Ana Afonso de Leão facts for kids

Ana Afonso de Leão (born 1625, died 1710) was a powerful queen. She ruled the Kingdom of Nkondo from 1673 to 1710. Queen Ana took control of lands like Lemba and Matari. These areas were part of the Kingdom of Kongo. Today, these lands are in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She was very important during the Kongolese civil war.

Her Early Life

Ana Afonso de Leão was born around 1625. She was the sister of King Garcia II Afonso. She was also married to Afonso II of Kongo and Nkondo. He was a king for a short time.

Queen of Nkondo's Reign

Leading During Civil War

A big civil war happened in the Kingdom of Kongo. It lasted from 1665 to 1709. Two main groups, the Kanda Kinlaza and Kimpanzu, were fighting. During this time, Ana Afonso de Leão created her own strong area. This area was almost like a separate small kingdom. It included Nkondo, Mpemba, and Mbamba.

The lands she controlled between 1682 and 1714 were known as "The Land of the Queen."

Fighting for Her Land

Queen Ana became a widow in 1669. She moved to Nkondo, between Ambriz and Nkusu. People saw her as the wise leader of the Kinlaza family. From there, she began to fight against King Manuel I. This conflict lasted from 1682 to 1693.

In late 1691, King Manuel I and his allies from Soyo attacked Nkondo. They forced Queen Ana Afonso de Leão to leave. Her cousin, Pedro Valle de Lagrimas, the Duke of Mbamba, tried to help her. But he was defeated in May 1692.

Plots and Return

After Manuel I was no longer king, two of Queen Ana's nephews tried to remove her from power. They were Alexis Afonso and Pedro Constantino de Silva. She had to flee and lived in different places, like Ngandu.

In September 1696, two of her captains fought Pedro Constantino. They were D. Antonio Afonso Mpanzu and D. Garcia Makunga. They won back Nkondo, which was the queen's former home.

Working for Peace

Queen Ana had great authority because of her royal family. She played a big part in trying to unite the kingdom again. In 1696, there were two main kings. They were Pedro IV Água Rosada in Kibangu and João II in Lemba-Bula.

Queen Ana preferred her relative, João II. In March 1696, she sent Father Luke de Caltanissetta to him. He was her ambassador. But King João II refused to agree to the terms for peace. These terms included giving back land he took and moving to the old capital, São Salvador.

So, Queen Ana then supported another relative. This was D. António de Leão Mapnzu Kinvangi. He was the son of a past king, Álvaro VII of Kongo. An Italian missionary, Father François de Pavie, encouraged this. Father François wanted to help choose one king for the whole kingdom.

Finally, Queen Ana decided to support King Pedro IV of Kibangu. He was also from the Kinlaza family. Because of her influence, many important leaders promised loyalty to Pedro IV. He was crowned in São Salvador on August 2, 1696. However, some powerful leaders still caused problems. The kingdom was only fully reunited in 1709.

We don't know the exact date Queen Ana died. But it is thought to be 1710. This is because Pope Clement XI sent her a letter in 1707, so she was still alive then.

Her Family

Queen Ana had many relatives. Her nephews included Alexis Afonso and Pedro Constantinho da Silva. Pedro's half-brother later became King Manuel II of Kongo. Her son-in-law was D. Daniel Marquis de Mpemba. Another nephew, D. Alvaro, Duke of Mbata, was someone she tried to make king in Nkondo. Her niece, Dona Catarina, had a daughter named Dona Ana. This Dona Ana ruled the duchy of Owando after her husband died.