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AMINA QUEEN Of ZARIA (1588-1589) This queen of Zazzua, a
province of Nigeria now known as Zaria, was born around 1533 during the reign
of Sarkin (king) Zazzau Nohir. She was probably his granddaughter. Zazzua was
one of a number of Hausa city-states which dominated the trans-Saharan trade
after the collapse of the Songhai empire to the west. Its wealth was due to
trade of mainly leather goods, cloth, kola, salt, horses and imported metals.
At the age of sixteen, Amina became the heir apparent (Magajiya) to her
mother, Bakwa of Turunku, the ruling queen of Zazzua. With the title came the
responsibility for a ward in the city and daily councils with other
officials. Although her mother's reign was known for peace and prosperity,
Amina also chose to learn military skills from the warriors. Queen Bakwa died
around 1566 and the reign of Zazzua passed to her younger brother Karama. At
this time Amina emerged as the leading warrior of Zazzua cavalry. Her
military achievements brought her great wealth and power. When Karama died
after a ten-year rule, Amina became queen of Zazzua. She set off on her first
military expedition three months after coming to power and continued fighting
until her death. In her thirty-four year reign, she expanded the domain of
Zazzua to its largest size ever. Her main focus, however, was not on
annexation of neighboring lands, but on forcing local rulers to accept vassal
status and permit Hausa traders safe passage. She is credited with
popularizing the earthen city wall fortifications, which became
characteristic of Hausa city-states since then. She ordered building of a
defensive wall around each military camp that she established. Later, towns
grew within these protective walls, many of which are still in existence.
They're known as "ganuwar Amina", or Amina's walls. She is mostly
remembered as "Amina, Yar Bakwa ta san rana," meaning "Amina,
daughter of Nikatau, a woman as capable as a man. CANDACE EMPRESS OF ETHIOPIA (332 B.C.) Alexander
reached Kemet (Ancient Egypt) in 332 B.C., on his world conquering rampage.
But one of the greatest generals of the ancient world was also the Empress of
Ethiopia. This formidable black Queen Candace, was world famous as a military
tactician and field commander. Legend has it that Alexander could not
entertain even the possibilty of having his world fame and unbroken chain of
victories marred by risking a defeat, at last, by a woman. He halted his
armies at the borders of Ethiopia and did not invade to meet the waiting
black armies with their Queen in personal command. CLEOPATRA VII QUEEN
OF KEMET (Ancient Egypt the land of the blacks) (69-30 B.C) Although
known to be of African descent she is still deliberately portrayed as being
white. She came to power at the tender age of seventeen and the most popular
of seven queens to have had this name. She was also known to be a great
linguist and was instumental in making Kemet(Egypt) into the world number one
super power at that time. DAHIA-AL KAHINA QUEEN
KAHINA
She
fought against the Arab incursion in North Africa where under her leadership
Africans fought back fiercely and drove the Arab army northward into
Tripolitania. Queen Kahina was of the Hebrew faith and she never abandoned
her religion. Her opposition to the Arab incursion was purely nationalistic,
since she favored neither Christians nor Moslems. Her death in 705 A.D by
Hassen-ben-Numam ended one of the most violet attempts to save Africa for the
Africans. She prevented Islam's southward spread into the Western Sudan.
After her death the Arabs began to change their strategy in advancing their
faith and their power in Africa. The resistance to the southward spread of
Islam was so great in some areas that some of the wives of African kings
committed suicide to avoid falling into the hands of the Berbers and Arabs who
showed no mercy to the people who would not be converted to Islam HATSHEPSUT QUEEN
OF KEMET (Ancient Egypt the land of the blacks) (1503-1482 B.C.) One
of the greatest queens of ancient Kemet was Queen Hatshepsut. While she was
known as a "warrior" queen, her battles were engaged with her own
rivals for the position of power in Kemetic hierarchy. A born dynast in her
own right, Hatshepsut proved to be an aggressive and overpowering force.
However, it was not in war, but in her aspiration to ascend to the "Heru
(Horus) consciousness," she displayed the strength that has given her a
place in history. She adopted the Truth of Maat and became involved in the
elimination of undesirable people and elements from Kemet. Determined to be
revered in times yet to come, Hatshepsut depicted herself in as many
masculine attributes as possible, i.e. male attire, king’s beard, etc.
Although she ascended to the throne upon the death of her king-brother
Thutmose II, she exerted her rightful claim to the throne. In exercising her
power, she involved herself in foreign campaigns, a concentration on domestic
affairs, extensive building and commercial ventures. The most famous of her
commercial ventures was the Punt expedition in which goods and produce were
acquired from the rich market there to be brought back to Kemet. While it
would appear that her opponents were not antagonistic regarding her sex, they
were so regarding her non-aggressive philosophy. MAKEDA QUEEN
OF SHEBA (The symbol of Beauty) (960 B.C.) "I
am black but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As
the curtains of Solomon, Look not upon me because I am black Because the sun
hath scorched me." (Song of Solomon) Although
most of Black history is suppressed, distorted or ignored by an ungrateful
modern world, some African traditions are so persistent that all of the power
and deception of the Western academic establishment have failed to stamp them
out. One such story is that of Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon
of Israel. Black women of antiquity were legendary for their beauty and
power. Especially great were the Queens of Ethiopia. This nation was also
known as Nubia, Kush, Axum and Sheba. One thousand years before Christ,
Ethiopia was ruled by a line of virgin queens. The one whose story has
survived into our time was known as Makeda, "the Queen of Sheba."
Her remarkable tradition was recorded in the Kebar Nagast, or the Glory of
Kings, and the Bible. The Bible tells us that, during his reign, King Solomon
of Israel decided to build a magnificent temple. To announce this endeavor,
the king sent forth messengers to various foreign countries to invite
merchants from abroad to come to Jerusalem with their caravans so that they
might engage in trade there. At this time, Ethiopia was second only to Egypt
in power and fame. Hence, King Solomon was enthralled by Ethiopia's beautiful
people, rich history, deep spiritual tradition and wealth. He was especially
interested in engaging in commerce with one of Queen Makeda's subjects, an
important merchant by the name of Tamrin.1 Solomon sent for Tamrin who
"packed up stores of valuables including ebony, sapphires and red gold,
which he took to Jerusalem to sell to the king."2 It turns out that
Tamrin's visit was momentous. Although accustomed to the grandeur and luxury
of Egypt and Ethiopia, Tamrin was still impressed by King Solomon and his
young nation. During a prolonged stay in Israel, Tamrin observed the
magnificent buildings and was intrigued by the Jewish people and their
culture. But above all else, he was deeply moved by Solomon's wisdom and
compassion for his subjects. Upon returning to his country, Tamrin poured
forth elaborate details about his trip to Queen Makeda. She was so impressed
by the exciting story that the great queen decided to visit King Solomon
herself.3 To understand the significance of state visits in antiquity in
contrast to those of today, we must completely remove ourselves from the
present place and time. In ancient times, royal visits were very significant
ceremonial affairs. The visiting regent was expected to favor the host with
elaborate gifts and the state visit might well last for weeks or even months.
Even by ancient standards, however, Queen Makeda's visit to King Solomon was
extraordinary. In I Kings 10:1-2, the Bible tells us: "1. And when the
Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord,
she came to prove him with hard questions. "2. And she came to Jerusalem
with a very great train, with camels that bear spices and very much gold, and
precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of
all that was in her heart." I Kings 10:10 adds: "She gave the king
120 talents of gold, and of spices very great store and precious stones;
there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the Queen of Sheba
gave to King Solomon." We should pause to consider the staggering sight
of this beautiful Black woman and her vast array of resplendent attendants
travelling over the Sahara desert into Israel with more than 797 camels plus
donkeys and mules too numerous to count. The value of the gold alone, which
she gave to King Solomon, would be $3,690,000 today and was of much greater
worth in antiquity. King Solomon, and undoubtedly the Jewish people, were
flabbergasted by this great woman and her people. He took great pains to
accommodate her every need. A special apartment was built for her lodging
while she remained in his country. She was also provided with the best of
food and eleven changes of garments daily. As so many African leaders before
her, this young maiden, though impressed with the beauty of Solomon's temple
and his thriving domain, had come to Israel seeking wisdom and the truth
about the God of the Jewish people. Responding to her quest for knowledge,
Solomon had a throne set up for the queen beside his. "It was covered
with silken carpets, adorned with fringes of gold and silver, and studded
with diamonds and pearls. From this she listened while he delivered
judgments."4 Queen Makeda also accompanied Solomon throughout his
kingdom. She observed the wise, compassionate and spiritual ruler as he
interacted with his subjects in everyday affairs. Speaking of the value of
her visit with the King and her administration for him, Queen Makeda stated:
"My Lord, how happy I am. Would that I could remain here always, if but
as the humblest of your workers, so that I could always hear your words and
obey you. "How
happy I am when I interrogate you! How happy when you answer me. My whole
being is moved with pleasure; my soul is filled; my feet no longer stumble; I
thrill with delight. "Your
wisdom and goodness," she continued, "are beyond all measure. They
are excellence itself. Under your influence I am placing new values on life.
I see light in the darkness; the firefly in the garden reveals itself in
newer beauty. I discover added lustre in the pearl; a greater radiance in the
morning star, and a softer harmony in the moonlight. Blessed be the God that
brought me here; blessed be He who permitted your majestic mind to be
revealed to me; blessed be the One who brought me into your house to hear
your voice. Solomon
had a harem of over 700 wives and concubines, yet, he was enamored by the
young Black virgin from Ethiopia. Although he held elaborate banquets in her
honor and wined, dined and otherwise entertained her during the length of her
visit, they both knew that, according to Ethiopian tradition, the Queen must
remain chaste. Nevertheless, the Jewish monarch wished to plant his seed in
Makeda, so that he might have a son from her regal African lineage. To this
end the shrewd king conspired to conquer the affection of this young queen
with whom he had fallen in love. When, after six months in Israel, Queen
Makeda announced to King Solomon that she was ready to return to Ethiopia, he
invited her to a magnificent farewell dinner at his palace. The meal lasted
for several hours and featured hot, spicy foods that were certain to make all
who ate thirsty and sleepy (as King Solomon had planned.) Since the meal
ended very late, the king invited Queen Makeda to stay overnight in the
palace in his quarters. She agreed as long as they would sleep in separate
beds and the king would not seek to take advantage of her. He vowed to honor
her chastity, but also requested that she not take anything in the palace.
Outraged by such a suggestion, the Queen protested that she was not a thief
and then promised as requested. Not long after the encounter, the Queen,
dying of thirst, searched the palace for water. Once she found a large water
jar and proceeded to drink, the King startled her by stating: "You have
broken your oath that you would not take anything by force that is in my
palace. The Queen protested, of course, that surely the promise did not cover
something so insignificant and plentiful as water, but Solomon argued that there
was nothing in the world more valuable than water, for without it nothing
could live. Makeda reluctantly admitted the truth of this and apologized for
her mistake, begging for water for her parched throat. Solomon, now released
from his promise, assuaged her thirst and his own, immediately taking the
Queen as his lover."6 The following day as the Queen and her entourage
prepared to leave Israel, the King placed a ring on her hand and stated,
"If you have a son, give this to him and send him to me." After
returning to the land of Sheba, Queen Makeda did indeed have a son, whom she
named Son-of-the-wise-man, and reared as a prince and her heir apparent to
the throne. Upon reaching adulthood, the young man wished to visit his
father, so the Queen prepared another entourage, this time headed by Tamrin.
She sent a message to Solomon to anoint their son as king of Ethiopia and to
mandate that thenceforth only the males descended from their son should rule
Sheba. Solomon and the Jewish people rejoiced when his son arrived in Israel.
The king anointed him as the Queen had requested and renamed him Menelik,
meaning "how handsome he is." Though Solomon had many wives, only
one had produced a son, Rehoboam, a boy of seven. So the king begged Menelik
to remain, but the young prince would not. Solomon therefore called his
leaders and nobles and announced that, since he was sending his first born
son back to Ethiopia, he wanted all of them to send their firstborn sons
"to be his counselors and officers." And they agreed to do so.
Menelik asked his father for a relic of the Ark of the Covenant to take back
with him to the land of Sheba. It is said that while Solomon intended to
provide his son with a relic, the sons of the counselors, angry at having to
leave their homes and go to Sheba with Menelik, actually stole the real Ark
and took it to Ethiopia. Menelik returned to Sheba and, according to
tradition, ruled wisely and well. And his famous line has continued down to
the 20th century when, even now, the ruler of Ethiopia is the
"conquering lion of Judah" descended directly from King Solomon and
the Queen of Sheba. Written
by Legrand H. Clegg II NANDI QUEEN
OF ZULULAND (Symbol of a woman of high esteem) (1778-1826) Mother
of the great leader Shaka Zulu. Nandi is the evalasting symbol of hard work
patience and determination. She withstood and overcame many obsticles to
raise to a position of power in all Zululand. NEFERTARI QUEEN
OF KEMET (the land of the blacks) (1292-1225 B.C) Her
marriage to the great Rameses II of lower Ancient Egypt is known as one of
the greatest royal love affair ever. This marriage also brought an end to the
hundred year war between upper and lower ancient Kemet (Egypt), which in
essence unified both sections into one great Kemet which was the world
leading country. Monuments of this love affair still remains today in the
temples that Rameses built for his wife at Abu Simbel. NEFERTITI QUEEN
OF KEMET (Ancient Egypt the land of the blacks) It is
believe by some historians that Nefertiti was the daughter of Aye and Tiy,
while other claims her as the oldest daughter of Amenhotep III. Nefertiti was
married to Akhenaten the originated of the one god concept(monotheism) as it
became known today. During the early life of Nefertiti she lived in a Kemet
where a new model of human nature in relation to god was emerging. This
belief considered man primarily has a material entity, whose happiness was
measured by his ability to acquire and maintain a material heaven(wealth and
pleasure). In this material heaven women were not principals that predicted
or participated in social policy, but were objects of sensuality or objects
to be used by men. As weaker members of this paradise women could not be
participants in its building. This belief was completely contrary to the
beliefs of the ancients and the principles of Ma'at. Akhenaten developed
another model. The nature of his new religion was that Aton represented by
the Sun was the sole god and creator of all life. Nefertiti
could not relegate herself to the traditional role of subservient-queen. She
envisioned an active role for herself in reshaping civilization. This was
later manifested as she is shown participating in all the religious
ceremonies with Akhenaten. It was only through the combined royal pair that
the god Aton's full blessing could be bestowed. Nefertiti is displayed with a
prominence that other Egyptian queens were not. Her name is enclosed in a
royal cartouche, and there are in fact more statues and drawings of her than
of Akhenaten. Yet the priest with their materialist model were powerful and
they dominated the higher government offices. In this arena women were
incapable of divinity. Akhenaten and Nefertiti countered a revolt by the
priest and emerged victorious and created a new capital for Kemet called
Akhetaten a city that could give birth to their scared mission, a mission in
pursuit of Divine life. She insisted on being portrayed has a equal divine
partner to Akhenaten and their exist many illustrations of her riding a
chariot with Akhenaten during major rituals. While Akhenaten's ideas wanned
without him their to defend them. The priest still considered Nefertiti's
heresy a greater threat. The concept of a woman bypassing the male priest
hood via a mother-goddess to worship the divine was totally unacceptable. And
sadly enough continues to be unacceptable in the major religions that
dominate the world today. Nefertiti though her devotion and her demand for
respect proved she deserved a special place in the history of women. NEHANDA
MBUYA(Grandmother)
OF ZIMBABWE
When
the English invaded Zimbabwe in 1896 and began confiscating land and cattle,
Nehanda and other leaders declared war. Nehanda also displayed remarkable
leadership and organizational skills at a young age. Though dead for nearly a
hundred years, Nehanda remains what she was when alive, the single most
important person in the modern history of Zimbabwe. She is still referred to
as Mbuya (Grandmother) Nehanda by Zimbabwean patriots. NZINGHA
AMAZON
QUEEN OF MATAMBA WEST AFRICA (1582-1663) A
very good military leader who waged war against the savage slave-hunting
Europeans. This war lasted for more than thirty years. Nzingha was of
Angoloan descent and is known as a symbol of inspiration for people
everywhere. Queen Nzingha is also known by some as Jinga by others as Ginga.
She was a member of the ethnic Jagas a militant group that formed a human
shield against the Portuguese slave traders. As a visionary political leader,
competent, and self sacrificing she was completely devoted to the resistance
movement. She formed alliances with other foreign powers pitting them against
one another to free Angola of European influence. She possessed both
masculine hardness and feminine charm and used them both depending on the
situation. She even used religion as a political tool when it suited her. Her
death on December 17, 1663 helped open the door for the massive Portuguese
slave trade. Yet her struggle helped awaken others that followed her and
forced them to mount offensives against the invaders. These include Madame
Tinubu of Nigeria; Nandi, the mother of the great Zulu warrior Chaka;
Kaipkire of the Herero people of South West Africa; and the female army that
followed the Dahomian King, Behanzin Bowelle. TIYE THE
NUBIAN QUEEN OF KEMET (Ancient Egypt) (1415-1340 B.C.) Black,
beautiful and georgous, Queen Tiye is regarded as one of the most influential
Queens ever to rule Kemet. A princess of Nubian birth, she married the
Kemetan King Amenhotep III who ruled during the New Kingdom Dynasties around
1391BC. Queen Tiye held the title of "Great Royal Wife" and acted
upon it following the end of her husband's reign. It was Tiye who held sway
over Kemet during the reign of her three sons Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton), Smenkhare, and the
famous child king Tut-ankh-amen. For nearly half of a century, Tiye governed
Kemet, regulated her trade, and protected her borders. During this time, she
was believed to be the standard of beauty in the ancient world. YAA
ASANTEWA
Yaa
Asantewa of the Ashanti Empire
Her
fight against British colonialists is a story that is woven throughout the
history of Ghana. One
evening the chiefs held a secret meeting at Kumasi. Yaa Asantewa, the Queen
Mother of Ejisu, was at the meeting. The chiefs were discussing how they
should make war on the white men and force them to bring back the Asantehene.
Yaa Asantewa noticed that some of the chiefs were afraid. Some said that
there should be no war. They should rather go to beg the Governor to bring
back the Asantehene King Prempeh. Then suddenly Yaa Asantewa stood up and
spoke. This was what she said: "Now I have seen that some of you fear to
go forward to fight for our king. If it were in the brave days of, the days
of Osei Tutu, Okomfo Anokye, and Opolu Ware, chiefs would not sit down to see
thief king taken away without firing a shot. No white man could have dared to
speak to chief of the Ashanti in the way the Governor spoke to you chiefs
this morning. Is it true that the bravery of the Ashanti is no more? I cannot
believe it. It cannot be! I must say this, if you the men of Ashanti will not
go forward, then we will. We the women will. I shall call upon my fellow women.
We will fight the white men. We will fight till the last of us falls in the
battlefields." This speech stirred up the men who took an oath to fight
the white men until they released the Asantehene. For months the Ashantis led
by Yaa Asantewa fought very bravely and kept the white men in the fort. Yet
British reinforcements totaling 1,400 soldiers arrived at Kumasi. Yaa
Asantewa and other leaders were captured and sent into exile. Yaa Asantewa's
war was the last of the major war in Africa led by a women. |