The Nzinga Mbandi (1582-1653) fled the Portuguese invaders and created her own kingdom of Matamba. She led her refugee army through twenty years of war in a sustained effort to recover Ndongo, capital of Angola and once her brother's kingdom, until the invaders sued for peace.

Queen Nzinga reconverted to Christianity and diplomatic relations with Portugal, having being restored, she ruled Matamba until her death at the age of eighty-one.