[December 18] Nzinga, queen of Ndongo and Matamba

Full Name: Nzingha a Mbande
Parents: Kiluangji, king of Ndongo and Matana, and Kangela
Date of Birth: circa 1583
Predecessor: Mbande
Reign: 1624 – 1663
Brief: Though a woman, Nsinga was destined to rule her people. Her father, Kiluanji, kept her close during his political councils and even took her with him when he went to war. She enters history as an envoy for her brother, Mbande, to the Portuguese, who were spreading their slave empire into Angola. She argued favorably against certain improprieties and the two nations signed an equal treaty. To strengthen the treaty, Nzinga converted to Christianity and took the name Anna de Sousa. Unfortunately, the Portuguese did not hold up their end of the bargain, and King Mbande committed suicide out of regret. Nzinga claimed the regency for her son, Kaza, but he died soon after, at which time Nzinga claimed the throne for herself. In the 1640s, Nzinga made an alliance with the Netherlands against the Portuguese, fighting against them successfully in 1644 before being defeated two years later.  In 1647, with Dutch help, Nzinga defeated a Portuguese army and laid siege to their chief city in Masangano. This back-and-forth war continued throughout her reign, and Nzinga continued to personally lead her armied well into her sixties. By 1657, though, she was tired and agreed to peace with Portugal. In her last years, she devoted herself to Christianity and died quickly at the age of eighty in 1663. 

Date of Death: 17 December 1663

Successor: Francisco Guterres Kanini

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:

• Ankan, emperor of Japan (535)
• William I, duke of Normandy (942)
• Gregory VIII, pope of Rome (1187)
• Baldwin V, count of Hainaut (1195)
• Leopold II, king of Belgium (1909)
• Thubten, Dalai Lama of Tibet (1933)