African women in power · year lookup
Who ruled in 1617 CE?
No woman ruler in these records is documented holding office in 1617 CE. The nearest are shown below.
1617 CE falls in the 17th century CE. See this era on the timeline
That gap is expected: this is a selected chronology of women who already have a sourced profile here, not a complete record of everyone who held power. The nearest documented rulers are below.
Before 1617 CE
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Contested reconstruction Office ended about 18 years earlier
Amina of Zazzau
Sarauniya of Zazzau in historical tradition
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.
After 1617 CE
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Documented history Office began about 7 years later
Nzinga Mbande
Sovereign of Ndongo and Matamba
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.