December 17th is Queen Nzingha Mbande Day

December 17th is Queen Nzingha Mbande Day

I usually always post only completely positive people, but I have realized that knowing some of the not so great things are important as well, so that lessons can be learned from the mistakes of the past. This is not necessarily a day of celebration, but a day of awareness of what the consequences are of giving even just a little bit to your enemies, even if you do have good intentions and think it is going to help your people!  It can turn into centuries of war and hardship! Nothing wrong with trying to work with people, but when you compromise your people and your way of life it never turns out good and Queen Nzingha did learn this, but too late and then had to spend the rest of her life fighting and generations after her had to continue to fight as well. 

"In the first of a series of meetings Nzinga sought to establish her equality with the representative of the Portugal crown.  Noting that the only chair in the room belonged to Governor Corria, she immediately motioned to one of her assistants who fell on her hands and knees and served as a chair for Nzinga for the rest of the meeting. Despite that display, Nzinga made accommodations with the Portuguese.  She converted to Christianity and adopted the name Dona Anna de Souza.  She was baptized in honor of the governor's wife who also became her godmother.  Shortly afterwards Nzinga urged a reluctant Ngola Mbande to order the conversion of his people to Christianity. In 1626 Nzinga became Queen of the Mbundu when her brother committed suicide in the face of rising Portuguese demands for slave trade concessions.  Nzinga, however, refused to allow them to control her nation.  In 1627, after forming alliances with former rival states, she led her army against the Portuguese, initiating a thirty year war against them.  She exploited European rivalry by forging an alliance with the Dutch who had conquered Luanda in 1641. With their help, Nzinga defeated a Portuguese army in 1647.  When the Dutch were in turn defeated by the Portuguese the following year and withdrew from Central Africa, Nzinga continued her struggle against the Portuguese.  Now in her 60s she still personally led troops in battle.   She also orchestrated guerilla attacks on the Portuguese which would continue long after her death and inspire the ultimately successful 20th Century armed resistance against the Portuguese that resulted in independent Angola in 1975." Please click the link below and learn more about Queen Nzingha Mbande. 

http://www.blackpast.org/gah/queen-nzinga-1583-1663