by Jenny Fulton

Introduction

My book, An International Princess Alphabet Primer, features princesses from countries and cultures around the world. Each character is named after a real person. These are their stories.

Because the alphabet book was written for young kids, the biographies I’m sharing are short, child-friendly, often rose-tinted summaries.

A: African Princess Amina

African Princess Amina is named for Queen Amina of Zaria, the warrior queen of Nigeria.

Amina was born in 1533. Her parents were the King and Queen of the state of Zazzua. Amina had a younger brother named Karama and a little sister named Zaria.

When she was a child, Amina liked to sit on her grandpa’s lap and listen to the men talk about what was going on and how to rule their people. She also enjoyed watching the warriors train and would try to copy their movements. By the time she was a teenager, Amina was practicing her fighting skills with the royal guard.

Unlike many other girls, Amina didn’t want to get married, and her parents didn’t force her to. When her dad died, her brother became king and Amina became the most powerful warrior in their army.

In 1576, when Amina was 43 years old, her brother Karama died. Amina was crowned the Queen of Zaria, the first queen of her people. But she didn’t give up her fighting abilities. Instead, she led her army to conquer more land and make their country richer. She built walls around their cities and military camps. Some of those walls are still standing and are known as “Amina’s Walls.” Even though most places didn’t have a woman ruler or military general, Amina’s men respected her. She became known as a “woman as capable as a man.”

Amina’s life and accomplishments inspired the character of Xena: Warrior Princess.

Other Princess Bios

• A: African Princess Amina
• B: Brazilian Princess Isabel
• C: Chinese Princess Changping
• D: Danish Princess Sophie Hedevig
• E: Egyptian Princess Cleopatra
• F: French Princess Eleanor
• G: Guatemalan Princess Clara
• H: Hawaiian Princess Ka’iulani
• I: Inuit Princess Mikak
• J: Jewish Princess Esther
• K: Korean Princess Deokon
• L: Lithuanian Princess Aldona
• M: Malaysian Princess Puteri
• N: Navajo Princess Beulah
• O: Omani Princess Sayyida
• P: Portuguese Princess Catherine
• Q: Qatari Princess Moza
• R: Romanian Princess Marie
• S: Scottish Princess Matilda
• T: Thai Princess Saowapha
• U: Ukrainian Princess Olha
• V: Vietnamese Princess Y Lan
• W: Welsh Princess Gwenllian
• X: Mexican Princess Papantzin
• Y: Yemeni Princess Asma
• Z: Zenobia of Palmyra

Works Sited

Dixon, Euell A. “Queen Amina” Black Past; Nov. 4, 2023. https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/queen-amina-1533-1610/

“Queen Amina: Nigerian Warrior Queen” BBC; July 24, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-44888718

“Queen Amina of Zaria” African Feminist Forum; July 2, 2024. http://www.africanfeministforum.com/queen-amina-of-zaria-nigeria/