Though largely unknown in the Western world, the seventeenth-century African queen Njinga was one of the most multifaceted rulers in history, a woman who rivaled Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great in political cunning and military prowess. Linda Heywood offers the first full-length study in English of Queen Njinga's long life and political influence, revealing how this Cleopatra of central Africa skillfully navigated--and ultimately transcended--the ruthless, male-dominated power struggles of her time.
In 1626, after being deposed by the Portuguese, she transformed herself into a prolific slave trader and ferocious military leader, waging wars against the Portuguese colonizers and their African allies. Surviving multiple attempts to kill her, Njinga conquered the neighboring state of Matamba and ruled as queen of Ndongo-Matamba. At the height of her reign in the 1640s Njinga ruled almost one-quarter of modern-day northern Angola. Toward the end of her life, weary of war, she made peace with Portugal and converted to Christianity, though her devotion to the new faith was questioned.
Who was Queen Njinga? There is no simple answer. In a world where women were subjugated by men, she repeatedly outmaneuvered her male competitors and flouted gender norms, taking both male and female lovers. Today, Njinga is revered in Angola as a national heroine and honored in folk religions, and her complex legacy continues to resonate, forming a crucial part of the collective memory of the Afro-Atlantic world.
About the Author:
“Linda Heywood is a professor of African History and the History of the African Diaspora and African American Studies at Boston University. She is the author of Contested Power in Angola, editor of and contributor to Central Africans Cultural Transformations in the American Diaspora, and co-author with John Thornton of Central African, Atlantic Creoles, and the Foundation of America (Cambridge University Press, July, 2007) which was the winner of the 2008 Melville Herskovits Award for the Best Book published in African Studies. She is also one of the co-editors of the 2015 published book, African Americans in U.S. Foreign Policy: From the Era of Frederick Douglass to the Age of Obama (University of Illinois, Press, 2015). Her latest book is Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen (Harvard University Press, 2017). Her articles on Angola and the African Diaspora have appeared in The Journal of African History, Journal of Modern African Studies, Slavery and Abolition, and the Journal of Southern African Studies. She has served as a consultant for numerous museum exhibitions, including African Voices (The Smithsonian Institution), Against Human Dignity (Maritime Museum), the exhibit on 17th on Africa at the Jamestown and Yorktown Settlement Victory Center, and the recently opened exhibit “Spirits of the Passage” at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. She was also one of the history consultants and appeared in Henry Louis Gates PBS series African American Lives (2006) and Finding Oprah’s Roots (2007). She was a consultant for Henry Louis Gates PBS series Blacks in Latin America as well as The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. She was one of the major consultants of and appeared in Henry Louis Gates 2017 PBS series African Great Civilizations. She is a member of the Advisory Board, Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. She is a consultant on the series Jamestown, Series II and III. She is also a Member of the 2019 Commemoration, AMERICAN EVOLUTION, Jamestown, Virginia. She wrote Njinga of Angola: Africa’s Warrior Queen (Harvard University Press, 2017). This book was also published simultaneously in French, Brazilian Portuguese and Metropolitan Portuguese. Netflix made a four-hour documentary drama based on this book in 2023.”
-Boston University
Videos watched and discussed:
Preview: Njinga of Angola – The Queen Who Outplayed Empires posted by Mini Priza - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIA_vSXO_5o
Njinga of Angola: Africa's Warrior Queen with Professor Linda Heywood presented by Library of Congress - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxpswAL_9_U
Queen Nzinga The Warrior Queen Who Defied Portugal and Redefined Angola presented by Shine Africa History - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drltd6MTaR8
They Never Stood a Chance: How Black Natives Used Poisoned Arrows to Fight Back! presented by History909 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl_ifHEcmbg&t=24s
Ndongo, historical African kingdom of the Mbundu people #ndongo #mbundu #angola #sankofa #Africa presented by Sankofa Pan African Series - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryrPlTpoD0k
Mbanza Kongo: Mbanza Kongo: The Heart of the Kongo Empire | Lost African Capital #Historydocumentary #KongoEmpire posted by KNOW ACT DOCUMENTARIES - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mUOlddwJmk
ANGOLA - KWANZA RIVER posted by ZAP STUDIO - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv6eIY9X6xo
Kayaking the Kwanza: source to sea along Angola’s longest river – Oscar Scafidi by Royal Geographical Society - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4P0QOe-t_c
Setting the Stage for Understanding Ancestry of African Americans (Panel) - Corey Dade (Moderator) presented by National Human Genome Research Institute - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K4A7e3clMM
Summary of discussions:
When asked what members found interesting from the Introduction and Chapter 1, or what is something new they learned?
One member noted how they did not realize that historical african societies had essentially common law just like the European societies (see top of page 15).
Many members noted that this is not new but they found it ridiculous how the colonizers were overall and their audacity to come with their religion and leave with livestock, slaves, goods and precious items and claim that this is now their land.
Some members noted how this book reminded them of Chinua Achebe’s book when Things Fall Apart and how the colonizers would use the local population to turn on each other and use religion for their benefit.
Some members noted that they found it interesting and horrific that the Portuguese would cut off their noses as prizes; and it is just a reminder of who the real savages were.
Many members noted how sophisticated historical african societies were and intricate and very organized and how this shows the lies taught in many European and Western history books.
Some members also noted how the colonizers would criticize african spiritual practices like respectfully preserving bones of a dead person but the Catholics historically enshrined the remains of saints in monasteries, convents and churches.
When asked about Chapter 2 and what members found most impressive about Queen Njinga?
Many members noted they love how strong she was with during her brother’s reign and was very savvy and started to gather her forces early. And, how she did not let the bad things that happen to her to keep her down but also continued to rise and be a force to be respected.
Many members noted they love how much she loved her country and people and was willing to die for her people’s independence and respect from the colonizers.
Many members noted that they love how calculating she is. They love how she saw through their lies about religion and used it strategically in how she dealt with the Portuguese and her own people that had converted to Christianity.
Many noted how they love the examples of her cleverness like how she got baptized but discouraged her brother from doing it. And how she kept telling the Portuguese that she did not have the slaves that they told her to return. And how she had one of her servants bend over to make a chair for her to sit on when she met with the Portuguese and they expected her to sit on the floor while they sat in chairs and then when she was leaving she left the servant on her hands and knees and said that she never sat on the same chair twice.
Many noted they love how the Portuguese referred to her as “that cunning Queen our capital enemy who never tires of looking for ways to ruin us.”
Many noted she was a strong Queen who knew what she was up against and was very strategic about what advisors she kept close and how to organize her soldiers and how to position her people to optimize her strength against the Portuguese.
Many noted she was so inspiring that slaves were willing to flee the Portuguese to join her military.
Many noted they like how she would act innocent or confused and would ask the Portuguese why they were waging war against her when she just wanted to peace with them and would use this time of communication to escape or rearrange her forces to her benefit.
When members were asked to describe their impressions of Queen Njinga (her personality, etc.):
Many members noted they find her to be strong, clever, strategic, always learning, always evolving, committed to her mission, unbreakable, leader, not predictable, adaptable, legend, beyond ordinary, brilliant, unforgiving, unapologetic, ruthless.
Many members also used the adjectives of wise, mentally and emotionally strong, determined, warrior, strong, savvy leader, strategically manipulative, vengeful, a nation builder, protecter of her people, observant and good study of people, also a survivor and had to do hard ugly things because that is what she had to survive.
When asked if members could ask Queen Njinga any question? Or what do you want to know about her?
Some members wanted to know did she actually really partake in the cannibalism or just pretend in order to lead the Imbangalas.
Some members stated that they want to know what was it like to grow up for her during a time of mainly just war every single year and especially as a young women when you don’t know how each day will end.
Some members stated that they want to know what kept her going against all the challenges and continue to try to keep her sovereignty and land free?
Some members stated that they want to know whether or not she really believed in Christianity? Did she have any remorse for some of the brutal acts she committed?
One member stated they would want to ask Queen Nzinga, that if she had a second chance, what does she think she and the other leaders could have done to get rid of the Portuguese and colonizers for good?
When asked which tactic(s) either by the Portuguese or Dutch did you find interesting, horrific, surprising, etc?
Many were surprised at the missionaries or found them to be hypocrites because of their participation in colonization, in the wars and slavery.
Many members noted: the audacity of the Portuguese is what is just so interesting. And the audacity of the priests and Jesuits. How they think they are better yet How brutal they were. And then for them to judge Nzinga. Just the hypocrisy of it all. Also how they tried to convince the leaders that they shouldn’t follow Nzinga because she is a woman (see page 86).
When it comes to what members said were their favorite anecdotes from the book:
Many members noted the following 5 moments are the most notable for them: (1) when she had one of her slaves make a seat so she could be eye level with the Portuguese during negotiations; (2) when the Portuguese were cursing her and writing back to the King that she had blocked the trade routes and were making things difficult; (3) when she married the nearby King just so she could have revenge against her nephew; and (4) when she partnered with the Dutch and some of the Dutch were living in the palace and speaking the local language; and (5) even in her final months of life on this earth she wanted to make sure her kingdom was recognized by the Europeans so that her people would still have independence and peace after she died and how she got the pope to acknowledge her as Queen.
Many noted that they admire her love for her country or desire for independence for her country and every courageous act she did while she was alive to protect this sovereignty as best as she could.
Many noted that they appreciate or understand how she was able to balance her own culture and adopting Christianity either just for peace or perhaps for her own spirituality.
Final Summary and Reflections:
From the interviews and presentations that Professor Heywood has done regarding this book, it is clear that she did a lot of research to make sure she presented the most accurate depiction of Queen Njinga and Professor Heywood did a fantastic job at compiling all the information into a really smooth, detailed and comprehensive body of work for the reader. Fortunately, Queen Njinga is so interesting and inspiring and daring, that it is easy for this historical piece to be a page turner.
Many noted that Professor Heywood did a marvelous job; particularly in presenting an unbiased account because she did not just show the nice or amazing things about Queen Njinga but also wrote down things that were not pleasant. Also, the level of research that it must have taken to get and cite the original letters; and the multiple sources that she used to provide a complete account of Queen Njinga. It was no small feat for sure.
Many noted that this must have been a difficult endeavor and she did a very good job but some members had some doubts because these events happened so long ago and the author must have had to fill the gaps with her conclusions/opinions that may not be factual so this has inspired them to want to ask more questions and talk to Angolans on what knowledge or oral history has been passed down to them.
Some noted that when it comes to Queen Njinga, the individual, they are not sure about her because while yes she was daring but were her actions really for the best of her people or was a lot of it pride and revenge such that she was blinded by her own motivations and therefore was not successful because at the end of the day, her people were still slaves, they still had to adopt Christianity and she was not even good to her own people really. So while many group members love her strength, audacity and resistance against the Europeans, at the same time many members noted that they are not sure about what they think about her leadership because how were the people actually doing but it is not possible for us to have the full picture nor can we really talk about her leadership of the average citizen when her entire reign was focused on war against the Europeans and neighboring kingdoms.