Queen Nzinga (reigned 1624, d. 1663)
Queen Ana Nzinga ruled Ndongo, territory populated by the Mbundu population. The Portuguese were colonizing her region to control trade and the growing slave economy in central Africa. Nzinga knew that the success of her realm meant aligning with Portugal. It sounds counterproductive, but she simultaneously gained a partner against her enemies, and was able to end the Portuguese slave trade in her kingdom.
When the relationship with Portugal soured, Nzinga moved her people west and founded a new state. This state offered sanctuary to runaway slaves and soldiers. With her new ally, the Netherlands, she led a rebellion against the Portuguese and its “puppet ruler.” The rebellion failed, but Nzinga turned Matamba into a trade stronghold.
