African women in power · year lookup
Who ruled in 1803 CE?
No woman ruler in these records is documented holding office in 1803 CE. The nearest are shown below.
1803 CE falls in the 19th 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 1803 CE
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Documented history Office ended about 140 years earlier
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.
After 1803 CE
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Oral tradition Office began about 13 years later
Nandi kaBhebhe
Queen mother in the Zulu kingdom
Nandi became a central royal woman and adviser after Shaka’s accession in 1816; much of her political biography survives through Zulu oral evidence recorded later.