By: Mary Ankrah
Among the remarkable female military leaders of the 16th century was Queen Nzingha of Ndongo (now Angola) who lived from 1553-1663. She rose to power at the time when the Atlantic trade was steadily growing in Africa.
Nzingha was believed to be a military strategist, charismatic and true warrior queen who bravely fought the Portuguese control over her country for several years and defeated them in many battles.
She also established military agents back in Portuguese to rebel against the Portuguese. Nzingha was believed to be the first Black Nationalist “By opening her territory to anyone escaping slavery, she transcended all the various ethnic and cultural differences of the people in the Angolan region.”[1]
After the wars with Portugal ended, she tried to rebuild her nation, which had been seriously damaged by years of conflict and signed a peace treaty with the Portuguese.
Another woman remembered for her military exploits in the 16th century was Queen Amina of Zaria in present day Nigeria.
Queen Amina’s ambition was to extend the borders of Zazzau and make her conquered cities to be under her jurisdiction. People describe her as very bravey and Sultan Muhammad Bello of Sokoto stated that "She made war upon these countries and overcame them entirely so that the people of Katsina paid tribute to her and the men of Kano [and]... also made war on cities of Bauchi till her kingdom reached to the sea in the south and the west." [2]
Lastly, Yaa Asantewaa the Queen Mother of Ejisu is considered to be a great female military leader for the courage she showed to gather the Asante male warriors to fight the British to recover the Golden stool. In history, she was said to be a military warrior because she gathered and led the Asante rebellion known as the “War of the Golden Stool” against British colonialism in 1900.
[1] Know your Black History. Queen Nzingha of Angola (1583 -1663). [Online] Available http://www.knowyourblackhistory.com/queen-nzingha-of-angola/, May 22, 2011.
[2] Black History pages. Queen Amina of Zaria. [Online] Available http://www.blackhistorypages.net/pages/amina.php, May 22, 2011
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