaqane, was a period of immense social upheaval and warfare amongst African ethnic communities in southern Africa during the period between 1815 and 1840 (Hamilton, 1995). The Mfecane is marked by the devastation and death of a large number of people and mass migrations that fundamentally changed the demographic layout of southern Africa (Beinart, 2014). The word Mfecane is derived from Nguni language, meaning 'crushing' or 'scattering'. It epitomizes the high degree of violent political disruption and displacement of people during this period (Etherington, 2001). The Mfecane was triggered by a series of causes, the primary one being the expansion of the Zulu kingdom under the leadership of Shaka Zulu. Shaka Zulu revolutionized traditional methods of warfare, and his aggressive expansionist policy led to the displacement of other groups causing a domino effect of disruption and destabilization (Laband, 2009). Changes in environmental factors such as drought, and the pressure on resources such as land and cattle also played a crucial role (Fynn, 2012). Moreover, the increasing presence and influence of European settlers disrupted trade and social structures, adding to the tumultuousness of the period (Hamilton, 1995). References: Beinart, W. (2014). Twentieth-century South Africa. Oxford University Press. Etherington, N. (2001). The Great Treks: The Transformation of Southern Africa, 1815-1854. Longman. Fynn, J. (2012). Lectures on land warfare; a tactical manual for the use of infantry officers, Chapter: The Mfecane and Its Effects. An analysis and summary of the literature on the Mfecane. AuthorHouse. Hamilton, C. (1995). The Mfecane Aftermath: Reconstructive Debates in Southern African History. University of the Witwatersrand Press. Laband, J. (2009). Historical Dictionary of the Zulu Wars. Scarecrow Press.