Verónica I of Matamba facts for kids

Verónica Guterres Kangala Kingwanda was a powerful queen who ruled the combined kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba in Africa. She was queen from 1681 until her death in 1721.

A Queen's Early Life

Verónica was the daughter of King João Guterres Ngola Kanini. He ruled the kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba. Verónica was an important leader in the Guterres family. This royal family was started by the famous Queen Njinga Mbande.

Verónica helped make it common for women to rule the country. This was especially important after the difficult reigns of Queen Njinga and her sister Barbara. They ruled between 1624 and 1666.

We don't know exactly how old Verónica was. She was likely baptized as a Christian. Many nobles in Ndongo-Matamba became Christian around 1656. This was when missionaries came to Matamba. Verónica always saw herself as a Christian.

Verónica's Reign as Queen

Verónica became queen after a war with Portugal in 1681. Her brother, the previous ruler, was killed in the Battle of Katole. Even though her brother died, Matamba's army won the battle. The Portuguese army had to leave.

Despite the victory, Queen Verónica decided to make peace. She signed a peace agreement with Portugal in 1683. This treaty was supposed to guide how Portugal and Matamba would get along. However, both sides often broke the rules of the treaty.

Fighting Starts Again

In 1689, Queen Verónica attacked the Portuguese. This happened in a place called Cahenda, in the "Dembos" region. This area was often fought over by Ndongo, Kongo, and Portugal. Verónica wanted Matamba to control the Dembos region again. It was located just east of Matamba.

In 1688 and 1689, her armies moved into the area. They threatened Portuguese forts near Ambaca. Ambaca was a fortified town. It marked the western edge of the Portuguese colony of Angola. The Portuguese fought back. They stopped Verónica's campaign from fully succeeding.

Around 1701, a missionary leader named Luca da Caltanisetta wrote to Queen Verónica. He asked her to let missionaries come back to Matamba. He wanted to bring her people back to the Christian church. Verónica's country had not completely stopped being Christian. She wrote back a religious letter. She said it made her sad to see her people die without being baptized. But she also said she was "disgusted with the whites." She would not let any white people, even missionaries, into her court.

In 1706, Verónica tried again to expand her kingdom into Portuguese lands. She even sent ambassadors to the court of King Pedro IV of Kongo that year. But her efforts failed. The Portuguese forces were too strong. She had to give up her plan.

There was constant, small-scale fighting between her army and the Portuguese. This happened near Ambaca and Cahenda. This fighting caused many people to leave the area west of Matamba. Some people ran away. Others were captured and sent to the Americas. Those captured by the Portuguese were often sent to Brazil. Those captured by Verónica were often sold to Vili merchants. These merchants were based in the Kingdom of Loango to the north. They then sold the captives to English, Dutch, or French traders.

Verónica kept trying to control the lands Matamba claimed in the early 1600s. She died in 1721. Her son, Afonso I, became the next ruler.