Compare And Contrast Elizabeth I And Nzingha Of Ndongo

Many of the world’s greatest rulers have been women. Queen Nzingha of Ndongo and Queen Elizabeth I of England were two strong leaders who transformed their countries with new policies and ruling techniques. Under the influential rule of their queen, both England and Ndongo became peaceful and prosperous nations.

Elizabeth I, from Greenwich, England, is recognized as one of the great rulers of the Western world. Growing up, tutors were astonished at the fact that she could play music and speak numerous languages. At age 25, she became queen. Her father, eldest sister, and brother had all died, which left her next in line for the throne. Though many people predicted that her reign would not last long, Elizabeth quickly disproved their underestimations

and became a successful queen. Ever “calm and calculating” (Krull 27), Elizabeth kept her power by hiring skillful men as her advisors and putting a limit on government expenses. Her actions improved the lives of the English, and soon everyone admired the outrageous but amiable Queen Elizabeth. She was merciless when it came to punishing the guilty; she once executed her cousin for plotting to assassinate her. However, the queen was always kind with her subjects and “could make each person think she was addressing him or her alone” (Krull 30) in a crowd. Unlike England’s previous rulers who insisted that the entire nation be one religion, Queen Elizabeth I was religiously tolerant, which helped to eliminate religious conflict throughout England. England grew from a weak, unstable nation to a wealthy force in Europe.
Under Elizabeth’s rule, writers and artists thrived and England’s navy became more powerful than ever.

After she rejected a Spanish king’s marriage proposal, he sent 130 warships in retaliation. Elizabeth famously destroyed them all, which led to England’s emergence as a dominant naval power. Always dancing, Queen Elizabeth I viewed “the literary life...as a worthy endeavor” (Krull 31) and strongly supported the works of scholars. Her original poetry and speeches, as well as her love of music and drama, encouraged cultural growth throughout England. She inspired countless people to pursue art and literature, and many later women writers credit Elizabeth for their

inspiration.
Queen Nzingha of Ndongo became queen—or king, as she preferred to be called—at the age of 42. She wanted to be called king so that people would see her as a powerful man instead of a weak woman. She seized the throne after the deaths of her brother and nephew and immediately took action. Her main goal as ruler was to regain the country’s independence from the greedy Portuguese. Brutal yet tactful, she became known as her “invaders’ worst nightmare” (Krull 33) and thought up brilliant military tactics to enhance her army. She built an army with freed slaves who promised to be soldiers, and she even allied herself with Europeans to increase her strength. One of her resourceful plans was to have her troops pretend to be captured by the Portuguese. They were cleverly ordered to steal the enemies’ firearms and return them to her. She also adopted cannibalism to gain the respect of her implacable opponents. Despite the hatred that she received from her people regarding her race, gender, and age, Nzingha remained strong and proved to be a persevering, shrewd ruler.
Nzingha brought peace to her nation by negotiating a peace treaty with the Portuguese and fighting courageously in battle. At the conference, the men thought they could intimidate Nzingha and left no chairs for her. Unrelenting, Nzingha ignored the insult and used one of her attendants as a chair, and “with this one elegant gesture showed who was in charge” (Krull 34). Confused, the Portuguese signed the peace treaty without further delay. Nzingha was also a ruthless leader in combat and fought fiercely in every battle. She was the cause of many victories against her enemies. However, she never hurt her prisoners and always treated them with respect.
Both Elizabeth I and Nzingha never married or had children.

Instead, they focused on devoting themselves to their countries. Queen Elizabeth I even claimed that she was married to her kingdom. They contradicted the common belief that queens needed a king to rule by their side. Without the distraction of a husband, Elizabeth and Nzingha were able to fully concentrate on bettering their kingdoms. On the other hand, Elizabeth and Nzingha dressed differently. To assert her power, Nzingha dressed in animal skins and other men’s clothes. She wanted to make herself seem tougher, so she armed herself with axes, bows and arrows. In contrast, Elizabeth dressed in several layers of clothing to hide her small body. She also used white powder to cover up her bad complexion. While Nzingha focused on making herself seem powerful, Elizabeth preferred to cover up her imperfections with bulky clothing. Though the queens had contrasting ideas, both were successful and extremely devoted to the

throne.
Both intelligent and heroic rulers, Nzingha and Elizabeth I adopted political strategies that history had never seen before. Their accomplishments as rulers convinced the world that women could rule as successfully as men. Their invaluable contributions reached beyond the borders of their kingdoms and notably impacted the course of history.