African History-Queen Amanirenas of the Kingdom of Kush. 👸🏾

Were you taught about her in your history class?

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Here is some beautiful African history worth sharing.

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How much do you know about Queen Amanirenas -The 2nd Kandake of Kush (Present-day Sudan)?

Were you taught about her Power, Leadership, and military might?

Queen Amanirenas, also known as "Kandake," was the Queen of the ancient African Kingdom of Kush/Nubia (present-day Sudan)

She ascended the throne, after the death of her husband, becoming one of the most

well-known and respected female rulers of the ancient world (from 40 B.C. to 10 B.C)

Queen Amanirenas is often known as the Queen with one eye because she lost an eye in a fierce battle against the Romans.

She was known as the “Conqueror of the Romans” for good reason.

Image courtesy : https://narratively.com/the-one-eyed-african-queen-who-defeated-the-roman-empire/

The Nubians (present-day Sudan, also known as Kushites) were known to be renowned archers, hunters, and great warriors

Queen Amanirenas embodied all these qualities and she was known as the “Conqueror of the Romans" due to her fierce military strategy and numerous successes in battles against the Romans where she had lions and elephants at her command.

After Emperor Caesar Augustus of Rome had invaded and occupied Egypt, he began to expand further south into the Kingdom of Kush, ignoring the age-old boundaries between Egypt and Kush. He invaded resource-rich Kush, exploiting their resources and taking Kushites captive.

He also began to levy taxes against the inhabitants of Kush!

The Kushites were not having it and responded with a military expedition in order to drive the Romans back into Egypt. The conflict led to a war that lasted for 5 years

As the war raged on, King Teriteqas of Kush and his eldest son Kharapkael were killed within the first year of the fighting. This left Queen Kandake Amanirenas (his wife) in charge of the battle.

Despite her grief, Queen Amanirenas moved swiftly and very strategically. She knew that Kush was much smaller than the Roman Empire, and had a smaller army.

She quickly organized an army of 30,000 soldiers led by herself and her only surviving son Akinidad. Rather than wait for an attack, she decided to assume an offensive position and take the battle directly to the Romans.

She did this by leading a surprise attack against the Romans with herself at the forefront and behind her, an army of about 30,000 Nubian soldiers, armed with swords, bows, and arrows, to fight the Romans in Egypt.

The Kushite army succeeded in pushing the Romans to retreat back North into Egyptian territory. They then marched into Roman cities, toppled temples, tearing down statues of Caesar.

Queen Amanirenas's surprise attack was highly successful and she captured three major Roman cities. Caesar Augustus was extremely angered by this and Rome retaliated by invading Kush and causing destruction.

But the war was not over yet…

Amanirenas led swift and repeated counterattacks using terrifying military tactics such as war-trained Lions and Elephants. As the battle raged on, she lost one eye in the process and also lost her last surviving son Akinidad

After five years of battle, a peace treaty that was highly favorable to the Nubians/Kushites was signed.

Emperor Caesar Augustus agreed to recall his army, and give the Nubians/Kushites back their land. Negotiations led by Queen Amnirenas caused Caesar to agree to reestablish and honor the traditional boundary between Egypt and Kush.

In addition, he rescinded the tax against the Kushites and acknowledged their sovereignty.

These terms were recorded in the Treaty of Samos, an agreement that remained in effect until the Kushite kingdom fell about 300 years later.

What a victory! What a great cost!

Queen Amanirenas never remarried.

After the Roman War, she dedicated herself to rebuilding her kingdom and making life better for her people. She was revered among her people for her legacy of bravery, strength, and selfless leadership.

She remains an inspiration and symbol of hope.

Queen Amanirenas died in 10 B.C.

Her pyramid is located next to that of her husband Teriteqas in the royal cemetery outside of Napata, near Mt. Gebel Barkal.

Note: The Great Kandakes:

The Queens of Kush were often referred to as “Kandake”, meaning “ Great woman”, “Queen Mother” or “Royal Woman”

“Kandake” was later translated into Latin as “Candace”.

These "Kandakes" or Candace appear in ancient Holy texts. In Acts: 8:27 of the Bible, there is a reference to a “Kandake” or Candace.

One prominent Ethiopian Kandake was Queen Makeda who is also known as The Queen of Saba or Sheba, she was the one who stole Kings Solomon's heart with her Strenght, leadership, wealth, and influence

Interesting Fact:

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