Black History Spotlight: Ganga Zumba-The African King Who Built a Kingdom of Freedom in Brazil

By: Leon Kwasi Kuntuo-Asare

Origins

Ganga Zumba (also known as Nganga Zumba) was born around 1630, in the kingdom of Kongo. It is believed that Zumba was the son of an African warrior princess named,  Aqualtune, who is believed to have been the daughter of an unknown African king of the Kongo. In 1665, Zumba’s mom, Princess Aqualtune,  commanded a military force of about 10,000 men and women soldiers in the Battle of Mbwila, where she was defeated and captured by the Portuguese military forces. The Portuguese would kill over 5,000 men and women African warriors in the battle, and would also capture the King, his two sons, his two nephews, several hundred title holders and nobles, including four governors. The African warriors and regal elites would be sent to the Americas, for a new life of bondage and servitude.

A Life Of Slavery In Brazil

Zumba, along with his brother Zona, and his sister Sabina (who was the mother of his nephew and future successor Zumbi Dos Palmares), were enslaved at the Plantation of Santa Rita, in what is now northwest Brazil. However,  they wouldn’t stay there for too long and would soon escape to the area of Palmares.

Brazilian Maroon King

In the 1670s, Zumba formed a Maroon (Quilombo) kingdom and formed a royal compound called Macaco. Within his compound, Zumba had a large palace, multiple wives, guards for protection, and many of his most loyal subjects. There were 1,500 houses on compound grounds,  which housed family, friends, guards, and officials, all of whom were considered to be part of his royal family,  with Zumba being the king and supreme leader.

A Treaty With The Enemy

In 1678, King Zumba and a Portuguese governor of Pernambuco agreed to a treaty that required Zumba and his people to relocate to Cucaú Valley. In return, the Portuguese agreed to accept Zumba as the Supreme Leader and ruler of his people.

Renewed Conflict With The Portuguese and Royal Betrayal

By 1679, Zumba’s treaty with the Portuguese was challenged by his nephew Zumbi (the son of his sister).  Zumbi would lead an uprising against Zumba and would also lead attacks against the Portuguese due to their attempts to redistribute Maroon land in Palmares among the Portuguese colonial soldiers.

In the chaos that followed,  Zumba was poisoned.  It is believed that he was most likely poisoned by the hands of one of his relatives because of the treaty  he agreed to with the Portuguese. Some historians believe that Amaro and Joao the “Mulatto ” Gaspar are the two men who killed Zumba.

The Aftermath

Many of Zumba’s disciples who migrated to Cucaú Valley were recaptured and put back into bondage by the Portuguese.  Due to this fact, Zumba’s nephew Zumbi would continue the resistance started by his uncle.

For Additional Information Use Links Below:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganga_Zumba

https://travelnoire.com/ganga-zumba-story

https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ganga-zumba-1680