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The wheel of history turns once more
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00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,240
in the Kingdom of Ndongo.
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Njinga's brother is dead.
4
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Her ties to Kasa, the Imbangala warrior,
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have been shattered,
their marriage annulled.
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Njinga!
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The consequence of taking
a young, future king's life
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on the day of their wedding.
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A necessary deed,
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to take power
and continue her ultimate plan...
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to drive the Portuguese out of Ndongo,
once and for all.
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All debts are paid.
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You are queen now.
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All hail Queen Njinga!
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Njinga!
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Njinga! Njinga!
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Njinga! Njinga!
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The market looks different today.
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These aren't just
our usual traders, sister.
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Now at the age of 42,
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{\an8}Njinga is Queen.
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{\an8}She is ruler of all the land.
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{\an8}She is finally in charge
of the fate of her kingdom, Ndongo.
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In the Kingdom of Ndongo,
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from the safety of her military base
in the Kindonga Islands,
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{\an8}Njinga is ruling with her sisters,
Kambu and Funji, by her side.
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Many of these people have come
in response to your call.
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Our spies say
that entire villages have responded,
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emptying out
their most able-bodied to you.
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Njinga is trying to grow her army
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by reaching out to people and saying,
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"Let me be your queen."
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{\an8}The presentation of herself
as a defiant ruler
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{\an8}was very appealing to people,
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especially those who felt like
Portuguese enslavement, violence,
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was really undermining
their communities at this time.
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{\an8}She's creating sanctuary
for people, not only hers,
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{\an8}but people of other tribes.
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Who are they?
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They arrived this morning.
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On their own?
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Their families were slaughtered.
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Portuguese raided their village.
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Those they didn't kill,
they took with them to Luanda.
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They hid in the bushes for three days.
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You're safe now.
47
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A bloody death...
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is too good for Governor Sousa.
49
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We still don't have enough bodies
to crush Sousa.
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- He's relentless.
- Yes.
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Thank you, Funji. I know what he is like.
You do not need to remind me.
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I was just saying he has men who are...
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Human.
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Not gods.
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Though we may be small in number,
we can still hurt them.
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How?
57
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These people are mostly farmers,
fishermen, not soldiers.
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Then surrender
if you have given up, Funji.
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Njinga, be reasonable.
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Reasonable nothing.
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You may see civilians
and downtrodden people.
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I see a homegrown army,
ready to defend their land.
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Do not underestimate
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what someone fighting for their family
is capable of.
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Especially when they have
nothing left to lose.
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Don't take her frustration to heart.
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She is speaking as the King...
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with the weight of her people
on her shoulders,
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not as our sister.
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I know.
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She does not believe
that Portuguese slavery is okay,
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that her people can be taken captive.
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So she will use and deploy
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every single means she has.
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One of the things that Njinga realizes,
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I think very savvily, is that
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she needs the people
to contest what the Portuguese are doing.
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She sends out her messengers
to various provinces within Ndongo,
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and she encourages people to rebel,
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to join her against the Portuguese.
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Enslaved people on Portuguese plantations
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ran away en masse.
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Enslaved soldiers,
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part of the Portuguese
military presence there escape.
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00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,800
And in a move indicative
of her tactical brilliance,
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Njinga blocks roads,
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and this disrupts markets
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in which Portuguese settlers
would buy slaves.
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Destroying these networks
stops the Portuguese
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being able to march the enslaved
to Luanda, the Portuguese base,
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00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,280
where captives are either
siphoned into coastal plantations,
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become slave soldiers,
or are sent out of Africa
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and into the transatlantic slave trade.
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00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,400
Back in Luanda,
the new governor Fernão de Sousa
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00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,480
is seething
at the catastrophic loss of profits.
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The new governor is seeing
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not only his army shrinking,
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but his access
to the slave trade dwindling
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with the activities of Njinga.
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The Portuguese are furious.
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This disruption really puts Njinga
on their radar.
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He doesn't look pleased, sister.
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Good.
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If he's angry, he's not in control.
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Mm.
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Although the Portuguese
have a superior military,
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they still feel like
it would be best to negotiate
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rather than go with force every time
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because force will eventually
deplete them.
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Illustrious envoy
of his Excellency, Governor de Sousa.
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You are most welcome.
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I bring a message.
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I bring an order from the Governor.
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Return his property immediately.
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Property? What property?
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Slaves.
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Portugal's slaves...
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you know very well
what property I'm referring to,
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since you and your... your...
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Go on.
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Since you and your...
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soldiers...
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have disrupted every slave market
from here to Luanda.
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You have taken property
that does not belong to you.
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Those slaves belong to the Governor.
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Please...
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tell the Governor I will be happy
to return his property, his...
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...slaves.
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Well, good.
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I, I shall return at once and tell--
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Only problem is...
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I don't have any.
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What?
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I don't have any slaves.
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What do you mean
you don't have any slaves?
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- You can't have sold...
- I never had...
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any slaves.
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Look around.
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{\an8}Do you see any slaves here?
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If you see any,
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tell me.
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And I will gladly return them
to the Governor.
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Go on!
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Do you see any slaves here?
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Tell the Governor
there are no slaves here...
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in my kingdom.
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Kindly escort our guests
to the road safely.
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It's almost dark.
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We wouldn't want you getting lost.
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Becoming somebody else's property.
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Would we?
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We both know
that the Governor will not be pleased.
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So be it.
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This is the first time in decades
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in which Ndongo has the upper hand
against the Portuguese,
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in which Ndongo is a force
to be reckoned with.
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The Portuguese were terrified.
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It's detrimental
to the Portuguese Empire as a whole.
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It's not only about
their conquest of Ndongo.
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It's really about
their colonial possessions in Brazil,
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which at this time,
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is one of the wealthiest colonies
in the world.
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And they need enslaved laborers
to grow sugar, white gold,
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one of the most lucrative commodities
that existed in the 17th century.
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But now, in what could really be
a huge blow for Portuguese slave traders,
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Njinga is not just winning over
enslaved people,
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she's also bringing
the noble class called sobas, on side.
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The Portuguese use political violence
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in order to create alliances
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and to make people afraid to cross them.
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They relied on sobas, African allies,
to deliver enslaved people
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and because of Njinga's resistance
to Portuguese rule,
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sobas were increasingly denying
that tribute to the Portuguese.
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We do not have any tributes.
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The Soba continue to flock
to Njinga in droves.
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At this rate,
we won't have any slaves to speak of.
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By rights...
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that savage...
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should be in the bowels
of a slave ship on her way to Salvador
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along with her miserable compatriots,
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that thieving whore!
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Njinga has no idea what's coming for her.
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We will unleash the wrath of Portugal
on that pagan female
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until she has nowhere left to hide
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on this miserable,
godforsaken corner of the earth!
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Whatever it takes.
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Njinga is such a danger
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to the prospect of the Portuguese
in the region
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that they decided
to get rid, right, of the problem
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that Njinga was, once and for all.
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She's basically public enemy number one.
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This is the moment
that Governor Fernão de Sousa
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00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:50,240
gains authorization
from the Catholic Church
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to launch
this "just holy war" against her.
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Gentlemen, the forest is full of savages.
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Our prize is near.
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00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:12,360
I want you coming in from the west...
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and the rest of you,
following me from behind.
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00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:18,560
Today we take our prize, boys.
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00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,600
The Portuguese begin a bloody
military campaign against Njinga.
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00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,600
Over a period of two months,
they eat into her territory
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and eventually surround her stronghold
in the Kindonga Islands.
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They're overpowering us.
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Retreat!
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00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,480
Fall back to the bushes now!
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00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:18,440
The Portuguese are relentless.
207
00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:21,360
She thinks she can outwait them
but she really can't.
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00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,920
The Portuguese firepower is
too much for Njinga.
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00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:32,600
She loses many of her warriors.
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00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,720
The threat for Njinga
and her people is annihilation,
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00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:40,480
you know, complete destruction.
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00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:59,520
From a jungle hideout
in the Kindonga Islands,
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00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:02,600
Njinga knows the odds of winning
are stacked against her.
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00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:07,200
She must decide whether to stay and fight
or retreat and rebuild.
215
00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:10,680
De Sousa has increased his armies.
216
00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:12,240
There's even talk of a reward for...
217
00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:14,160
Baskets of hands,
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00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,960
noses, and heads of my subjects.
219
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And for you too, my Queen.
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00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:26,040
This response of this magnitude
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00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:28,600
means that you are a formidable adversary.
222
00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:31,840
Their actions are speaking louder
than their words.
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00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:33,800
And what are they saying?
224
00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,080
That they're bloodthirsty,
225
00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:41,840
greedy, cruel murderers?
226
00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,480
They are saying that you are Queen.
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00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,360
Legitimate, powerful, loved.
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Too dangerous to live.
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00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:53,960
Isn't that what you wanted?
230
00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,120
For them to know
and acknowledge who you are?
231
00:16:58,520 --> 00:16:59,840
Well...
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00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:01,520
you have your wish.
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00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:02,720
What I have...
234
00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:06,280
is an army that is sick,
235
00:17:07,120 --> 00:17:09,119
depleted, and exhausted.
236
00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,359
I know they will be loyal to the end.
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00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:17,359
But not like this.
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00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,640
Not when the Portuguese
can sniff our weakness.
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00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,760
What do the ancestors say? Hmm?
240
00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:28,960
They can't have brought us
this far to fail.
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00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:39,480
We know from historical records,
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she needs to retreat,
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00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,560
{\an8}but she can't do that without losing face.
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00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,760
{\an8}So she decides to consult the ancestors
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00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:48,560
and in particular, her dead brother.
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00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:51,480
Ngola Mbande.
247
00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:54,000
You see more than we do.
248
00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:56,800
Further than we can.
249
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Guide us.
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00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:06,400
What does it say?
251
00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:08,480
Shh. Patience.
252
00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,200
Your brother says you have to be alive
to fight, my daughter.
253
00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:28,160
They say, "Live first,
and fight another day."
254
00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:40,800
We can't stay here.
255
00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:44,600
If more soldiers are coming,
256
00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:46,520
and the ancestors have agreed...
257
00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:49,200
that we should retreat...
258
00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:53,560
then we need to leave tonight.
259
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,000
Under the cover of dark,
it's too dangerous to wait.
260
00:18:58,840 --> 00:18:59,920
Wake them.
261
00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,040
The ancestors have spoken.
262
00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,200
Njinga uses her spirituality strategically
263
00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,560
to demonstrate to the people of Ndongo
known as Mbundu people
264
00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:12,600
that ancestral knowledge and power
265
00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,920
is informing her political
and strategic decisions.
266
00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:30,480
Njinga and her entourage
flee and go on the run.
267
00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:33,480
She makes the really difficult decision
268
00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:37,080
to leave her beloved sisters behind
in the Kindongo Islands
269
00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,800
{\an8}at the war camp for their own safety.
270
00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,760
At this point, the Portuguese
are taking over large parts
271
00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:47,840
of Njinga's kingdom, Ndongo.
272
00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:51,040
In order to protect her people,
273
00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:53,200
she has to turn to diplomacy.
274
00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:57,680
Who does this savage think he is?
275
00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,240
In 1626, Njinga sends her Mwene Lumbo,
276
00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,280
the highest official
and highest diplomat to the Portuguese,
277
00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,280
to try and affect a peace.
278
00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:13,640
I thank you for the honor
of granting this audience.
279
00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,920
With your permission,
permit me to introduce myself.
280
00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:18,920
I am the Mwene Lumbo,
281
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,560
special envoy
of her most excellent majesty,
282
00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:24,640
Queen Njinga of Ndongo.
283
00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:27,200
She sends her highest official
284
00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,480
because this is an act of respect for her.
285
00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:31,720
It's something that she hopes
will bring the Portuguese
286
00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:33,480
to the negotiation table.
287
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,840
Queen Njinga sends her warmest salutations
288
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:38,040
to your Excellency.
289
00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:40,320
She has instructed me to note
290
00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,160
that she will reopen access to markets...
291
00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,120
in return
for her rightful recognition as Queen.
292
00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:50,040
We offer these tributes...
293
00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,720
as a sign of goodwill from my queen.
294
00:20:58,120 --> 00:20:59,840
With the promise of more,
295
00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:03,200
should we reach
a mutually agreeable solution.
296
00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,280
Please show our guest...
297
00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:26,960
what a mutually agreeable solution
looks like.
298
00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:56,840
They imprison the Mwene Lumbo
299
00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,360
and later execute him
in a public beheading.
300
00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:02,960
But the Portuguese were not done yet.
301
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,160
The Portuguese will do anything
302
00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:08,960
to ensure that she's not able
to carry on with her mission.
303
00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,440
So they have to find what weakness
304
00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:16,280
could erode Njinga's power from within.
305
00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:22,360
My Queen.
306
00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:26,400
Speak! What happened?
307
00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,160
The Portuguese destroyed Kilombo.
308
00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,280
Many have lost their lives.
309
00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:34,640
Funji, Kambu...
310
00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:37,520
My sisters. What about my sisters?
311
00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:40,240
They took them.
312
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:47,280
They what?
313
00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:04,320
No.
314
00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,000
No, no, please.
315
00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,320
My ancestors, please.
316
00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:13,480
No.
317
00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:15,760
Please, no.
318
00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,880
Her sisters are captured
and taken prisoner
319
00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:20,200
by the Portuguese,
320
00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:21,680
as a bargaining chip.
321
00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,640
Her sisters, these are two
of the closest relationships in her life.
322
00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:29,520
It's really terrifying.
323
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:32,480
They are taken by the Portuguese,
324
00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:35,480
who have shown
nothing but violent disregard
325
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:37,880
for many Ndongo leaders in the past.
326
00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:41,280
Enough.
327
00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:43,640
Get up, Njinga.
328
00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,120
Your ancestors need you on your feet.
329
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:52,600
Yes.
330
00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:53,640
That's it.
331
00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:55,440
She's devastated,
332
00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,800
and she has to think about what to do
333
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:03,600
and also, she must be aware
of what will be asked of her
334
00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:05,520
to get her sisters back.
335
00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:12,080
We make camp here tonight.
336
00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:17,160
Tomorrow, we leave for the Imbangala.
337
00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:18,440
We are returning to Kasa?
338
00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,600
No, Kasa's a boy.
I'm going to Chief Kasanje.
339
00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:24,600
My queen, is that wise?
340
00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:27,040
- Kasanje is--
- He is not a man to be played with.
341
00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:28,520
I have no choice.
342
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,160
He's the only man...
343
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:33,560
who can give me what I need...
344
00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:35,880
to fight the Portuguese.
345
00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,120
Are you willing to pay the price?
346
00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:43,560
Yes.
347
00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:49,480
You do not send a goat to fight a lion.
348
00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:52,680
I want my sisters back.
349
00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,520
I want the Portuguese off my land.
350
00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:58,400
Every last one of them, gone!
351
00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:02,680
Njinga is weakened after
352
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:04,480
her forces are depleted.
353
00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:07,400
She needs to rebuild her power base.
354
00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:09,400
She needs men, she needs an army,
355
00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,880
and she wants someone who can help
356
00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:16,000
to make sure that the Portuguese
are no longer able to take another life
357
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:17,560
or another member of her family.
358
00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,960
So with her back against the wall,
she decides to take quite a drastic step,
359
00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,880
trying to become ally
with the Imbangala Captain Kasanje.
360
00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:36,480
Kasanje is the most powerful leader
of the Imbangala people.
361
00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:40,760
Kasanje's power reaches far beyond that
of any other Imbangala ruler.
362
00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:44,000
He has an enormous power base
of 80,000 troops
363
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:46,840
that Njinga knows she can tap into.
364
00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:52,280
He is reputed to be incredibly violent,
cannibalistic, and dangerous.
365
00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:58,560
He's also a longtime enemy
who attacked Ndongo seven years earlier.
366
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,560
At this point, Kasanje's Imbangala
367
00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,960
have ambitions
to abandon their nomadic lifestyle
368
00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:21,480
to become a more settled group.
369
00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:24,120
They both have something the other wants.
370
00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:26,440
He has the fierce army she needs,
371
00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,080
and Njinga knows
how to build him a kingdom.
372
00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:32,720
It's her last resort.
373
00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:36,040
If she can get an alliance,
she could consolidate power,
374
00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:39,120
so that she becomes
the greatest threat in the region.
375
00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:41,400
You are your mother's daughter.
376
00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:43,400
Meaning?
377
00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:46,880
Do you think that was an easy task,
378
00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:49,120
being with a powerful man
like your father?
379
00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:52,160
More powerful than this one here.
380
00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:57,560
Call on her.
381
00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:02,720
It is your mother's spirit that you need
to be working with now, not your father's.
382
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,320
He may be a proud,
383
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:09,840
battle-hardened Imbangala...
384
00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:12,600
but he is a man first.
385
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:13,760
Mm-hm.
386
00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,440
So I will not meet him as a female king.
387
00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:20,640
But as a queen.
388
00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:25,600
Because I'm also a woman first.
389
00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:30,480
For now.
390
00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,240
I have come...
391
00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:45,840
to seek refuge...
392
00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:48,400
and an alliance...
393
00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:52,840
with the only man in this kingdom
394
00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,720
who is truly capable
395
00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:57,480
of defeating the Portuguese.
396
00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:00,480
The great Njinga...
397
00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,080
seeks my protection from the Portuguese.
398
00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,800
And in return,
I shall fight loyally alongside you.
399
00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:12,120
With what?
400
00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:14,680
With...
401
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:16,520
heart.
402
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,680
And whatever resources
403
00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:25,840
the great Chief Kasanje
is willing to give me.
404
00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,360
I have fought many times
alongside the Imbangala.
405
00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:35,640
I never disappoint.
406
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:38,600
You speak well.
407
00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,600
- Thank you.
- But your words...
408
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:44,240
are not enough to get into this camp.
409
00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:46,960
What will it take?
410
00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:55,720
I have two conditions.
411
00:29:57,400 --> 00:29:58,720
First, you'll become my wife.
412
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,200
I'm the Lord of this Kilombo.
413
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,600
And there's only room
for one lord, not two.
414
00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:09,720
You'll not do to me what you did to Kasa.
415
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:14,520
And second?
416
00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:17,840
Get rid of that.
417
00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:21,160
I don't want to see it in your hand.
418
00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,720
Your symbols of authority
have no weight here.
419
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,200
Njinga has ritual objects,
420
00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:31,800
like many kings in Africa.
421
00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,520
I have a royal necklace.
422
00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:36,280
I have a royal scepter.
423
00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:40,480
Njinga has her belt, the lunga,
424
00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,200
which represent her power
425
00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:44,720
as being the female king.
426
00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:49,320
Throw it away.
427
00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,560
She knows that to strengthen her ranks
428
00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:07,520
and get her sisters back,
429
00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:09,880
she has to make certain sacrifices.
430
00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,920
One of the strategies
that she employs throughout her life
431
00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:29,760
is she will acculturate,
432
00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:34,840
take on aspects of cultures foreign to her
in order to get what she wants.
433
00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:36,520
And I think that's something
that's very unique
434
00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:37,920
about Njinga as a leader.
435
00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:40,760
You said you wanted to fight,
436
00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,160
to lead a contingent of my men.
437
00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:48,480
Well, you can't do that without the title.
438
00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,840
So I've decided
to appoint you Queen Njinga.
439
00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:57,360
Master of Arms and Great Warrior.
440
00:31:58,680 --> 00:31:59,720
But...
441
00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:02,360
But what?
442
00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:07,480
- More conditions?
- You know me very well.
443
00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:10,200
We'll make a formidable couple.
444
00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:12,240
What do you want from me, Kasanje?
445
00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:13,280
Not just me.
446
00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:15,640
We!
447
00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:27,960
You must take the Blood Oath.
448
00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:32,520
Prove you're truly one of us.
449
00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:37,640
Do it now and everything I promised you
is immediately yours.
450
00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:54,440
She has to prove herself
451
00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:58,360
as determined
to become sincerely Imbangala.
452
00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:03,920
She has to go through
a set of ritual procedures.
453
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:10,440
She has to consume
the blood of a human person.
454
00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:19,960
That moment in the biography of Njinga
455
00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,920
is the most debated
in the historical records
456
00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,040
and in the mythology of Njinga.
457
00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:33,640
To what extent did she become
an Imbangala cannibal?
458
00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:36,800
Did she consume human flesh?
459
00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:39,720
Did she perform human sacrifices?
460
00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:45,600
The Portuguese sources,
461
00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:51,200
{\an8}they demonize the Imbangala
as barbaric cannibals.
462
00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:53,160
And the Portuguese
463
00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:58,720
used this defamation campaign
to discredit Njinga.
464
00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:00,280
In my opinion,
465
00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:03,960
there were no hearts
being eaten by anyone.
466
00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,320
Njinga didn't eat anyone's heart.
467
00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:23,000
After becoming an Imbangala Captain,
468
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,199
Njinga turns her mind
469
00:34:25,199 --> 00:34:27,679
and her energies to conquest.
470
00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:29,400
What?
471
00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:34,920
I want one more thing.
472
00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:36,480
More?
473
00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:37,600
Mm.
474
00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:41,880
A base.
475
00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:45,679
You want to talk about war right now?
476
00:34:45,679 --> 00:34:46,679
Yes.
477
00:34:49,639 --> 00:34:51,080
You already have a base.
478
00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:53,600
Right here.
479
00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:54,840
I want my own base.
480
00:34:56,440 --> 00:35:00,120
Strong enough where I can plan and build...
481
00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:04,360
and hit the Portuguese
where it hurts them the most.
482
00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:08,360
Why do I have a feeling
you already know where?
483
00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:17,520
I want Matamba as my base.
484
00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:21,200
If I help you get what you want...
485
00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:24,600
what do I get in return?
486
00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:28,920
What do you want, Kasanje?
487
00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:30,000
Hmm?
488
00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:33,960
What can I possibly give
the all-powerful Kasanje?
489
00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:35,320
I want you.
490
00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:37,400
- You already have me.
- Your loyalty.
491
00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:40,040
- You have--
- No, Njinga.
492
00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:42,560
Listen.
493
00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:48,280
You want to end the Portuguese?
494
00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:53,480
I want my own kingdom.
495
00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:56,880
A strong kingdom.
496
00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:05,680
And I want...
497
00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:07,920
To trust me?
498
00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:11,640
- That I'll be...
- Loyal.
499
00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:14,840
Always.
500
00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:19,120
Can I trust you?
501
00:36:20,720 --> 00:36:21,920
Kasanje...
502
00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,200
I'm the one lying naked in your bed.
503
00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:31,000
I have nothing to hide.
504
00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:39,520
Give me...
505
00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:42,120
thousands...
506
00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:44,640
of your strongest men.
507
00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,640
I will give you a kingdom.
508
00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:54,120
We have a deal.
509
00:36:55,720 --> 00:36:57,920
My queen of Matamba.
510
00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:17,760
The conquest of Matamba is
essential for Njinga
511
00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:20,360
strategically, politically,
and militarily.
512
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:23,960
It sits right on the border
of the Kingdom of Ndongo.
513
00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:26,040
So it's from here
that she can launch attacks
514
00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:28,640
and really harass the Portuguese.
515
00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:30,760
With Kasanje's men,
516
00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:33,640
she begins her four-year-long
conquest of Matamba.
517
00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:36,840
And it's really there
that she firmly establishes
518
00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:38,840
her new territorial base.
519
00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:50,000
Now, at the age of 53,
520
00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:52,480
Njinga is leading a combined army
521
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:56,080
of thousands of Imbangala warriors
and Mbundu soldiers.
522
00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:13,760
She storms the kingdom
and eventually, she gets to the capital,
523
00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:18,120
which is where
the Matamban Queen's quarters is located.
524
00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:48,520
No!
525
00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:51,400
We are not the Portuguese.
526
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:54,680
This is not how we treat royalty.
527
00:38:57,400 --> 00:38:58,880
Even in defeat.
528
00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:04,240
- I said--
529
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,720
Should we go to Kasanje
and sort this out now?
530
00:39:10,720 --> 00:39:11,800
Are you deaf?
531
00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:14,800
Leave while you still have legs
to walk on.
532
00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:32,640
They can't harm you. Don't be afraid.
533
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:35,240
What about you?
534
00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:39,400
Should we fear you?
535
00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:03,960
You're banished.
536
00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:05,960
But don't worry.
537
00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:09,520
{\an8}You'll be safe a while
where I'm sending you.
538
00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:16,120
You may even rule there on my behalf,
but you can never come back here
539
00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:17,640
without my permission.
540
00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:21,480
Matamba is mine now.
541
00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:24,040
Understood?
542
00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:28,080
As you wish.
543
00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,400
- My daughter and I will leave--
- Your daughter stays here.
544
00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:33,320
What?
545
00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:37,040
She's so young.
546
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:39,280
She... she still has so much to learn.
547
00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:40,680
She won't be of any use to you.
548
00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:42,320
I'll be the judge of that.
549
00:40:44,480 --> 00:40:45,720
Don't worry.
550
00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:48,040
As long as you go,
551
00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,680
and do as your Queen bids...
552
00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:54,720
she'll be safe.
553
00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:57,640
Wait, wait, wait...
554
00:40:57,640 --> 00:40:59,160
You have my word.
555
00:41:22,160 --> 00:41:23,640
It isn't personal.
556
00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:32,200
It has to be done.
557
00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:38,160
You may leave now.
558
00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:40,160
Please.
559
00:41:40,680 --> 00:41:43,520
I said... leave.
560
00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:45,360
I'm all she has.
561
00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:47,560
Please. I'm all she has!
562
00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:50,400
No!
563
00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:52,760
No!
564
00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:54,560
Taking Muongo's daughter
565
00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:57,720
would have been a tough
but necessary choice for Njinga.
566
00:41:57,720 --> 00:42:01,320
It would ensure that Muongo
would never return to Matamba.
567
00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:07,760
Now she is Queen of this kingdom.
568
00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:11,480
Njinga has to make
some very difficult choices
569
00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:14,880
to make sure
that she guarantees the freedom
570
00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:16,840
and the sovereignty of her people.
571
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:34,440
Mm.
572
00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:37,560
Njinga has made an amazing comeback.
573
00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:41,560
She is now an Imbangala Captain,
she's a feared warrior queen
574
00:42:41,560 --> 00:42:44,720
who commands an army
of around 100,000 strong,
575
00:42:44,720 --> 00:42:49,720
but crucially, her sisters are still
in the hands of the Portuguese.
576
00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:53,640
I will save you soon, my sisters.