Nzinga Mbande: warrior queen of Angola

Nzinga Mbande: warrior queen of Angola

Sometime around 1583, Nzinga Mbande was born into the royal family of Ndongo, the kingdom that comprised half of what we now know as Angola. Her life coincided with increased European encroachment in Africa, and her homeland was caught between Portuguese slavers on one side and traditional enemy states on the other. A skilled diplomat, she was dispatched by her brother, the king, to negotiate with the Portuguese. In a now-famous moment, she was refused a chair by the Portuguese royal representative. To prove the power she commanded and the respect she deserved, she motioned for an attendant to fall on their hands and knees, and serve as her chair for the rest of the negotiation.

Through her shrewd diplomacy, she was able to secure guns and military assistance from the Portuguese, while avoiding having to provide slaves from among her own people. In 1626, Nzinga became queen when her brother died, and the Portuguese attempted to seize control of the kingdom. She fled, founding a new kingdom, Matamba, in the interior of Africa, welcoming runaway slaves, and leaning again on her diplomatic skill to ally with neighbouring countries and the Dutch to harry the Portuguese. While she focused on successfully turning Matamba into a commercial powerhouse, she continued to battle the Portuguese, leading troops into battle well into her 60s. By 1657, the Portuguese had had enough and signed a peace treaty returning Ndongo to the queen. Nzinga died 1663 at 80 and is considered to be a founding mother of Angola and a symbol of anti-colonial resistance in Africa.