Verónica I
Encyclopedia
Verónica Guterres Kangala Kingwanda (Cangala Quinguanda in contemporary spelling) was the ruler of the joint kingdom of Ndongo
and Matamba
, 1681-1721.
No contemporary documentation give any indication of her age. She was probably baptized along with most other Ndongo-Matamba nobles during the period of missionary activity in Matamba following the establishment of the Capuchin mission in 1656. She appears to have always regarded herself as a Christian.
. Although her brother was killed in the action, the forces of Matamba won the battle and the Portuguese withdrew their army. Nevertheless, Queen Verónica decided to treat for peace, signing the agreement with Portugal in 1683. This peace treaty would govern relations between Portugal and Matamba for a long time to come, but was, in fact rarely followed by either partcipant.
In around 1701, Luca da Caltanisetta, the prefect of the Capuchin mission in Angola wrote to her asking to re-establish the mission which had fallen vacant, and "to return that people to the granary of the Holy Church." Verónica, whose country had "not fallen entirely back to heathendom" wrote back a pious letter expressing her concern that "it pained her to see her children die without baptism" but that she was "disgusted with the whites," and she would "not see any of them in her court with the missionaries."
She sought once again to expand the kingdom into Portuguese domains in 1706, and it was probably for this reason that she had ambassadors in the court of Kongo's King Pedro IV that year. But her attempts to do this were thwarted, as Portuguese forces were too strong and she abandoned the attempt. Nevertheless, a state of constant low level conflcit between her army and the Portuguese at Ambaca
and Cahenda led to the virtual depopulation of the country to the west of Matamba, as the people either fled or were captured and deported to the Americas. Those captured by the Portuguese tended to be sent to Brazil
, those captured by Verónica were often sold to Vili merchants, based in the Kingdom of Loango
to the north, and subsequently sold to English
, Dutch, or French
merchants who frequented that coast.
Verónica continued her attempts to expand Matamba's control over the territories that it claimed in the early seventeenth century. She died in 1721 and was succeeded by her son, Afonso I.
Kingdom of Ndongo
The Kingdom of Ndongo, formerly known as Dongo or Angola, is the name of an early-modern African state located in what is now day Angola. Ndongo was built by the Northern Mbundu people, a Bantu-speaking people inhabiting northern Angola....
and Matamba
Kingdom of Matamba
The Kingdom of Matamba was a pre-colonial African state located in what is now the Baixa de Cassange region of Malanje Province of modern day Angola...
, 1681-1721.
Background
Verónica was daughter to King João Guterres Ngola Kanini of the combined kingdom of Ndongo and Matamba and was an important ruler of the Guterres Dynasty established by Queen Njinga Mbande. She was probably most important in establishing the frequent practice of having female rulers in the country following the turbulent and often challenged reigns of Njinga and her sister Barbara in the period between 1624 and 1666.No contemporary documentation give any indication of her age. She was probably baptized along with most other Ndongo-Matamba nobles during the period of missionary activity in Matamba following the establishment of the Capuchin mission in 1656. She appears to have always regarded herself as a Christian.
Reign
Verónica came to power following the Portuguese war against Matamba in 1681 in which her predecessor and brother was killed at the Battle of KatoleBattle of Katole
The Battle of Katole was a military engagement between forces of Portuguese Angola and the Kingdom of Matamba. The battle took place on at Katole in what is today Angola...
. Although her brother was killed in the action, the forces of Matamba won the battle and the Portuguese withdrew their army. Nevertheless, Queen Verónica decided to treat for peace, signing the agreement with Portugal in 1683. This peace treaty would govern relations between Portugal and Matamba for a long time to come, but was, in fact rarely followed by either partcipant.
Resuming of hostilities
In 1689 she attacked the Portuguese in Cahenda in the "Dembos" region to her west, an area that was disputed between Ndongo, Kongo, and Portugal. She was anxious to reestablish Matamba's claims over the Dembos region that lay directly to the east of Matamba, and in 1688-89 her armies moved into the area and threatened Portuguese positions around Ambaca, their fortified town that marked the western most edge of the colony of Angola. The Portuguese intervened, and blunted the effectiveness of the campaign.In around 1701, Luca da Caltanisetta, the prefect of the Capuchin mission in Angola wrote to her asking to re-establish the mission which had fallen vacant, and "to return that people to the granary of the Holy Church." Verónica, whose country had "not fallen entirely back to heathendom" wrote back a pious letter expressing her concern that "it pained her to see her children die without baptism" but that she was "disgusted with the whites," and she would "not see any of them in her court with the missionaries."
She sought once again to expand the kingdom into Portuguese domains in 1706, and it was probably for this reason that she had ambassadors in the court of Kongo's King Pedro IV that year. But her attempts to do this were thwarted, as Portuguese forces were too strong and she abandoned the attempt. Nevertheless, a state of constant low level conflcit between her army and the Portuguese at Ambaca
Ambaca
Ambaca is a town and municipality in Cuanza Norte Province in Angola....
and Cahenda led to the virtual depopulation of the country to the west of Matamba, as the people either fled or were captured and deported to the Americas. Those captured by the Portuguese tended to be sent to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, those captured by Verónica were often sold to Vili merchants, based in the Kingdom of Loango
Kingdom of Loango
The Kingdom of Loango, also known as the Kingdom of Lwããgu, was a pre-colonial African state from approximately the 15th to the 19th century in what is now the Republic of Congo. At its height in the seventeenth century the country stretched from Cape St Catherine in the north to almost the mouth...
to the north, and subsequently sold to English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Dutch, or French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
merchants who frequented that coast.
Verónica continued her attempts to expand Matamba's control over the territories that it claimed in the early seventeenth century. She died in 1721 and was succeeded by her son, Afonso I.
See also
- Matamba
- List of Rulers of Matamba
- History of AngolaHistory of AngolaAngola is a country in southwestern Africa. Its name derives from the Kimbundu word for king, 'N'gola'. It was first settled by Bushmen hunter-gatherer societies before the northern domains came under the rule of Bantu states such as Kongo and Ndongo. From the 15th century Portuguese colonists...