Queen Zinga-Bundi led the fight against the Portuguese when the men of her family were no longer capable of it. She got herself a harem and led troops into battle even at the age of 60. Zinga Bandi (1583-1663) was the monarch of the Mbundu people. Today it is the state of Angola. Zinga Mbandi Ngola was a skilled politician and skilled military strategist. She had to fight against the Portuguese and their expanding slave trade in the 17th century.
Zinga-Bundi was the daughter of a monarch and an ordinary woman. She did not get the throne by chance. The queen, without hesitation, poisoned her brother Ngola Mbandi, who inherited power from his father. Her father committed suicide without being mentally prepared for the coming Portuguese invasion. True, for the murder, the woman had not only state interests, but also personal motives. The brother, having inherited the throne, decided to protect himself and kill a potential competitor – the son of Zinga Bundy.
The female monarch was an experienced and cunning diplomat. In 1622, she entered into a strategic alliance with Portugal, which was beneficial for her at that time, and when Portugal violated the agreements, Nzinga did not want to surrender to the Portuguese without a fight. In 1627, she entered into a temporary alliance with the Dutch – the enemies of the Portuguese and led an army against them. Nzinga successfully held off the Portuguese forces for decades, personally leading her troops into battle, even when she was in her sixties.
There was an interesting case during negotiations with the Portuguese. There was one chair in the conference room, reserved for the Viceroy. Nzinga had to sit on the floor. The woman did not want to feel humiliated. She was not at a loss, called the maid, ordered her to get on all fours and sat on her as if on a chair.
Also, some sources say that Zinga Bundy had a harem. But the fate of the men from the harem was savory. She killed them after the first night spent.
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