Queen Nzinga Mbande β also spelled Njinga , was a monarch of the Mbundu people. Nzingha Mbande was the queen of the ethnic Mbundu kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba , located in present-day northern Angola. The kingdoms she created would be a refuge for runaway slaves and a safe haven from European conquest for over two centuries after her death.
Her actions as a women defying both male and colonial domination has also made her an important inspiration for more recent African feminists. I first heard of Queen Nzinga during studying the Angolan civil war and Angolan wars for Independence. During the cold war when Angola was fighting for independence from a fascist Portuguese government Cuba sent troops to aid the rebels.
Nzinga reign was during a period of rapid growth in the African slave trade with the Portuguese Empire encroachment in South West Africa. Born into the ruling family of the Ndongo, the then princess Nzinga received military and political training as a child. Later as an adult she demonstrated an aptitude for defusing political crises as an ambassador to the Portuguese Empire. Portugal was attempting to corner the Atlantic slave trade. Nzinga fought for the indepence and stature of her kingdoms against the Portuguese and reigned for 37 years.
Queen Nzinga 's rise to power and her actions as a warrior, diplomat and nation builder would be an inspiration to those who would later fight for Angolan independence in the 20th century. This forced the Portuguese to seek fresh areas to exploit.
By Portugal had already established a trading relationship with Afonso I in the nearby Kongo Kingdom modern Congo. They then turned to Angolo , south of the Kongo. The Portuguese first established a fort and settlement at Luanda the present-day capital of Angola in , encroaching on Mbundu land. This outpost in Luanda would be a starting point for a long lasting conflict between the Ndongo and the Portuguese. African states on the Central African coast soon found their economic power and territorial control threatened by these Portuguese establishing the Luanda colony.
