Queen Nzinga was a powerful ruler who ruled Angola in the 1600s. She was known for her unconventional ways of ruling and her desire for power. She dressed as a man and referred to herself as a king to her people. She also kept a large Harem of young men known as male wives, who were only allowed to wear dresses and function as women of the palace. At nighttime, she would randomly pick two of her wives and make them engage in a brutal fight to the death. Although this may seem shocking to us today, it was a way for Nzinga to feel powerful by reversing gender roles. She was a complicated individual who used culture, diplomacy, religion, and war to secure her kingdom.
It is important to note that while Nzinga was known for her unconventional ways of ruling, she was also a resilient leader who fought against the Portuguese and their expanding slave trade in Central Africa. Despite repeated attempts by the Portuguese and their allies to capture or kill her, she died peacefully in her eighti