Queen Nzinga Nzinga, the 17th-century queen of the Mbundu people and ruler of Ndongo and Matamba, as imagined by illustrator Achille Devéria in 1830. Lithograph by Francois Le Villain. (more) Nzinga African queen Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nzinga Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nzinga Also known as: Ana de Sousa Nzinga, Ana de Souza, Ginga, Jinga, Njinga, Nzinga Mbande Written by Rebecca M. Kulik Rebecca M. Kulik contributes articles on the social sciences and humanities to Encyclopaedia Britannica. Rebecca M. Kulik Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Oct 17, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Quick Facts Also known as: Nzinga Mbande (Show more) Nzinga also spelled: Njinga, Jinga, Ginga, Zingha (Show more) Baptismal name: Ana de Souza (Show more) Born: c. 1582, Ndongo [now in Angola] (Show more) Died: December 17, 1663, Matamba [now in Angola] (Show more) Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question Nzinga (born c. 1582, Ndongo [now in Angola]—died December 17, 1663, Matamba [now in Angola]) was the queen of the Mbundu kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba during the 17th century in what is now Angola in sub-Saharan Africa. Nzinga was a skillful politician, variously allying with local groups—particularly the Imbangala—and European powers to maintain and improve her position as queen and to protect her people against the threats of colonialism. Information about Nzinga’s life comes mainly from Portuguese colonial sources and Roman Catholic Capuchin missionaries. It was often secondhand or was relayed decades after the events took place (the exception ...(100 of 1141 words)

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