Most Powerful Queens In African History (Top 10)

In African history, a lot of queens have been termed the most powerful due to their great contribution to the well-being of the people during their reign.

However, this list has some powerful queens whose immense achievements cannot be overlooked. Some of these queens fought wars that their people were afraid of and brought victory.

Are you wondering who these Most Powerful Queens In African History are? Worry no more for this article will not only provide you with the names of these queens but also add brief and relevant information about them.

Moreover, they are more than 20 Most Powerful Queens In African History but this article is focusing on just the top 10.

The table below answers your quest.

1. Aminatu

The first on the list of the top 10 Most Powerful Queens In African History is Aminatu Mohamud. Aminatu was a princess, the daughter of Bakwa Turunku, and a legendary Hausa warrior.

She is thought to have gotten her exact and aggressive attitude from her mother. One of the original seven states of Hausaland, Zazzau, was created by her mother in the sixteenth century.

However, she was raised in a royal household and made the decision to use her military training to become one of her kingdom’s top fighters.

The princess expanded Zazzau’s borders and turned the city into a hub of trade in the West African and Saharan region with her expertise and cunning strategies.

The defensive walls of Hausaland were built with beauty and intelligence. Her leadership was remarkable since it lasted for three decades.

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2. Yaa Asantewa of the Asante Kingdom of Ghana

She was in charge of the 1990 Ashanti uprising. It was also known as the Golden Stool War or the Yaa Asantewaa War against British colonialism.

According to Wikipedia, Yaa Asantewaa I was the Queen Mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire – now part of modern-day Ghana. However, she was appointed by her brother Nana Akwasi Afrane Opese, the Edwesuhene, or ruler, of Edwesu

Yaa was born in Ghana on October 17, 1840, and she passed away on that same date in 1921. Moreover, she became influential after being chosen by her brother Nana Akwasi of the Edwesu kingdom.

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3. Makeda Queen of Sheba

The third on the list of the top 10 most powerful African queens is Makeda, the queen of Sheba.

Makeda was one of the great African queens, according to the regal epic of Ethiopia from the fourteenth century. She is thought to have beaten snake King Awre, who was causing trouble for the Kingdom of Axum in northern Ethiopia.

However, she won the conflict and afterward was crowned queen of Axum. She is one of the biblical African queens. She is well-known for her encounter with King Solomon of Jerusalem from the Bible.

Together, they produced a son who they named Menelik 1, which means son of the wise. Menelik 1 established the Aksûmite monarchs’ line and became Ethiopia’s first imperial ruler.

She and her son reportedly brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Axum. They were the ones who established the ancestry of the powerful monarchs of East Africa and Nubia.

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4. Kandake – Empress of Ethiopia

Among the Most Powerful Queens In African History is Kandake also known as Candace. She was regarded as having exceptional military leadership abilities, which helped her establish herself as one of the most formidable and ferocious female military tacticians.

During her leadership, she was widely recognized as one of the most dreaded generals. Historians claim that she was strategic, fearless, and unified.

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5. Nefertiti

One of the outstanding African queens is Nefertiti, the queen of ancient Egypt. The woman embodied strength, beauty, and power.

History claims that she was born in either the town of Akhmim or a polity that was a part of contemporary Syria.

She is thought to have wed Akhenaten, the Egyptian pharaoh who ruled from 1353 to 1336 B.C. Six children were born to them, including the well-known King Tutankhamun.

She and the monarch were responsible for the country of Egypt’s growth. They were also in charge of developing the Egyptian culture’s cult of Aten and fostering the nation’s literature and art.

The pair gained notoriety for publicly declaring their love, which altered the culture. The attractiveness was portrayed as a strong, commanding woman.

6. Ranavalona I of Madagascar

Following the death of Radama I the king of Madagascar, Ranavalona the wife positioned herself as queen in 1828.

She was the queen of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861, making her one of the historical African monarchs.

However, she created Madagascar as an independent state throughout her 33-year rule. It’s important to note that she vehemently opposed European colonialism.

Among the things she did during her reign are:

1. Pursuing a policy of isolationism and self-sufficiency
2. Educing economic and political ties with European powers, repelling a French attack on the coastal town of Foulpointe
3. Taking vigorous measures to eradicate the small but growing Malagasy Christian movement initiated under Radama I by members of the London Missionary Society.

Also, she defended the nation’s political and cultural autonomy as a consequence. However, she was a leader who showed loyalty to her country.

7. Moremi of Ile-Ife Nigeria

The list of the top 10 Most Powerful Queens In African History will not be complete without mentioning Moremi Ajasoro of Ile-Ife, Oshun State, Nigeria

she is another notable African leader that should not be left out on this list. However, she was a brave woman who is thought to have helped free the Yoruba people from oppression.

Ajasoro was the brave and beautiful Queen of Ile Ife who saved her people from the forest raiders who troubled the town’s peace.

Saving her people made Moremi a Yoruba heroine. Ever since her demise, her statues have been in Ile-Ife as a memorial of her votive sacrifice to save her people from destruction

8. Cleopatra of Egypt

One of the historical African queens of ancient Egypt is Queen Cleopatra. Her entire life served as an inspiration for many historians and storytellers, to the point where William Shakespeare based his renowned play Antony and Cleopatra on her life.

She was born into the royal family in Egypt around 69 B.C. She and her brother took the throne following the death of their father, King Ptolemy XII.

When she ascended to power, the beauty was only 18 years old. Her bond with her brother, however, deteriorated.

Then, with the aid of Rome’s Julius Caesar, she assembled an army and deposed her brother. It is thought that the two conceived a child together. After Caesar was slain, she met Marc Antony.

Many storytellers are inspired by the two’s love relationship. In 30 B.C., she was bitten by an Egyptian cobra and later passed away.

All these many contributions made her one of the Most Powerful Queens In African History.

9. Nandi of Zulu Kingdom

She is the mother of Shaka Zulu, one of the foremost monarchs of the Zulu nation, and one of the legendary African queens.

The Zulu empire had a significant impact on Southern Africa. When it came time to run the kingdom, she was respectful and confident.

According to historians, she is thought to have gotten pregnant unmarried and given birth to Shaka Zulu. She endured much humiliation but persisted in rearing her son, who was also King Senzangakhona’s son.

However, she had a significant impact on how the kingdom was administered, particularly when there was political unrest.

Moreover, she helped the king expand the kingdom’s boundaries over a 12-year period. The Zulu people had a protracted mourning period following her passing as a method of paying their respects.

10. Muhumuza

Rounding off the list of Most Powerful Queens In African History is Muhumuza who was the wife of King Kigeki IV of Rwanda. Her son was prevented from taking the kingdom after her husband passed away in 1895.

She fled to Uganda during the insurrection against the authorities. But from 1908 until her death in 1945, she was kidnapped and imprisoned by the colonial powers.

The queen gained notoriety for resolutely opposing the colonial authorities and educating Rwandese women about their rights.

Conclusion

In conclusion, no one has the right to proclaim any of these queens the Most Powerful Queens In African History. This is because all of them had a lot of contributions they made which is of great impact on their people.

However, many of these queens’ legacies still exist due to the number of risks they took for their people to be okay.

Below is a brief summary of the top 10 Most Powerful Queens In African History.

1. Aminatu
2. Yaa Asantewa
3. Makeda
4. Kandake
5. Nefertiti
6. Ranavalona
7. Moremi
8. Cleopatra
9. Nandi
10. Muhumuza