what did the kingdom of kongo trade

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Who did the Kongo trade with?

Prospering on the regional trade of copper, ivory, and slaves along the Congo River, the kingdom's wealth was boosted by the arrival of Portuguese traders in the late 15th century CE who expanded even further the slave trade in the region.

What kinds of crafts emerged from Kongo kingdom?

A broad range of crafts emerged from the Kongo and its client states: metal work, pottery and raffia textiles, much of it practised exclusively by the ruling class. The expansion of the Kongo was effected less through military conquest, and more through trade, alliances and marriages.

What did the Kongo people do?

The Kongo people were a part of the major slave raiding, capture and export trade of African slaves to the European colonial interests in 17th and 18th centuries. The slave raids, colonial wars and the 19th-century Scramble for Africa split the Kongo people into Portuguese, Belgian and French parts.

What is the Kongo kingdom?

The Kongo kingdom: a long history According to oral traditions, Nimi a Nzima of Mpemba Kasi and Nsaku Lau of Mbata founded the kingdom at the end of the 14th century. They agreed that the descendants of Nimi a Nzima would be its kings, while those of Nsaku Lau would rule Mbata. Subsequently, Lukeni lua Nimi (c.

What did Kongo export?

Congo's chief export is petroleum, which accounts for the vast majority of its export earnings; wood and wood products, including logs and sawn timber, are also notable exports. Significant imports include machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals, and basic manufactures.

What type of trade weakened the Kongo?

The Kingdom of Kongo would eventually fall to scheming nobles, feuding royal factions, and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, initiating its eventual decline.

What was the Kongo economy based on?

The economy of the Republic of the Congo is a mixture of subsistence hunting and agriculture, an industrial sector based largely on petroleum extraction and support services.

What weapons did the Kingdom of Kongo use?

Dapper notes that in addition to infantry cutting and slashing weapons such as great axes and swords, the Kongo army utilizes muskets and fusils (light flintlocks) in battle. made major inroads as a trade good, only a military import as finished weaponry.

What are people from Kongo called?

Bakongo or Kongo people are a Bantu ethnic group who speak the Kikongo language. There are many theories as to how the Kongo people got their name. Some believe the name is derived from the word N'kongo, which means “hunter”, but others believe it is meant to mean “mountains” in the Bantu language.

What does Kongo mean?

noun. 1. Word forms: plural -gos or -go. a member of a people of Africa living in the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, and Angola.

Is Kongo still a country?

The Republic of the Congo (French: République du Congo, Kituba: Repubilika ya Kôngo), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the west of the Congo river.

Why was the Kingdom of Kongo destroyed?

A revolt against Portuguese rule and complicity of the kings led by Álvaro Buta in 1913–14 was suppressed but triggered the collapse of the Kongo kingdom, which was then fully integrated into the Portuguese colony of Angola.

What is Kongo kingdom famous for?

Prior to the Portuguese arrival, Kongo was developed with a large commercial network. The kingdom melted copper and gold and traded it with products such as raffia cloth and pottery. The kingdom was a superpower and center of trade routes for ivory, copper, raffia cloth, and pottery.

What are the main products of Congo?

The Congo is the world's largest producer of cobalt ore, and a major producer of copper and industrial diamonds. The Congo has 70% of the world's coltan, and more than 30% of the world's diamond reserves., mostly in the form of small, industrial diamonds.

What products were taken in large quantities from the Congo?

Mineral products constitute most of the country's total exports: diamonds, which account for almost one-half of trade revenue, are the country's most valuable export; crude petroleum, cobalt, and copper are also significant. Coffee is the country's most important agricultural export product.

What contributed to the rise of the Kingdom of Kongo?

It is generally acknowledged that alliances and military conquest contributed to the rise of the Kingdom of Kongo. Alliances between tribes were solidified through intermarriage, mutual agreements, and cooperation under one centralized monarch or "nkani".

What was the kingdom of Kongo?

By the time of the first recorded contact with the Europeans, the Kingdom of Kongo was a highly developed state at the center of an extensive trading network. Apart from natural resources and ivory, the country manufactured and traded copperware, ferrous metal goods, raffia cloth, and pottery.

Where did the Kongo Kingdom originate?

According to Kongo tradition, the kingdom's origin lay in Mpemba Kasi, a large Bantu kingdom to the south of the Mbata Kingdom, which merged with that state to form the Kingdom of Kongo around 1375 AD. Mpemba Kasi was located just south of modern-day Matadi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

How long did the Kilukeni Kanda rule?

The Kilukeni Kanda — or "house", as it was recorded in Portuguese documents — ruled Kongo unopposed until 1567. After the death of Nimi a Lukeni, his brother, Mbokani Mavinga, took over the throne and ruled until approximately 1467. He had two wives and nine children.

How was Kongo governed?

The kingdom of Kongo was governed in concert by the Mwene Kongo and the royal council known as the ne mbanda-mbanda, roughly translating as "the top of the top". It was composed of twelve members divided into three groups. One group were bureaucrats, another who were electors and a last of matrons. Senior officials chose the Mwene Kongo or king who served for life following their choice. Electors varied over time, and there was probably never a completely fixed list; rather, senior officials who exercised power did so. Many kings tried to choose their successor, not always successfully. One of the central problems of Kongo history was the succession of power, and as a result, the country was disturbed by many rebellions and revolts.

How did the Kongo kingdom pass on status?

The central Bantu groups which comprised most of the Kongo kingdom passed on status through matrilineal succession. Furthermore, women in the group of kingdoms that at various times were provinces in the Kongo kingdom could have important roles in rulership and war. For example, Queen Nzinga, or Njinga, who ruled parts of the kingdom in Ndongo and Matamba provinces in the 17th century, was an effective ruler and war leader. In fact, she became a thorn in the side of the Portuguese to the degree that their correspondence at times was mainly about how to foil her. Nevertheless, the only thing that ended her efforts against them was her death in 1663 at an advanced age.

What was the main source of slaves for Portuguese traders and other European powers?

Slavery and royal rivalries. In the following decades, the Kingdom of Kongo became a major source of slaves for Portuguese traders and other European powers. The Cantino Atlas of 1502 mentions Kongo as a source of slaves for the island of São Tomé.

Why did the Dutch join Kongo?

When Portuguese reinforcements managed to defeat her at Kavanga in 1646, the Dutch felt obliged to be more aggressive. The Dutch convinced Kongo to join them and Queen Njinga in another venture against the Portuguese. In 1647, Kongo troops participated in the Battle of Kombi, where they soundly defeated the Portuguese field army, after forcing them to fight defensively.

How did the Kingdom of Kongo form?

It is generally acknowledged, however, that the establishment of the Kingdom of Kongo came about through both the voluntary and involuntary inclusion of neighbouring states around a central core state [vi]. Much of the early territorial expansion of the Kingdom of Kongo came through various voluntary agreement with smaller neighbouring states. Some historians prefer to call state entities similar to the Kingdom of Kongo as ‘commonwealths’ rather than Kingdoms, as they were built, in part, on mutual agreement, marriage alliances and cooperation rather than conquest [vii]. Later territorial expansion in the Kingdom came to a larger degree from conquest.

What was the early kingdom of Kongo?

The early Kingdom was to some degree founded on conquest, but was largely made up of voluntary protection arrangements. With help from the Mbete and other allied provinces, the Kingdom of Kongo then conquered Mpangu and Npundi to the south [xv]. These provinces would be governed by governors who received their orders from the King.

Why did the Kingdom of Kongo fall apart?

Certainly, the pressures of the slave trade and its constant demand for more slaves de-legitimised the power of the king [lxviii] . This weakened the monarchy , as did Portuguese military expeditions against the Kingdom. Further instability stemmed the death of King António I which directly triggered the civil war [lxix]. The third, and some argue, the most plausible reason for the decline of the Kingdom of Kongo was the conflict between the Counts of Soyo and the Kings of Kongo [lxx].

Why did Kongos become slaves?

Since the Kingdom of Kongo had stopped their conquests of expansion in the early 1600s, the supply of foreign slaves were drying up. Rebellions like the Soyo rebellion became the Kingdom’s new way of supplying slaves [xlix]. During the mid-1600s it became common practice for freeborn Kongos to become slaves through a variety of infractions, such as disrespecting nobles, stealing from gardens, rebelling against the central authorities, and disciplining seditious nobles [l]. In fact, if several villagers were deemed guilty of a crime, the whole village was sometimes enslaved [li].

What did the Christianisation of Kongo do?

The Christianisation of Kongo would cause many nobles to change their names to Portuguese variations, and it would also entail the adoption of European titles such as ‘duke,’ ‘count’ and ‘king.’. Most of the nobles converted together with the King, and all baptisms were voluntary and without incident [xxi].

How is the history of Kongo complicated?

Understanding the early history of the Kingdom of Kongo is complicated by the lack of written sources from the time, as well as the problematic fact that almost all of the later accounts were produced by Europeans [iv] . This means that there is a need to be critical about European accounts, as they were writing from the perspective of conquerors and outsiders. A further issue is that local chroniclers (those writing from an insider’s perspective), such as the Congolese historian Petelo Boka , made assumptions based on the organisation of clans in more recent history [v].

Where is Kongo located?

The Kingdom was centered around the great city of Mbanza Kongo, located in what is now northern Angola, (location: 6°16′04″S 14°14′53″E), which was later renamed to São Salvador. In 1888, what was left of the Kingdom of Kongo was made a vassal state to Portugal, and in the early 1900s it was formally integrated into the Portuguese colony in Angola [iii].

When did the Kongo Kingdom emerge?

The Kongo kingdom, the most powerful state to develop in the region, emerged in the 14th century as the Kongo people moved southward from the Congo River region into northern Angola. There they established Mbanza Kongo as…

Who was the king of Kongo?

This allowed the manikongo (king of Kongo) to keep close at hand the manpower and supplies necessary to wield impressive power and centralize the state. When Portuguese arrived in Kongo in 1483, Nzinga a Nkuwu was the manikongo .

What battle did the Portuguese and Kongo fight?

Further disputes between Kongo and Portugal over joint claims in the region led to skirmishes in the small district of Mbwila, culminating in the Battle of Mbwila (or Ulanga) on Oct. 29, 1665. The Portuguese were victorious and killed the reigning manikongo, António I Nvita a Nkanga, during the battle.

Why did Afonso organize the slave trade?

As a result, in 1526 Afonso organized the administration of the slave trade in an attempt to ensure that people were not illegally enslaved and exported. The Kongo kingdom, the most powerful state to develop in the region, emerged in the 14th century as the Kongo ...

What was Kongo's system of succession?

Kongo’s system of manikongo succession was often prone to disputes, frequently between sons or between sons and brothers of former kings, and at times the rivals would form factions, some of which were long-lived. Significant struggles over succession took place after Afonso’s death in 1542 and many times after that.

Who was the king of the Kimpanzu?

The rotational system of kingship worked moderately well in the 18th century, producing the long reign of Manuel II Nimi a Vuzi of the Kimpanzu (reigned 1718–43), followed by Garcia IV Nkanga a Mvandu of the Kinlaza (reigned 1743–52).

What were the two most powerful provinces of the original federation?

Originally, it was probably a loose federation of small polities, but, as the kingdom expanded, conquered territories were integrated as a royal patrimony. Soyo and Mbata were the two most powerful provinces of the original federation; other provinces included Nsundi, Mpangu, Mbamba, and Mpemba. The capital of the kingdom was Mbanza Kongo.

What was the slave trade in the Kongo?

Slavery had long been a part of Kongolese society , but it was the Portuguese who took it to new lows. The Portuguese bought or kidnapped thousands of captives from the Kongo, and took them to their base in Sao Tome. The captives would then take the notorious Middle Passage across the Atlantic and would be offloaded in Brazil. By the early 1500s, the business of slavery began to tear the kingdom apart and King Alfonso I pleaded with his Portuguese counterpart to stop the slave trade. The appeal fell on deaf ears as the majority of Portugal’s trade and wealth largely depended on the slave trade and the cheap labor the slaves provided. King Alfonso I attempted to ban the slave trade, but this only angered the Portuguese merchants who then tried to have him assassinated in 1540. The king’s death in 1545 was the beginning of the end of the Kingdom of Kongo.

What was the Kongo Kingdom?

The Kingdom of Kongo was founded by Bantu-speaking peoples in the western portion of central Africa. Established in 1390, the kingdom soon gained supremacy by conquering neighboring states. The rulers of the Kingdom of Kongo were among the earliest African Christian converts after the arrival of Portuguese explorers and missionaries in the late 15th century. The Kongo was also one of the most prolific suppliers of captives to the Portuguese slave trade. Although initially lucrative, the trans-Atlantic slave trade eventually brought the kingdom’s demise. These events are recorded on the Biblical Timeline Poster with World History during that time.

What language did the Kongolese speak?

As years passed, most of the people who lived in the area spoke a Bantu language called Kikongo. What made the ancient Kongolese society unique was their matrilineal descent system (children inherited their ranks and properties through their mothers). Their simple villages and towns soon turned into mini-states (wene) ruled by chieftains or clan heads.

What did the Bantu people bring to the Congo River?

The Bantu-speaking peoples brought with them their knowledge of metallurgy and agriculture. The mighty Congo River and its tributaries run through this fertile area, allowing the new settlers to grow yams, sorghum, millet, oil palms, and vegetables. Their ability in making iron tools allowed them to grow more crops. With an abundance of food, it was not long before their population increased.

Who was the first missionary to Kongo?

The Kongo way of life changed after the arrival of Portuguese explorer Diogo Cao and his sailors in 1482. In 1491, King John II of Portugal sent the first missionary expedition to Kongo led by Dominican and Franciscan priests. These missionaries were accompanied by tradesmen, artisans, soldiers, and several women. They were successful in converting King Nzinga a Nkuwu and a number of his courtiers into Christianity. Nzinga a Nkuwu and his queen were baptized, and later adopted the names Joao I and Eleanor in honor of the Portuguese monarchs.

Where did the Bantu people come from?

Bantu-speaking peoples from the Benue River area migrated into the Uele and Bas-Congo (Kongo Central) regions around 1000 BC. They were the first known migrants in the area once occupied by the Kingdom of Kongo. They were followed by waves of Nilotic-speaking migrants from the southern and central regions of Sudan, as well as groups (mainly cattle herders) from East Africa who eventually settled around the Great Lakes area.

Who was the king of Kongo?

Kongo was ruled by the manikongo, or king, who had both religious and political power and appointed governors for its six provinces. In the 1490s, priests began the first official Catholic mission to the Kongo, and interpreted a dream that two local nobles had simultaneously as an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Other revelations followed, and there were many converts, including the manikongo Nzinga Nkuwu (ruled to 1506), who took the Christian name João I, the same name as the king of Portugal. The next manikongo, Nzinga Mbemba, whose Christian name was Afonso I (ruled 1506–43), was raised as a Christian, sent his son and others to be ordained as priests in Europe, and worked to convert his subjects to Christianity.

Who did King Afonso of Kongo write to?

In the 1520s, King Afonso of Kongo wrote a series of letters to the King Joao III of Portugal, asking him to limit the importation of European goods and stop the enslavement of his people, and commenting on other matters. These are the first extant sources that discuss the effects of European actions from an African perspective. João did answer Afonso, but did nothing about the slave trade.

What is the crucifix in Kongo?

This way of representing Christ developed in Kongo during the sixteenth century, and continues to today. Surrounding him are three small praying figures, who might represent the Virgin Mary or other saints, or the dead, mourners, intercessors , or captives, sit on its arms. This source is a part of the Christianity and Slavery in the Kingdom of Kongo, 1480s-1520s teaching module.

What did Portuguese missionaries do to bring Christianity to Africa?

Here rulers created a Kongolese version of Christianity, combining local beliefs and practices with imported ones. At the same time, the kings of Portugal made treaties with the rulers of Kongo and other coastal African states, supplying them with wool cloth, tools, and weapons, in return for gold, cotton cloth, ivory, and slaves. The three sources in this module provide evidence for both Christianity and slavery in the Kongo, allowing students to examine these two developments that occurred at the same time, though are often considered separately.

How did the slave trade grow?

They encouraged warfare to provide captives, or just grabbed people from their houses and fields. The slave trade grew steadily, and first thousands and then tens of thousands of people a year, the majority of them men and boys, were taken from Africa to work on sugar plantations. For 350 years after Columbus’s voyage, more Africans crossed the Atlantic than Europeans.

Where did the Portuguese colonize?

The first Portuguese colonies in Africa were established on many of the Atlantic islands, including the Azores, Cape Verdes, Madeira, and São Tomé. From their island bases, Portuguese explorers travelled south along the west coast of Africa, and traders set up permanent fortified trading posts. The kings of Portugal made treaties with the rulers of coastal African states such as Benin, Oyo, and Kongo, supplying them with wool cloth, tools, and weapons, in return for gold, cotton cloth, ivory, and slaves. A few missionaries ventured inland from the coast, working to convert people. They had the greatest success in the Kingdom of the Kongo, a powerful state that was never conquered in this era, and included parts of what is now the Republic of Congo, Zaire, and Angola.

Where were the pillars of Portugal?

In the 1480s, the Portuguese brought pillars (or padraos) with them in their explorations of western and southwestern Africa and placed them at prominent points, claiming these for Portugal. This is a replica of one of them, from what is now called Cape Cross, in Namibia. At the top is a cross and underneath this is the coat of arms of the kings of Portugal. Beneath that is an inscription in Latin, with many abbreviations, which reads: “In the era of 6681 years from the creation of the world, 1482 years since the birth of Our Lord Jesus, the most High and Excellent and Mighty Prince, King D. João II of Portugal, sent Diogo Cão squire of his House to discover this land and place these pillars.” In placing these pillars, Diogo Cão claimed the land for Portugal, but they may have been interpreted very differently by local people. This source is a part of the Christianity and Slavery in the Kingdom of Kongo, 1480s-1520s teaching module.

Overview

History

Military structure

Political structure

Economic structure

Art of the Kongo Kingdom

Social structure

See also