Nzinga mbande biography of barack

She sought to negotiate the freedom of her captured people and secure the sovereignty of Ndongo. This encounter epitomized her refusal to be diminished by colonial powers and marked the beginning of her legendary resistance. She took on the title of Ngola, a term traditionally reserved for male leaders, and embarked on a strategic campaign to liberate her kingdom from Portuguese control.

Understanding the importance of alliances, she sought support from other African states and even European powers opposed to Portugal. Her conversion to Christianity and strategic marriage alliances were part of her diplomatic efforts to build a coalition against the Portuguese. Queen Nzinga is perhaps best known for her military acumen.

In an book, the Italian priest Giovanni Antonio Cavazzi, in attendance at the court, memorialized the scene in an engraving whereby Nzinga asserts her status by sitting on the back of a maid servant within her royal envoy during the course of the negotiations. Copy in the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University Though a treaty was signed with the Portuguese at this peace conference it was never honored by them.

They soon hired the Imbangala aka Mbangala to fight against the Ndongo Kingdom as they pushed to capture slaves to further their national slave trading export interests to the so-called New World. Prior to Nzinga's birth, the Portuguese had settled along the southern part of the Congo River and began moving up the Kwanza River Valley in search of slaves and gold.

According to historical reports, the Imbangala in the 17th century mostly comprised bands of pillaging warriors native to this regions, founders of the kingdom of Kasanje. They aided the Portuguese colonial campaigns as early as those of Luis Mendes de Vasconcelos in The Imbangala's historical marauding customs were reportedly abandoned by the late seventeenth century.

Map: main region of military battles between Kingdom of Ndongo and Portuguese in Angola The Mbundu tradition prohibited women rulers, so upon Nzinga's brother's death she became regent to his son Kiza, but soon convinced the Portuguese to support her bid to the throne. Inshe was baptized and took the Christian name Ana, the surname of the Luanda governor de Sousa and the Portuguese title Dona.

Hence Princess Nzinga became known as Dona Ana de Sousa in a political move to help secure her succession to the Ndongo Kingdom throne. However, tension between Nzinga and her brother escalated when he murdered her son. In retribution, Nzinga poisoned her brother and assumed the throne.

Nzinga mbande biography of barack: Raina de Angola: As

Determined to diminish Portuguese influence in southern Africa, Nzinga forged alliances with the Dutch, the Giaga tribe, and the King of Kongo. Together, they launched a surprise attack on the Portuguese, inflicting a decisive defeat. For political expediency, Nzinga converted to Christianity in Portuguese writers would continue to write about Nzinga into the 20th century, normally depicting her as a skilled, "savage" opponent who had ultimately been forced to submit to Portugal and accept Christianity.

Numerous western authors have written about Nzinga. A heavily edited translation of Cavazzi's earlier biography, Labat's work formed the basis on which many Western sources would depict their image of Nzinga; whereas Portuguese sources focused on Nzinga's capabilities as a leader and conversion to Christianity, Western sources in the 18th and 19th centuries tended to heavily focus on her sexuality, alleged cannibalism, and brutality.

Jean-Louis Castilhon wrote a fictional story of her life inportraying her as cruel but not a cannibalwhile the Marquis de Sade wrote about Nzinga's alleged cruelty and promiscuity in his work Philosophy in the Bedroomin which he cites her as an example of a woman driven to evil by passion. Nzinga's reputation in the West recovered significantly in the 20th century.

Nzinga's usage as a symbol in the Angolan War of Independence increased interest in her life, and authors began to take a more nuanced approach to her biography. Miller published a widely cited essay on Nzinga in the The Journal of African Historyhighlighting her struggles and innovations but also criticizing her autocratic nzinga mbande biographies of barack.

One legend having no proof records that Nzinga executed her lovers. She kept 50—60 men dressed as women, according to Dapper's Description of Africaas her harem, [ 73 ] and she had them fight to the death for the privilege and duty of spending the night with her. In the morning, the winner was put to death. According to an account by the Capuchin priest Cavazzi, Nzinga maintained her strength well into her later years.

Upon witnessing her during a military review in the year prior to her deathCavazzi praised her agility, to which the elder queen replied that, in her youth, she was able to wound any Imbangala warrior, and that she would have stood against 25 armed men — unless they had muskets. Today, she is remembered in Angola as the Mother of Angola, the fighter of negotiations, and the protector of her people.

She is still honored throughout Africa as a remarkable leader and woman, for her political and diplomatic acumen, as well as her brilliant military tactics. Nzingha ultimately managed to shape her state into a form that tolerated her authority, though surely the fact that she survived all attacks on her and built up a strong base of loyal supporters helped as much as the relevance of the precedents she cited.

While Njinga had obviously not overcome the idea that females could not rule in Ndongo during her lifetime, and had to 'become a male' to retain power, her female successors faced little problem in being accepted as rulers. In the period of years that followed Njinga's death inqueens ruled for at least eighty of them. Nzingha is a leadership role model for all generations of Angolan women.

Women in Angola today display remarkable social independence and are found in the country's army, police force, government, and public and private economic sectors. A major street in Luanda is named after her, and a statue of her was placed in Kinaxixi on an impressive square in[ 1 ] dedicated by President Santos to celebrate the 27th anniversary of independence.

On 23 Decemberthe National Reserve Bank of Angola BNA issued a 20 Kwanza coin in tribute to Nzingha "in recognition of her role to defend self-determination and cultural identity of her people. DeKnight and Mo Abundu as producers. The Netflix docudrama African Queens: Njinga chronicles her life, dramatized through historical reenactment.

Nzinga mbande biography of barack: Nzinga Ana de Sousa Mbande, Nzinga

Nzinga is one of Africa's best documented early-modern rulers. Cavazzi included a number of watercolours in his manuscript which include Njinga as a central figure, as well as himself. However, Cavazzi's account is peppered with a number of pejorative statements about Nzinga for which he does not offer factual evidence, such as her cannibalism. Contents move to sidebar hide.

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Nzinga mbande biography of barack: From the richest ruler in

Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Ambundu queen in Angola c. National Portrait Gallery, London. Early life [ edit ]. Name variations [ edit ]. Political background [ edit ]. Succession to power [ edit ]. Nzinga's Embassy [ edit ]. Wartime [ edit ]. Rise to power [ edit ].

War with the Portuguese [ edit ]. Conquest of Matamba [ edit ]. Expansion and Dutch alliance [ edit ]. Later years [ edit ]. Last campaigns [ edit ]. On Christianity [ edit ]. Peace with Portugal [ edit ]. Final years [ edit ]. Death and succession [ edit ]. Historical portrayal [ edit ].

Nzinga mbande biography of barack: Queen Nzinga (Nzinga Mbande), the

Angolan [ edit ]. Portuguese [ edit ]. Western [ edit ]. Legendary accounts [ edit ]. Legacy [ edit ]. See also [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. Citations [ edit ]. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 August Retrieved 20 August Archived from the original on 15 October Retrieved 30 May Accessed 30 March Luso-Brazilian Review. JSTOR ISBN