(By Solomon Mahoi, [Pseudonym, "Abck Obba"])
MARCH 1, 2024
Africa's rich royal history remained to be told as it is one whose accounts of warrior princesses and queens continues to awaken consciousness within the minds of Africans and billions non-Africans within and outside Africa, of the natural female rulership that exists in all women, of their natural intuition and fierceness that makes women a force to be reckoned with, reminding us that many times upon several centuries in ancient Africa, women had been warriors for their people or clans, and of course, visionaries as well as queens of their city-states.
From the Ptolemaic Empire which came about as a result of the successes of Alexander the Great's military conquests from Greece to Persia to Africa, Egypt, the historic Athens of Africa, has had centuries of kingships and queenships combined, including counting Cleopatra's days as queen of Egypt and when also adding the reigns of the Pharaoh Dynasties.
Throughout history as I have particularly observed, Cleopatra's name continues to reign supreme not only for what her physical beauty was like but also for being business-savvy that caused the continuity of trade relationships between Egypt and Rome.
Cleopatra's name also continues to reign supreme because of the love triangle she shared with Julius Caesar and at some point with Mark Antony.
She is also known for her contribution to medicine as an herbalist, and also as someone who was highly gifted in feminine cosmetics.
Nafertiti, however, is not known by many except perhaps for those who have lived and studied in the west. But her legendries were quite as influential as Cleopatra's, when taking into account that during her reign saw Egypt at its wealthiest in ancient Egyptian history, co-ruling with her husband Akhenaten whose later years as king was plagued with severe health issues that accounts for his death, causing Nafertiti to fully ascend the throne after years of being her husband's confidant, giving out valuable advises to him on diplomatic affairs and on affairs that are of the daily operations at the king's court.
Her name Nafertiti means "A Beautiful Woman Has Come," and she was also said to be addressed by many titles such as Hereditary Princess, Great of Praises, Sweet of Love, Lady of the Two Lands, Main King's Wife, his beloved (or Akhenaten's beloved), Lady of all Women, and Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Her beauty was one marked by her compact facial bone structures, and she was known to always create her makeup from Galena plant.
She reigned for only 12 years, and she and her husband and their daughters lived at the palace of Malkata.
She was a great royal wife, marrying to her husband Akhenaten at the age of fifteen, and years into their marriage and reign they both changed their names in honouring of their god, Aten.
Nafertiti's name was changed to Naferneferuaten-Nafertiti, and the name Akhenaten that her husband the king was known as, was previously Amenhotep IV, which means he changed his name from Amenhotep IV to Akhenaten.
Further accounts detailed that she was born in 1370 BC and died in 1330 BC, and that during he reign she worshipped only one god, Aten (or the sun disc), a practice which at some point caused somewhat of a religious revolution on the polytheistic worships that the Egyptian civilization at the time was engaged in.
Nafertiti and Cleopatra surely did Egypt great good, but is also important to add that there were other African Queens that were also of great influence to their city-states. One of them was Queen Hatshepsut who was the wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II and was also the fifth Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt.
There was also Yaa Asantewaa who was Queen Mother of Ejisu in Ashanti Empire which is now part of modern-day Ghana. And of course there was also Queen Makeda of Sheba (commonly known as Queen of Sheba), and then Queen Nzinga Mbande of the Mbundu people of what is present-day Angola.
The list furthers on to include Queen Nandi of the Zulu tribe, who by the way was Shaka Zulu's mother.
The list also include Queen Candace (or the Empress of Ethiopia), Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar, Queen Muhumuza of Rwanda, Queen Amina (or Queen Aminatu) of the Hausa former city-state of Zazzau that is now know to be in the north-west region of Nigeria.
There was also Queen Moremi Ajasoro of Ile-Ife in part of what is modern-day Nigeria.
Africa indeed has come a long way, and kingships as well as queenships were our way of life. And even though the African kingships and queenships has gradually faded except for Morocco and perhaps lingering replicas but at the provincial aspects of local governments, yet as rich as the African ancient royal history is, we must certainly continue to endeavour that some of these centerpieces of African history are passed down generation to generation so that those who may come after us would get to know this part of their African heritage.
~ Credit goes to www.tripsinegypt.com/queen-nefertiti/#section9 for the following:
Timeline on birth and death of Nafertiti
Nafertiti's and Akhenaten reign
Titles that Queen Nafertiti was also addressed by