Queen Nzinga (Njinga)
(1583 – December 17, 1663)
Sovereign of Ndongo and Matamba, she negotiated with the Portuguese while consolidating the ritual authority of her court.
Baptized Ana de Sousa, she mastered European codes without abandoning her own.
An alliance with the Dutch helped her regain territory and reorganize her kingdoms. Her rule combined diplomacy, warfare, and the staging of sacred power.
Her name remains a synonym for clear-eyed resistance.