Queen Nzinga Mbandi was an extremely important and defining figure in the history of the Kingdom of Ndongo (what is now modern-day Angola) in early 17th century Africa. She grew up in a period during which the Portuguese had felt their position in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade was being threatened by increased mercantile activity from British and French forces, and thus aimed to move their focus to the Congo Basin and what is now recognised as Namibia. The Portuguese involvement in the region affected the stability of the Kingdom in a socio-economical, political and cultural manner. Portugal intended to turn Luanda (capital of modern-day Angola) into one of the largest slave trading ports on the continent, by aiming to control the Kwanza River and to push Ndongo territory even further back, so that they could supply Brazil with constant enslaved labourers to work on the plantations. Queen Nzinga’s steadfast presence as an outstanding African leader at the time shaped the struggle against European interference in the region unmistakably.
19th century depiction of Queen Nzinga during her reign (1624-1663)
Nzinga was born at some time in 1581 to Ngola Kiluanji (Ngola being a title for a ruler of the Kingdom of Ndongo) and Kangela, in a region that would now be known as Angola. According to legend at the time, Nzinga was given her name because she was born with her umbilical cord around her neck; the name comes from the Kimbundu verb kujinga, meaning “to twist/turn”. In addition to this, it was Ndongo belief that being born in such a way signified that the baby would grow into a wise, powerful and proud individual; these were all traits that Nzinga proved to fulfil as she grew older. She had two sisters and a brother, but it is known that she was greatly favoured by her father. He allowed her to accompany him while he carried out his duties as ruler of the Kingdom, and he even allowed her to fight by his side while at war. This early exposure given to Nzinga was no doubt one of the contributors to her growing into a leader of admirable political and strategic acumen, as well as her being very intelligent and appreciative of various social circumstances.
In 1617, Ngola Kiluanji died, and his son acceded to the throne as Ngola Mbandi. However, he lacked the insight and knowledge that both his father and his sister, Nzinga, possessed in abundance. Mbandi was inept as a leader; he had led the people of Ndongo into several wars against Portuguese forces, but his tactics lead to widespread loss of life and territory. He was extremely jealous of his sister, and out of irrational fear of being overthrown by her and her followers, had Nzinga’s son, a young child at the time, killed.
In 1622, Nzinga’s first significant act was serving as a peace-negotiating envoy of the Kingdom to Dom João Correia de Sousa, the Portuguese Governor. At this stage, the land had been ravaged so severely, with famine so commonplace that it no longer served as a profitable slave-trade region for the Portuguese. She was one of the few people in the Kingdom who could speak Portuguese, and after much persuasion, Mbandi agreed to let her negotiate on his behalf. It is often said that Correia de Sousa approached his meeting with Nzinga with utter disdain, and did not provide her with a chair to sit on, but rather offered her a floor mat, which, according to Mbundu custom, was only appropriate for subordinates. To have sat on the mat while the Governor sat above her would have both set a hierarchical bias to the negotiation process and shown that she was unaffected by his insulting gesture. In true spirit, she refused to stand down; she had one of her loyal servants go down on all fours while she sat on their back. Equal terms had been set. This showed her powerful mindset, as well as the respect her followers had for her as their senior.
Drawing of Queen Nzinga sitting on the back of one of her followers as she engaged with negotiations with Correia de Sousa in 1622. (Cavazzi, Giovanni)
The two eventually came to an agreement, with the terms of the treaty heavily resting in Nzinga’s favour; the Portuguese troops were to retreat and Ndongo’s sovereignty was to be recognised. This was a true testament to her insight and her wonderful skill as a tough negotiator. However, the Portuguese never honoured this agreement. A new leader succeeded Correia de Sousa and reneged instantly, meaning that they were yet again at war with the Kingdom of Ndongo.
In 1624, following pressure from Portuguese forces in tandem with local Mbangala marauders whom the Europeans befriended, Ngola Mbandi committed suicide, leaving behind a seven-year old son and a Kingdom on the brink of ruin. Nzinga, at the age of 43, took control and became Queen of Ndongo, and assumed the name Ngola Mbandi Njinga Bandi Kia Ngola. During her reign, which almost spanned four decades, she staunchly defended her people against Portuguese occupation, by making the most of her militaristic and strategic understanding to strengthen themselves. After the Dutch captured Luanda in 1641, Nzinga immediately sent them an embassy with the intention of getting their support to reclaim the land stolen from them by the Portuguese. After a series of battles during the period spanning 1644-1647, Queen Nzinga was triumphant in defeating the Portuguese and swiftly laid siege to their capital, Masangano. However, she was met with reinforced opposition a year later, and withdrew to her previously conquered second Kingdom, Matamba, from which she continued fighting.
After years of dogged battle and powerful resistance from the Kingdom of Ndongo, the Portuguese finally stood down, and King Pedro IV ratified a peace treaty with it on 24th November, 1657 in Lisbon, which demanded that they renounce all claims to Ndongo land and to assist Nzinga’s family to retain power in the Kingdom. This perspicacity regarding protection of power was invaluable, because there were several failed attempts at a coup d’état in her final years after the treaty had been signed, most of which were led by the Kasanje Kingdom, and the extra help she was given was invaluable.
She devoted her final years to rebuilding her community which had been ravaged for years with war and infertile lands, and subsequently suffered with a depleted population. Nzinga aimed to rehabilitate former slaves and promoted the importance of childbirth in order to replenish what had been lost. She died at the age of 82 on 17th December, 1663.
Illustration of the funeral procession for Queen Nzinga in 1663. (Cavazzi, Giovanni)
Although she died several centuries ago, she served as an inspiration to many women in anti-colonial movements which followed. Most notably were those as who were instrumental parts of the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA – Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola), which fought and achieved Angolan independence in 1975 after a 13-year war with the Portuguese Army. Queen Nzinga is venerated in Angola today and is held as one of the most influential, powerful and intelligent leaders in the history of the region, and her memory is celebrated with a statue in Luanda, erected in 2002 to celebrate their 27th year of independence.
Statue commemorating Queen Nzinga in Luanda, Angola.
Sources:
http://blogs.harvard.edu/preserving/2013/11/18/the-enigmatic-queen-nzinga-of-ndongo/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kongo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ngolas_of_Ndongo
everlivingroots 
Very informative. I have not heard of this queen before. Thanks for the education my son.
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