Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba
Queen Nzinga (Nzinga Mbande), the monarch of the Mbundu people, was a resilient leader who fought against the Portuguese and their expanding slave trade in Central Africa.
In 1622 they invited Ngola (King) Mbande to attend a peace conference there to end the hostilities with the Mbundu. Mbande sent his sister Nzinga to represent him in a meeting with Portuguese Governor Joao Corria de Sousa. She knew of events in the Kongo which had led to Portuguese domination of the nominally independent nation. She also recognized, however, that to refuse to trade with the Portuguese would remove a potential ally and the major source of guns for her own state.
In the first of a series of meetings, Nzinga sought to establish her equality with the representative of the Portugal crown. Noting that the only chair in the room was Governor Corriaâs, she immediately motioned to one of her assistants, who fell to her hands and knees and served as a chair for Nzinga for the rest of the meeting.
Nzinga made accommodations with the Portuguese. She converted to Christianity and adopted the name Dona Anna de Souza. She was baptized in honor of the governorâs wife who also became her godmother. Shortly afterwards Nzinga urged a reluctant Ngola Mbande to order the conversion of his people to Christianity.
In 1626 Nzinga became Queen of the Mbundu when her brother committed suicide in the face of rising Portuguese demands for slave trade concessions. Nzinga, however, refused to allow them to control her nation.
In 1627, after forming alliances with former rival states, she led her army against the Portuguese, initiating a thirty-year war against them.
She exploited European rivalry by forging an alliance with the Dutch who had conquered Luanda in 1641. With their help, Nzinga defeated a Portuguese army in 1647. When the Dutch were in turn defeated by the Portuguese the following year and withdrew from Central Africa, Nzinga continued her struggle against the Portuguese. Now in her 60s she still personally led troops in battle.
She also orchestrated guerilla attacks on the Portuguese which would continue long after her death and inspire the ultimately successful 20th Century armed resistance against the Portuguese that resulted in independent Angola in 1975.
Despite repeated attempts by the Portuguese and their allies to capture or kill Queen Nzinga, she died peacefully in her eighties on December 17, 1663.
Reina Nzinga de Ndongo y Matamba
La reina Nzinga (Nzinga Mbande), monarca del pueblo Mbundu, fue una lĂder resiliente que luchĂł contra los portugueses y su creciente comercio de esclavos en Ăfrica Central.
En 1622 invitaron a Ngola Mbande (el rey) a asistir a una conferencia de paz para poner fin a las hostilidades con los Mbundu. Mbande enviĂł a su hermana Nzinga para que lo representara en una reuniĂłn con el gobernador portuguĂŠs Joao Corria de Sousa. Ella conocĂa los acontecimientos que habĂan llevado a la dominaciĂłn portuguesa de la naciĂłn nominalmente independiente del Congo. Sin embargo, tambiĂŠn era consciente de que negarse a comerciar con los portugueses supondrĂa perder un aliado potencial y la principal fuente de armas para su propio estado.
En la primera de una serie de reuniones, Nzinga tratĂł de establecer su igualdad con el representante de la corona portuguesa. Al observar que la Ăşnica silla que habĂa en la sala era la del gobernador Corria, inmediatamente le hizo una seĂąal a uno de sus ayudantes, quien se arrodillĂł y sirviĂł de silla a Nzinga durante el resto de la reuniĂłn.
Nzinga llegĂł a un acuerdo con los portugueses. Se convirtiĂł al cristianismo y adoptĂł el nombre de DoĂąa Anna de Souza. Fue bautizada en honor a la esposa del gobernador, quien tambiĂŠn se convirtiĂł en su madrina. Poco despuĂŠs, Nzinga le insistiĂł a un reacio Ngola Mbande a ordenar la conversiĂłn de su pueblo al cristianismo.
En 1626, Nzinga se convirtiĂł en reina de los Mbundu cuando su hermano se suicidĂł ante las crecientes exigencias portuguesas de concesiones para el comercio de esclavos. Sin embargo, Nzinga se negĂł a permitirles controlar su naciĂłn.
En 1627, tras formar alianzas con antiguos estados rivales, liderĂł su ejĂŠrcito contra los portugueses, iniciando una guerra de treinta aĂąos contra ellos.
AprovechĂł la rivalidad europea forjando una alianza con los holandeses, que habĂan conquistado Luanda en 1641. Con su ayuda, Nzinga derrotĂł al ejĂŠrcito portuguĂŠs en 1647. Cuando los holandeses fueron derrotados a su vez por los portugueses al aĂąo siguiente y se retiraron de Ăfrica Central, Nzinga continuĂł su lucha contra los portugueses. A sus 60 aĂąos, seguĂa dirigiendo personalmente a sus tropas en la batalla.
TambiĂŠn organizĂł ataques guerrilleros contra los portugueses, ataques que continuarĂan mucho despuĂŠs de su muerte e inspirarĂan la resistencia armada del siglo XX contra los portugueses, que finalmente tuvo ĂŠxito y dio lugar a la independencia de Angola en 1975.
A pesar de los repetidos intentos de los portugueses y sus aliados por capturar o matar a la reina Nzinga, esta muriĂł pacĂficamente a los ochenta aĂąos, el 17 de diciembre de 1663.
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