Who Ruled in Year X

African women in power · year lookup

Who ruled in 1538 CE?

2 documented African women rulers in these records held office in 1538 CE.

1538 CE falls in the 16th century CE. See this era on the timeline

Contested reconstruction In office this year

Amina of Zazzau

Sarauniya of Zazzau in historical tradition

15th or 16th century Zazzau West Africa

Hausa chronicles and oral tradition remember Amina as a ruler and military leader of Zazzau, but surviving sources disagree over whether she belongs to the 15th or 16th century.
Sources
1. Ahmadu Bello University scholar — History and Folklore: Amina Sarauniyar Zazzau
2. AfricaBib — The Zazzau Tradition on Queen Amina: History or Myth?
Oral tradition In office this year

Idia

First Iyoba of Benin

early 16th century Kingdom of Benin West Africa

Edo tradition and Benin court art remember Idia as the first Iyoba, an office with major political and ritual authority; detailed episodes in her life depend substantially on oral tradition.
Sources
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Idia, First Queen Mother of Benin
2. British Museum — Commemorative head associated with Queen Mother Idia

Before 1538 CE

Documented history Office ended about 15 centuries earlier

Amanishakheto

Ruling Kandake of Kush

late 1st century BCE–early 1st century CE Kingdom of Kush Northeast Africa & the Nile Valley

A ruling Kandake attested by inscriptions and royal material from Meroë; the chronology and detailed political outline of her reign remain limited.
Sources
1. British Museum — Amanishakheto collection biography
2. UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology — Meroe and Egypt

After 1538 CE

Documented history Office began about 86 years later

Nzinga Mbande

Sovereign of Ndongo and Matamba

1624–1663 Ndongo & Matamba Central Africa

Nzinga inherited Ndongo’s throne in 1624 and later established power in Matamba, using diplomacy and warfare amid Portuguese expansion and the Atlantic slave trade.
Sources
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Ana Nzinga, Queen of Ndongo
2. UNESCO — Njinga Mbandi: Queen of Ndongo and Matamba

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