Queen Nzinga was a great African queen. She was ruled over the Ndongo Kingdom. The Mbundu tribe was the biggest tribe in Ndongo. It was the tribe she was a member of. She became queen in the 17th century. She was a member of a royal family. She had a amazing birth. She married the chief of Imbangala. She fought to free Africans from the Portuguese. She had great military tactics.
This kingdom was in modern day Angola. It was created in the 16th century, if not earlier. The king of this kingdom was called Ngola. There were providences called kanda. They each contained villages and towns. The mayors of these villages were called sobas. The Ngola and the governors of the kandas ruled with a council of nobility. There was a judge and military leader as well.
Ndongo was a vassal state to the Kongo Kingdom. It also had diplomatic relationships with Portugal. Portugal sent missioners to Ndongo but, the Kongo king made them leave. He sent a priest from his kingdom to Ndongo.
They are a Bantu super tribe. Mbundu are composed of several smaller tribes or clans. They are matrillineal; meaning inheritance comes from the the mother side. They moved into Angola in the Middle Ages. They traded with pygmies and the San.
Some Mbundu people in big cities married Portuguese people. They also adopted their culture. Some of them went to college. They were known as assimilationists.
The Mbundu were the main supporters of Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MLPA). MLPA fought Portugal so Angola could be free. There were several militias in Angola in the 70's and they fought each other.
Chris Tucker and Isaiah Washington have Mbundu ancestors.
Queen Nzinga Family
Her father was King of Ndongo but, her mother wasn't royal at all. She had 2 sisters and 1 brother. I think her brother ruled after her father died. Her nephew became king after her brother died. She became regent during his rule.
She went with her brother to talk to the Portuguese. They gave her a mat to sit on. Someone in her entourage got on all 4s and she sat on her back.
She was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. This was a omen she was going to do something of great significance. Someone prophetized she would become a queen. If she never became a queen she probably would have became a great shaman.
Nzinga as Queen
She made a treaty with the Portuguese that was beneficial for her people. She converted to Christ-insanity for political reasons. The Portuguese broke the treaty. In responsive to this she went to war with them. She sat many Africans free. She married the chief of Imbangala, so she could have a stronger military. Later on she became allied to the Dutch. The Dutch were enemies of the Portuguese. She led her warriors into battle.
Queen Nzinga is a great inspiration!!!!! She had a shamanic birth and she was great leader. She ruled over Ndongo. She helped enslaved Africans get free. The tribe she was a member of is sweet too. She shows me that you can triumph even if the world is against you. All you need is great ambition and intelligence. She an abundance of that.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Ndongo
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mbundu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPLA
http://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2013/06/mbundu-ambundu-people-angolas.html
http://www.blackhistoryheroes.com/2011/03/queen-ana-de-sousa-njinga-mbande-of.html
http://blackhistorypages.net/pages/nzinga.php
Queen Nzinga
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