Njinga of Ndongo and Matamba

Born: 1583 (circa), Angola
Died: 17 December 1663
Country most active: Angola
Also known as: Nzinga Ana de Sousa Mbande

This biography, written by Gabby Storey, is shared with permission from Team Queens, an educational history blog run by a collective of historical scholars. All rights reserved; this material may not be republished without the author’s consent.

Njinga, born c. 1582 to the royal family of Ndongo, was trained in both as a diplomat and in warfare during her adolescence. These skills came into practice many times during her reign as she resisted Portuguese colonial expansion into her kingdoms.
In 1617, Njinga’s father died and her brother Ngola Mbandi came to power. Fearful of Nzinga’s son, Ngola Mbandi had the son killed, and then Njinga forcibly sterilized. Nzinga fled to Matamba, where she resided until her brother recalled her in 1621 to act as Portuguese ambassador.
Njinga successfully ensured Ndongo’s independence and that it did not need to pay tribute, and agreed to study Christianity. She was baptised in Luanda, and took the name of Ana de Sousa in honour of her godparents.
When she became ruler of Ndongo in 1624 at the age of 42, she was the first woman to rule. Although her brother named her successor, she faced opposition due to her sex. Njinga was forced to flee, and captured the queen of Matamba and her army before taking back Ndongo.
As queen, Njinga faced many battles against Portuguese expansion, which was only resolved on 24 November 1657 when the Portuguese surrendered their claims to Ndongo. She concentrated on restoring her kingdoms after several years of warfare.
She was also focussed on the succession, however her plans for her sister to succeed were met with difficulty. Despite many assassination attempts and movements to dethrone her, Njinga died peacefully on 17 December 1663.
She is remembered for her strength in diplomacy and negotiation, as well as her role as a warrior queen.

Recommended Reading
Hettie V. Williams, “Queen Nzinga (Njinga Mbande),” in Encyclopedia of African American History, Volume I, eds., Leslie M. Alexander and Walter C. Rucker, 82-84 (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2010)
Joseph C. Miller, “Nzinga of Matamba in a New Perspective,” The Journal of African History 16.2 (1975): 201–216
Linda Heywood, Njinga of Angola. Africa’s Warrior Queen (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2017).

The following is excerpted from “Female Warriors: Memorials of Female Valour and Heroism, from the Mythological Ages to the Present Era,” by Ellen C. Clayton (Mrs. Needham), published in 1879 and shared online by Project Gutenberg.

The natives of Congo, in Lower Guinea, have ever been notorious for their ferocity and love of shedding human blood; and such very savages are they, that what slight improvements have been made in their beloved pastime—war,—are due entirely to those Europeans who have visited the coast. The women are as ferocious as the men; and as the Salic law is either unknown, or neglected, there have from time to time been female sovereigns renowned for their military prowess.

One of these royal Amazons was Shinga, or Zingha, Queen of Matamba, in Congo, who ascended the throne on the death of her brother about 1640. She determined to be Queen in her own dominions, and set herself up as a stern opponent of Christianity. She thereby offended the Portuguese priests (who had been established in the country since 1487), and they stirred up her nephew to rebellion. After losing three battles, Shinga was obliged to seek safety in flight.

After proceeding one hundred and fifty miles up the country, Shinga established a new kingdom; and by making war on the Jagas, or Giagas, the Arabs of Western Africa, she became sufficiently powerful once more to take the field against Portugal. But she was again routed, and her two sisters remained in the hands of the victors. At last, in 1646, she recovered her throne, and concluded an honourable treaty with the Christians.

Her long struggle with Portugal had so accustomed Shinga to a military life that she cared for nothing but war. She was almost constantly engaged in a campaign against the neighbouring kingdoms. Before starting on an expedition, she used to sacrifice the handsomest man she could find as a war offering to some African deity who required to be appeased. On such occasions she appeared in military costume, her bow and arrows in her hand, a sword hanging from a collar round her neck, an axe by her side. After going through a warlike dance, singing a martial song, accompanying it on two iron bells, she would cut off the victim’s head as a declaration of war, and drink a deep draught of his blood.