Ancient African Queens

In Praise of Black Women is a magnificent tribute to women in Africa and the African diaspora from the ancient past to the present. Lavishly illustrated, with text written and selected by the celebrated Guadeloupian novelist Simone Schwarz-Bart, this four-volume series celebrates remarkable women who distinguished themselves in their time and shaped the course of culture and history. Volume 1: Ancient African Queens weaves together oral tradition, folk legends and stories, songs and poems, historical accounts, and travelers tales from Egypt to southern Africa, from prehistory to the nineteenth century. These women rulers, warriors, and heroines include Amanirenas, the queen of Kush who battled Roman armies and defeated them at Aswan; Daurama, mother of the seven Hausa kingdoms; Amina Kulibali, founder of the Gabu dynasty in Senegal; Ana de Sousa Nzinga, who resisted the Portuguese conquest of Angola; Beatrice Kimpa Vita, a Kongo prophet burned at the stake by Christian missionaries; Nanda, mother of the famous warrior-king Shaka Zulu; and many others. These extraordinary women's stories, narrated in the style of African oral tradition, are absorbing, informative, and accessible. The abundant illustrations, many of them rare archival images, depict the diversity among Black women and make this volume a unique treasure for every art lover, every school, and every family."

As mothers of humanity and warrior queens, African women have played an extraordinary role in the civilization of mankind. The story of 7 amazing African Queens and Dynasties tracks the unsung heroics of powerful African women throughout history. The illustrious Kandakes of Nubia ably fought off and annihilated their enemies, leaving behind a lost civilization in the desert sands of Meroe. The Rain Queens of Southern Africa and their matrilineal rule inspired Sir Rider Haggard's bestselling book The Adventures of She, in print for over 100 years. Yaa Asantewaa of the Ashanti rallied frightened men into battle, while Nzinga of Matamba waged a protracted war for 30 years in defense of her kingdom. The list goes on and on. The chosen 7 Queens and Dynasties in this first volume is a foretaste of many more revelations to come. This amazing history of Africa, largely untold traces the common thread of humanity from the unrivaled ancient civilization of the Nile Valley to the world as we know it. The women who played an indispensable role are resurrected in this fantastic book.

An amazing chronicle of the exploits of ten illustrious African Kings and Queens through the sands of time. From Khufu, the builder of the Pyramid of Giza, to Nzinga the Warrior Queen of Angola.

An unapologetically African-centered monograph that reveals physical and spiritual forms and systems of female power and leadership in African cultures. Nwando Achebe’s unparalleled study documents elite females, female principles, and female spiritual entities across the African continent, from the ancient past to the present. Achebe breaks from Western perspectives, research methods, and their consequently incomplete, skewed accounts, to demonstrate the critical importance of distinctly African source materials and world views to any comprehensible African history. This means accounting for the two realities of African cosmology: the physical world of humans and the invisible realm of spiritual gods and forces. That interconnected universe allows biological men and women to become female-gendered males and male-gendered females. This phenomenon empowers the existence of particular African beings, such as female husbands, male priestesses, female kings, and female pharaohs. Achebe portrays their combined power, influence, and authority in a sweeping, African-centric narrative that leads to an analogous consideration of contemporary African women as heads of state, government officials, religious leaders, and prominent entrepreneurs.

- Coloring Book - 8.5x11" Meet Kings and Queens from the History of Ancient Africa in this epic, educational, coloring book for kids aged 6-14. Learn about ancient civilisations and leaders in Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Algeria, Angola, Uganda, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Benin and more. Suitable for parents who want to teach their kids the African History curriculum anywhere across the globe.

Queen Moremi Ajasoro A Queen with a torch in her hand sacrificed her happiness to safe her people from the terrors of the Ugbos. Queen Moremi was the Queen of Ile Ife who hailed from Offa (city in Kwara State), she was married to the successor of Ile Ife, Oranmiyan. During that time, the Kingdom of Ile Ife was constantly being raided by a Kingdom that the people of Ile Ife considered spirits, the raiders would raid the people and after raiding would disappear deep into the forest without being seen until the day of their next raiding. This continued until Queen Moremi decided to take actions and stop the raiders from enslaving and raiding her people. Queen Abla Pokou A sacrifice must be offered to the river spirits before she and her people can cross the river, but what is she willing to offer and bear the consequences? Queen Abla Pokou was an Akan princess who originated from Kumasi in modern day Ghana. She was born into royalty as her mother was the sister to the famous co-founder and Asantehene, Osei Kofi Tutu I, after the death of Osei Kofi Tutu, Dakon who was the second brother to Queen Abla Pokou and successor to the Ashanti throne was assassinated by Opoku Ware I, he began a succession war and began assassinating anyone who seemed to be a threat to his rule.Knowing that Opoku Ware would eventually come after her and her son, in the night; she gathered her loyal supporters along with her priest and journeyed to the forest where she is faced with problems and challenges. Seh-Dong-Hong-Beh Seh-Dong-Hong-Beh was the leader of the Minos of Benin, at the early age of ten years, she began exhibiting the ability of a warrior, during a contest, she got selected to join the Minos and train as a warrior. Before she became fifteen years old, she was made the leader of the Minos where was given a special room to retire at night, Seh-Dong-Hong-Beh became known in and outside the kingdom as she would go on a quest to conquer neighboring Kingdom. This are just examples of great African warrior women, the ancient African women led most of the successful resistance against their rival Kingdoms and Colonists, they led a strategic military forces to preserve the honor and resources of their territory. Many centuries ago, these warriors played significant roles in the development of their Kingom's Political, Spiritual, Military and Economy, women like Queen Nzinga, Queen Nyabinghi, Sarraounia and many more were believed to possess spiritual powers as some were priestesses, seers, advisors and even oracles. These Queens ruled and reigned as spiritual leaders, for an instance, in Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, Queen Nyabinghi is a prominent figure in the religious aspects of their beliefs, after her assassination by her cruel husband, some months later, her husband began bedridden and was faced with severe sickness, but her people believed that it was the late Queen who tormented her husband and others who tried to take her territories. Soon a cult began in her name which the worshippers honors her daily. Although her cult was practiced in some African Kingdoms, she was still popular and during mid 18th century, the Colonists declared the worship of Non-Orthodox practices forbidden but many still worshipped her and by late 18th century, her cult had expanded and reached Jamaica where a cult was created with another name but in respect to Nyabinghi. Political & Military Roles During ancient African times, women were voluntarily selected to learn about politics while some were trained in military combats. Examples of great women were; Queen Amina and Queen Nanny of the Maroons played significant roles in ensuring the security of their territories and people.

A chronicle of ten great African monarchs; from Makeda the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba to the richest man who ever lived, Emperor Mansa Musa of Mali. This easy-read original edition narrates the journey of these magnificent monarchs through the sands of time of time, and will amaze, delight, and make the world stand up to celebrate a shared humanity without borders.

As Queen Mothers of empires, Warrior Queens, and mothers of humanity, African women have largely shaped the history and civilization of mankind. From the story of the Kandakes of Nubia who confronted and repelled the Greek and Roman Empires ( Augustus Caeser and Alexander the Great ) , to the indomitable Nzinga of Matamba's campaign against the Portuguese, these truly amazing women will put the reader in awe.