Ndongo & Matamba

Ndongo was a Mbundu kingdom in what is now Angola. Its rulers carried the title ngola, which the Portuguese turned into the name Angola.

From the late 16th century Portugal pushed inland from its base at Luanda, raiding for captives for the Atlantic slave trade. Ndongo fought back for decades.

Its most famous ruler was Nzinga Mbande. In 1622 she went to Luanda to negotiate with the Portuguese governor, and in the famous story of that meeting she refused to stand while he sat, and was seated on the back of one of her attendants. She later took control of neighbouring Matamba, allied with the Dutch against Portugal and kept fighting into old age.

Nzinga made peace with Portugal in 1657 and ruled until her death in 1663. Ndongo was absorbed by the Portuguese in 1671, while Matamba remained independent for much longer. Nzinga is now a national heroine in Angola.