By Alfred Zacharia
Throughout history, women have been central to the development of empires, the expansion of cultural influence, and the preservation of sovereignty.
Despite their critical roles, many African queens, such as Queen Nzinga, Queen Tiye, Queen Makeda (Sheba), Queen Nandi, and Queen Amanirenas, remain relatively unknown or underappreciated in both African and global historical narratives.
This article seeks to delve deeper into the lives of these remarkable queens, exploring why their legacies have not been fully recognized in mainstream history and offering insights into the various forces that have obscured their contributions.
Queen Nzinga is one of Africa’s most formidable military leaders. She ruled over the kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba in present-day Angola in the 17th century.
Nzinga is best known for her defiant resistance to Portuguese colonialism, which sought to control the vast African trade routes and enslave local populations. Nzinga’s legacy is defined by her astute political and military leadership.
Her kingdom was a central part of the Portuguese trade network, which included the slave trade. In the face of Portuguese expansion, she led her people in a series of successful military campaigns against the Portuguese.
In one notable instance, she outsmarted the Portuguese by using her diplomatic skills to delay negotiations and gain time for her forces to regroup. Nzinga was also a highly skilled diplomat. She forged alliances with the Dutch and sought to weaken Portuguese control over Angola.
Her resilience in negotiations with the Portuguese, particularly in the 1650s when she fought to retain her independence, ensured that she became a symbol of resistance to colonial expansion.
Nzinga’s contributions, however, remain under-acknowledged due to the colonial narratives that often erased or misrepresented African rulers.
The colonial legacy presented Africa’s indigenous leadership as weak and fragmented, thereby limiting the recognition of figures like Nzinga, who resisted imperialism through both diplomacy and military strategy.
Queen Tiye was one of Egypt’s most powerful women, exerting significant influence over the politics of the 18th Dynasty.
As the wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and the mother of Akhenaten, she wielded considerable authority in Egyptian affairs, challenging the conventional gendered restrictions on power.
Tiye is known for her extraordinary political role in ancient Egypt. She was not just the queen consort but also served as an advisor to her husband and son.
Tiye played a key role in the administration of Egypt’s vast empire, particularly in foreign diplomacy. Her correspondence with foreign leaders, including those in Mitanni and Babylon, demonstrates her authority and diplomatic tact. Tiye's influence extended into religion.
During her reign, she supported religious reforms and helped mediate between the traditional polytheistic practices and the emerging religious ideas of her son, Akhenaten, who introduced monotheism focused on the worship of the sun god, Aten.
Despite her crucial role in the political and religious sphere, Queen Tiye’s legacy is often overshadowed by the reigns of more famous Egyptian figures, such as Cleopatra or Nefertiti.
The focus on male Pharaohs and the male-dominated historical narratives have largely marginalized Tiye’s contributions, even though her influence likely shaped some of the key political developments in ancient Egypt.
Queen Makeda, commonly identified as the Queen of Sheba, is a prominent figure in both Ethiopian and biblical traditions.
Known for her wisdom, diplomatic skills, and wealth, Makeda is most famous for her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem, where she tested his wisdom.
Queen Makeda’s visit to King Solomon, as described in both the Bible and the Qur'an, symbolizes a moment of cross-cultural exchange between the African and Semitic worlds.
She brought lavish gifts to Solomon, marking her kingdom’s wealth and sophistication. In return, Solomon shared his wisdom, which deeply impressed her. In Ethiopian tradition, Queen Makeda is considered the progenitor of the Solomonic dynasty.
According to the Kebra Nagast (a 14th-century Ethiopian text), she bore Solomon's child, Menelik I, who is believed to have brought the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia.
This event marked the beginning of the Solomonic dynasty, which ruled Ethiopia for centuries.
While her reign is central to Ethiopian identity, Queen Makeda is often reduced to a semi-mythological figure in mainstream historical accounts.
Her legacy is intertwined with religious narratives, particularly her relationship with Solomon, which tends to overshadow her achievements as a ruler in her own right.
Queen Nandi, the mother of Shaka Zulu, played a pivotal role in the formation of the Zulu Kingdom.
While Shaka is often celebrated for his military genius in uniting the various clans of the Zulu people, Nandi’s contributions as a mother and mentor to Shaka are critical to understanding his rise to power.
Queen Nandi faced numerous challenges, including rejection and exile from the Zulu royal court. She raised Shaka in the face of adversity, teaching him resilience, leadership, and warfare strategies.
Despite being marginalized by the royal family, Nandi’s influence on Shaka’s development was profound, and it was her guidance that helped shape the military prowess that would later make Shaka a legendary figure. Nandi’s story is one of resilience and survival.
She navigated the complexities of royal politics, played a crucial part in Shaka’s rise to power, and ensured the stability of the Zulu people during her son's formative years.
Though Nandi’s influence was crucial in Shaka’s reign, history has largely celebrated Shaka’s conquests and leadership, neglecting the critical role Nandi played in shaping him.
Gendered biases in historical accounts often position Nandi as a secondary figure, overshadowed by her son’s fame.
Queen Amanirenas of the Kingdom of Kush (modern-day Sudan) is best remembered for her military confrontation with the Roman Empire in the 1st century BCE.
At a time when Rome sought to extend its reach into Africa, Amanirenas led her kingdom’s forces in one of the most successful anti-Roman campaigns in history. Amanirenas’ Kushite forces achieved a stunning victory against the Roman invaders.
In 24 BCE, she launched a successful counteroffensive that pushed Roman forces back and forced Emperor Augustus to negotiate a peace treaty.
This treaty marked the retreat of Roman ambitions in Kush, cementing Amanirenas’ status as a powerful queen who preserved her kingdom’s independence.
Amanirenas’ victory over the Romans, particularly her ability to force an empire as powerful as Rome to negotiate, positions her as a symbol of African resilience and military strategy. However, she has not received the widespread recognition she deserves.
Her legacy remains largely confined to specialized academic circles, largely due to the lack of extensive written records about the Kingdom of Kush and the fact that much of Kushite history was overshadowed by Egypt and Rome.
As a result, Amanirenas’ contributions are not as widely known as those of other African queens.
Why Aren’t They More Famous in History?
Colonial powers actively worked to suppress and distort African history to justify their imperial control. African kingdoms and their leaders, particularly women in power, were often depicted as “primitive” or “barbaric.”
Historical records, written by colonial authorities, marginalized the achievements of African queens and framed them within Eurocentric narratives that dismissed their significance.
The vast majority of historical records, particularly during and after the colonial period, were written by men. This male-centric perspective reinforced the idea that leadership and power were inherently masculine traits.
As a result, even the most powerful African queens, such as Queen Nzinga or Queen Tiye, have been overshadowed by the more widely recognized male rulers of their time.
In many cases, the stories of African queens have been filtered through religious texts that emphasize their relationships with male figures.
Queen Makeda (Sheba) is often reduced to a biblical or Quranic figure, with the focus placed more on her interaction with King Solomon than on her own role as a ruler.
This has contributed to the minimization of her political and cultural significance. Many African societies relied on oral traditions to preserve their histories.
While this was an effective and rich method of storytelling, it was not always adequately recorded in written form, especially when contrasted with the written chronicles of European and other global civilizations.
Thus, many stories of powerful African women were not documented in the same way as their male counterparts.
Despite the significant roles that women played in pre-colonial African societies, they were often excluded from the annals of official history.
This gender bias means that even when women did lead kingdoms or military campaigns, their roles were frequently downplayed or forgotten.
In recent years, African historians and scholars have worked to recover the stories of these queens and highlight their contributions to African and world history.
Documentaries, literature, and films are increasingly focused on reclaiming these stories, and feminist movements within Africa are pushing for greater acknowledgment of the role women have played in shaping African civilizations.
As more African scholars take the lead in rewriting history, the stories of these powerful queens are gradually being restored to their rightful place in the historical record.
The stories of Africa’s warrior queens—Nzinga, Tiye, Makeda, Nandi, and Amanirenas—are stories of resilience, strength, and leadership.
These women not only shaped the course of their kingdoms and empires but also contributed to the broader history of Africa and the world.
Reclaiming their histories is essential to understanding the full scope of African civilization and ensuring that the vital role of women in shaping societies is recognized.
Their legacies offer powerful examples of the leadership and courage that women have shown throughout history, and they deserve to be celebrated as key figures in the story of Africa.