Matamba
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What was the historical kingdom of Matamba?
The historical African kingdom of Matamba, located on the Cuango River northeast of Luanda, Angola, was founded by Kimbundu-speaking people before the 16th century. Until around 1550, it loosely fell under the orbit of the Kongo kingdom.
Matamba is notable for often being ruled by women. In 1630–32, Nzinga Mbande, ruler of the neighboring Ndongo kingdom, conquered it and used it as her main base in a war with Portugal. A treaty in 1656 established Matamba’s boundary with the Portuguese colony of Angola.
In 1909, the kingdom was integrated into the Portuguese colony of Angola.
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Where was Matamba located in Africa?
Matamba, a historical African kingdom, was located on the Cuango River northeast of Luanda, Angola. Founded before the 16th century by Kimbundu-speaking people, it was initially loosely associated with the Kongo kingdom. The kingdom is notable for often being ruled by women. In the 17th century, Queen Nzinga Mbande, also known as Ana de Sousa, ruler of the neighboring Ndongo kingdom, conquered Matamba and used it as her base during her war with Portugal. A treaty in 1656 established Matamba's boundary with the Portuguese colony of Angola.
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Who were the main people or rulers of Matamba?
The Kingdom of Matamba was founded by Kimbundu-speaking people sometime before the 16th century. It was unique in that it was frequently ruled by women.
Key figures include:
* Nzinga Mbande (also known as Ana de Sousa): Queen of Ndongo, she conquered Matamba in 1630–32 and used it as a base against the Portuguese. She concluded a treaty with Portugal in 1656 that established Matamba’s boundary with the Portuguese colony of Angola.
* João Guterres Ngola Kanini: Nzinga's general, whose descendants ruled Matamba after a civil war in 1666.
* Queen Verónica Guterres Ngola Kanini: Settled border issues with the Kasanje kingdom.
* Queen Ana II Guterres da Silva Ngola Kanini: Ruled when Portuguese troops briefly invaded in 1744, leading to a nominal vassalage.
* Francisco II Kaluete ka Mbandi and Kamana: These figures split the kingdom after Ana III Guterres' death in 1767, but Kamana's son later reunited it.Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What role did Matamba play in African history?
Matamba, located on the Cuango River, was founded by Kimbundu-speaking people before the 16th century. The kingdom is notable for frequently being ruled by women, including Queen Nzinga, who used it as a base in her war against Portugal in the 17th century. Matamba struggled with the neighboring Kasanje kingdom for control of the Cuango River valley until Queen Verónica Guterres Ngola Kanini settled border issues and regularized the new kingdom. Despite occasional wars, Matamba maintained generally peaceful relations with Portugal until the 19th century when Portuguese expansion led to its integration into the colony of Angola.
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How did Matamba interact with neighboring kingdoms or European powers?
Matamba, founded by Kimbundu speakers, was initially loosely tied to the Kongo kingdom until around 1550. In the 17th century, Queen Nzinga of Ndongo conquered Matamba and used it as a base against the Portuguese, who were looking for new allies to control trade. Nzinga allied with the Dutch in the 1640s but later made peace with the Portuguese in 1656, who recognized her as the ruler of Matamba.
After Nzinga's death, Matamba wrestled with the Kasanje kingdom for control of the Cuango River valley. Despite occasional wars, Matamba had generally peaceful relations with Portugal until the 19th century when the Portuguese began encroaching on Matamba's western provinces to expand coffee plantations. Matamba was ultimately integrated into the Portuguese colony of Angola in 1909.
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What happened to Matamba and what is its legacy today?
Matamba, located on the Cuango River, was founded by Kimbundu-speaking people before the 16th century. The kingdom is notable for often being ruled by women, including Queen Nzinga, who used it as a base in her war against Portugal in the 17th century. Despite occasional conflicts, Matamba maintained generally peaceful relations with Portugal until the 19th century.
In the 1890s, Matamba resisted Portuguese expansion but was ultimately integrated into the colony of Angola in 1909. Today, Matamba's legacy includes the memory of Queen Nzinga's resistance against colonial powers and its history as an independent African kingdom.
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Matamba, historical African kingdom located on the Cuango River northeast of Luanda, Angola. Founded by Kimbundu-speaking people (see Mbundu) before the 16th century, it was loosely under the orbit of the Kongo kingdom until about 1550. The Matamba kingdom was noteworthy in that it was frequently ruled by women. In 1630–32 it was conquered by Nzinga Mbande (often referred to simply as Nzinga, also spelled Njinga, Jinga, or Ginga; also known by her Christian name, Ana de Sousa), ruler of the neighbouring Ndongo kingdom, when she was expelled from some of her domains by rivals and their Portuguese allies. Matamba served as Nzinga’s main base in the long war with Portugal and her Ndongo rival, Ngola a Hari. A treaty in 1656 ended the war and established Matamba’s boundary with the Portuguese colony of Angola. Nzinga left no children, and, following a civil war in 1666, Matamba was ruled by the descendants of her general, João Guterres Ngola Kanini. Matamba wrestled with the neighbouring Kasanje kingdom for control of the Cuango River valley until Queen Verónica Guterres Ngola Kanini settled border issues and regularized the new kingdom. Matamba then enjoyed generally peaceful relations with Portugal that were only occasionally broken by war, as in 1744 when Portuguese troops invaded and defeated a Matamba army before withdrawing, resulting in the imposition of a nominal relationship of vassalage on Queen Ana II Guterres da Silva Ngola Kanini. In a succession dispute following the death of Ana III Guterres in 1767, the state was split in two by a rivalry between her nephew Francisco II Kaluete ka Mbandi and her daughter Kamana, but it was later reunited by Kamana’s son.
During the 19th century—particularly after 1830—the Portuguese began to encroach on Matamba’s western provinces with the goal of expanding their coffee plantations, leading to the establishment of a fort at Duque de Bragança (present-day Calandula) in 1838. Matamba participated in a number of wars to stop Portuguese expansion in the 1890s, but the kingdom became the focus of a Portuguese expedition in 1909 and ultimately was integrated into the Portuguese colony of Angola.