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Did the Kongo kingdom became powerful?
Before 1641 the Kingdom of Kongo had managed to fight off several Portuguese incursions and had remained a strong and centralised state.
What was the culture of the Kingdom of Kongo?
The Kongo religion centres on ancestor and spirit cults, which also play a part in social and political organization. A strong tradition of prophetism and messianism among the Kongo gave rise in the 20th century to nativistic, political-religious movements.
What are the Kongo people known for?
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 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 did the Kongo believe in?
To varying degrees, the Kongo kingdom remained Christian for the next 200 years. Scholars continue to dispute the authenticity of Kongolese Christian faith and the degree to which the adoption of a new faith was motivated by political and economic realities.
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.
What makes the Congo so special?
Congo is rich in natural resources. It boasts vast deposits of industrial diamonds, cobalt, and copper; one of the largest forest reserves in Africa; and about half of the hydroelectric potential of the continent.
What are three important fact of Congo?
Interesting Facts about Republic of CongoThe Congo River is the deepest river (220 m) in the world. ... Congo is the only place where you can find the Bonobo. ... The Congo basin rainforest is the second largest rainforest in the world. ... The Republic of Congo is home to the famous Pygmy Tribe.More items...•
What are 5 facts about Congo?
10 Interesting things about DRC Congo that you should knowMusic is its biggest export. ... Kinshasa is world's second-largest French-speaking city. ... Locals eat mayo with everything. ... Kinshasa and Brazzaville are the world's closest capitals. ... The wildlife is phenomenal. ... The Congo isn't overrun by the Ebola virus.More items...
What are some cultural traditions in Congo?
Here are seven customs from Congo only locals can understand.Sharing drinks with ancestors.Moziki.Throwing a child's baby teeth on the roof.Grocery shopping at home.Shaving a widow's head.Head shakes instead of hand shakes.“La presentation”
What was the social of Kongo?
The Kongo village, with a localized matrilineal group as its nucleus, had a headman chosen from the dominant lineage. The village social structure included slaves and free people, but there was no aristocratic class.
How many cultures are in Congo?
At least 250 distinguishable ethnic groups live in Congo, speaking about 250 languages. Bantu languages are the most dominant and are spoken by 80 % of the population. French is the official language, used in business, legal, political and academic meetings.
What language did the Kongo kingdom speak?
KikongoKongo language, Kongo also called Kikongo and also spelled Congo, a Bantu language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family. Kongo is related to Swahili, Shona, and Bembe, among others. Kikongo is the name used by its speakers.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
Where is Kongo located?
The Kingdom of Kongo ( Kongo: Kongo dia Ntotila or Wene wa Kongo; Portuguese: Reino do Congo) was a kingdom located in central Africa in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo as well as the southernmost part of Gabon. At its greatest extent it reached from ...
What is the Kongo Kingdom?
The Kongo Kingdom is an example of a wealthy and advanced state in Central Africa. Often, historians focus on empires in other parts of Africa, like Mali and Ethiopia – but the Kongo shows that sophisticated societies could be found all over the continent.
Why was Kongo Kingdom so diverse?
This was because Bantu-speaking peoples from West Africa had migrated into Central Africa in the first millennium BC, and they had mixed with other immigrants to produce a massive range of ethnic groups. Each ethnic group made up a chiefdom, and the Kingdom was formed when several chiefdoms were ...
How many men did the Mani Kongo raise?
This system made the king very powerful. In 1500, he could raise an army of 80,000 men through his provincial governors. As well as the core six provinces, there were many tribute states, which sent money or goods to the Mani Kongo in exchange for protection or independence.
What was the most powerful country in Central Africa?
The Kingdom of Kongo was one of the most powerful states in Central Africa. Kongo was founded in around 1390, and by 1490 it had grown to rule three million subjects. It had a powerful army and a sophisticated political structure. The Kingdom only ended in the early twentieth century.
How many provinces were there in the Kongo Kingdom?
The Kongo Kingdom had six main provinces. Each province was commanded by a governor, sent by the king, who had direct control over the land and its people. The governors collected taxes, raised soldiers, organised the local justice system and maintained roads. This system made the king very powerful. In 1500, he could raise an army of 80,000 men ...
What was the Kongolese society?
SOCIETY AND ECONOMY. Kongolese society was organised into villages. Each village was made up of big families called ‘kanda’, united by a common ancestor. Social status and wealth was passed on through women, not men. Property and royal status were dependent on the mother, not the father. Usually, the head of the kanda was male, ...
What did the Portuguese people do in the villages?
In the villages, women worked in the fields and men gathered materials from trees, producing cloth, palm wine and other goods. There were also towns, like the capital of the Kingdom, Mbanza Kongo. This is where the king (Mani Kongo) and his elite lived, up in the mountains two thousand feet above sea level. The city was well-designed and impressive to look at: Portuguese visitors in the 1490s commented on how advanced it was.
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Overview
The Kingdom of Kongo (Kongo: Kongo dya Ntotila or Wene wa Kongo; Portuguese: Reino do Congo) was a kingdom located in central Africa in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. At its greatest extent it reached from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Kwango River in the east, and from the Congo R…
History
Oral traditions about the early history of the country were set in writing for the first time in the late 16th century, and especially detailed versions were recorded in the mid-17th century, included those written by the Italian Capuchin missionary Giovanni Cavazzi da Montecuccolo. Traditions about the foundation changed over time, depending on historical circumstances.
Military structure
The kingdom's army consisted of a mass levy of archers, drawn from the general male population, and a smaller corps of heavy infantry, who fought with swords and carried shields for protection. Portuguese documents typically referred to heavy infantry, considered nobles, as fidalgos in documents. The bearing of a shield was also important, as Portuguese documents usually call …
Political structure
The vata village, referred to as libata in Kongo documents and by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century, served as Kongo's basic social unit after the family. Nkuluntu, or mocolunto to the Portuguese, chiefs headed the villages. The one to two hundred citizens per village migrated about every ten years to accommodate soil exhaustion. Communal land-ownership and collective farm…
Economic structure
The universal currency in Kongo and the surrounding region of Central Africa was the shell of Olivella nana, a sea snail, known locally as nzimbu. One hundred nzimbu could purchase a hen; 300 a garden hoe and 2,000 a goat. Slaves, which were always a part of Kongo's economy, were also bought in nzimbu. A female slave could be purchased (or sold) for 20,000 nzimbu and a male slave for 30,000. The slave trade had increased in volume after contact with Portugal.
Art of the Kongo Kingdom
The people of the Kongo are divided into many subgroups including the Yombe, Beembe, Sundi, and others but share a common language, Kikongo. These groups have many cultural similarities, including that they all produce a huge range of sculptural art. The most notable feature of this region's figurative style is the relative naturalism of the representation of both humans and animals. "T…
Social structure
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 th…
See also
• Kongo Civil War
• List of rulers of Kongo
• House of Kinlaza
• House of Kimpanzu
• Kongo textiles