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Great Kings of Africa

Great African Kings

Thutmose III - Pharaoh of Egypt (1504-1450 BC) Thutmose III was a member of one of the greatest families in the history of African royalty. A Family which laid the basis for the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt. Painting by Antonio wade
Shaka - King of the Zulus (1818-1828) With cunning and confidence as his tools, Shaka built a small Zulu tribe into a powerful nation of more than one million people, and united all tribes in South Africa against Colonial rule. Painting by Paul Collins
Moshoeshoe-King of Basutoland (1815-1868) For half a century, the Basotho people were ruled by the founder of their nation. Moshoeshoe was a wise and just king who was as brilliant in diplomacy as he was in battle. He united many diverse groups, uprooted by war, into a stable society where law and order prevailed. Painting by: Jerry Pinkney.
Tenkamein - King of Ghana (1037-1075 A.D.) The country of Ghana reached the height of its greatness during the reign of Tenkamenin. His principles of democratic monarchy and religious tolerance made Tenkamenin's reign one of the greatest models of African rule. Painting by: Alexander Bostic.
Khama III The Good King of Bechuanaland (1837-1923) Khama distinguished his reign by being highly regarded as a peace-loving ruler with the desire and ability to extract tecnological innovations from Europeans while resisting their attempts to colonize his country. Painting by: Carl Owens.
Menelek II - King of Kings of Abyssinia (1844-1913) Menelek was an overshadowing figure of his time in Africa. He converted a group of independent kingdoms into the strong, stable empire known as the United States of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Painting by: Don Miller.
Affonso I - King of the Kongo (1506-1540) Affonso I, was a visionary, a man who saw his country not as a group of separate cultures, but as a unified Christian nation fully equipped with advanced knowledge and tecnology. Affonso I, was the first ruler to modernize Africa on a grand scale. Painting by: Carl Owens.
Taharqa - King of Nubia (710 - 664 B.C.) At the age of sixteen, this great Nubian king led his armies against the invading Assyrians in defense of his ally, Israel. During his 25-year reign, Taharqa controlled the largest empire in ancient Africa. Painting by: John T. Bigger
Shamba Bolongongo - African King of Peace (1600-1620) Hailed as one of the greatest monarchs of the Congo, King Shamba had no greater desire than to preserve the peace, which is reflected in a common quote of his: "Kill neither man, woman nor child. Are they not the children of Chembe (God), and have they not the right to live?" Painting by: Roy LaGrone.
Nehanda of Zimbabwe - Born into a religious family, Nehanda displayed remarkable leadership and organizational skills, and at a young age became one of Zimbabwe's two most influential religious leaders. Painting by: Lydia C.Thompson
Samory Toure - The Black Napoleon of the Sudan (1830-1900) The ascendence of Samory Toure began when his native Bissandugu was attacked and his mother taken captive. After a persuasive appeal, Samory was allowed to take her place. during the eighteen year conflict with France, Samory continually frustrated the Europeans with his military strategy and tactics. This astute Military prowess prompted some of France's greatest commanders to entitle the African monarc. "The Black Napoleon of the Sudan." Painting by: Ezra N. Tucker
Sunni Ali Ber-King of Songhay (1464-1492) When Sunni Ali Ber came to power, Songhay was a small kingdom in the western Sudan. But during his twenty-eight -year reign, it grew into the largest, most powerful empire in West Africa. Painting by: Leo Dillon.
Akhenaton-Pharaoh of Egypt (1375-1358 B.C.) Teaching a doctrine of love and peace, Akhenaton was the first ruler in recorded history to believe in the concept of the one God. Painting by: Higgins Bond.
Ja Ja - King of the Opobo (1821-1891) Jubo Juogha, the son of an unknown member of the lbo people, was forced into slavery at age 12, but gained his freedom while still young and prospered as an independent trader (known as Ja Ja by the Europeans). Painting by: Jonathan M. Knight.
Askia Muhammed Touré - King of Songhay (1493-1529) A devout Muslim, Askia "The Great" ruled and administered Songhay stricly accourding to islamic Law. Askia Muhammed Touré united the entire central region of the Western Sudan, and established a governmental machine that is still revered today for its detail and efficiency. Painting by: Leo Dillion
Hannibal-Ruler of Carthage (247-183 B.C.) Regarded as one of the greatest generals of all time, Hannibal and his overpowering African armies conquered major portions of Spain and Italy and came close to defeating the mighty Roman Empire. This won him recognition which has spanned more than 2000 years. Painting by: Charles Lilly
Mansa Kankan Mussa - King of Mali (1312-1337) A flamboyant leader and world figure, Mansa Mussa distinguished himself as a man who did everthing on a grand scale. An accomplished businessman, he managed vast resources to benfit his entire kingdom. Painting by: Higgins Bond.
Idris Alooma-Sultan of Bornu (1580-1617) For two centuries before Idris Alooma became Mai (Sultan) of Bornu, Kanem was a separate land whose people had been driven out by their nomadic cousins, the Bulala. It took one of Africa's most extraordinary rulers to reunite the two kingdoms. He replaced tribal law with Moslem Law, and early in his reign, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Painting by: Charles Lilly.
Behanzin Hossu Bowelle - the King Shark (1844-1906) Behanzin was the most powerful ruler in West Africa during the end of the nineteenth century. The people of Dahomey often referred to their monarch, Behanzin, as the "King Shark," a Dahomeyan surname which symbolized strength and wisdom. Painting by: Thomas Blacksheer II.
Osei Tutu - King of Asante (1680-1717) Osei Tutu was the founder and first king of the Asante nation, a great West African forest kingdom in what is now Ghana. He was able to convince a half dozen suspicious chiefs to join their states under his leadership when, according to legend, the Golden Stool descended from heaven and came to rest on Osei Tutu's knees, signifying his choice by the gods. Painting by: Alfred J. Smith.