Barbara Mukambu Mbandi (died 1666) was the queen regnant of the Kingdom of

Ndongo The Kingdom of Ndongo, formerly known as Angola or Dongo, was an early-modern African state located in what is now Angola. The Kingdom of Ndongo is first recorded in the sixteenth century. It was one of multiple vassal states to Kongo, though ...

and

Matamba The Kingdom of Matamba (1631–1744) was an African state located in what is now the Baixa de Cassange region of Malanje Province of modern-day Angola. It was a powerful kingdom that long resisted Portuguese colonisation attempts and was only in ...

from 1663 to 1666. She was the sister of queen Ana I Nzinga, who united the kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba. Her sister arranged for her to marry her general João Guterres Ngola Kanini, and appointed her as her designated heir and successor. Barbara was taken captive by the Portuguese, and kept hostage during the negotiations between them and her sister. In 1656, in connection to the release of Barbara from Portuguese custody in exchange for hundreds of slaves, Nzinga signed a peace treaty with the Portuguese and re-converted to Catholicism. After the death of Nzinga, Barbara succeeded her on the throne. She and her spouse had to fight

Njinga Mona Nzinga Ana de Sousa Mbande ( – 1663) was a Southwest Africa, Southwest African ruler who served as queen of the Ambundu Kingdoms of Kingdom of Ndongo, Ndongo (1624–1663) and Kingdom of Matamba, Matamba (1631–1663), located in present-day no ...

for the throne in a civil war that did not end until their son succeeded to the throne in 1680. ;Issue: * Francisco I Guterres Ngola Kanini, king in 1680-81 *

Verónica I of Matamba Verónica Guterres Kangala Kingwanda (''Cangala Quinguanda'' in contemporary spelling; died 1721) was the ruler of the joint kingdom of Ndongo and Matamba, 1681–1721. Background Verónica was daughter to King João Guterres Ngola Kanini of the ...

, queen in 1681-1721

References

* Anthony Appiah, Henry Louis Gates,
Encyclopedia of Africa, Volym 1
' *
From Eve to Dawn: A History of Women in the World Volume II
' *
Njinga of Angola
' * Fernando Campos: Conflitos na dinastia Guterres através da sua cronologia1, África: Revista do Centro de Estudos Africanos. USP, S. Paulo, 27-28: 23-43, 2006/2007 {{DEFAULTSORT:Barbara Of Matamba 17th-century monarchs in Africa 17th-century women rulers African royalty Converts to Roman Catholicism Matamban and Ndongo monarchs Women rulers in Africa 17th century in Angola