African Kingdoms

Kongo Kingdom (Congo / Angola)
c.AD 1400 - 1914

Situated in the Lower Congo and North Angola, the Kongo kingdom was founded in the fourteenth century. The kingdom's original home lies somewhere in the region along the lower stretches of the River Congo. People speaking ancient versions of Kikongo probably arrived in the region from the north as part of the larger Bantu migration. They were practicing agriculture by at least 1000 BC, and working iron by at least 400 BC.

According to a study of Kongo's traditions by John Thornton, the origin of the kingdom was in the small state of Mpemba Kasi, located just south of modern day Matadi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A dynasty of rulers from this small state built up their rule along the Kwilu valley, and were buried in Nsi Kwilu, which was apparently its capital. At some point in around 1375, the ruler of Mpemba Kasi, made an alliance with the ruler of the neighbouring Mbata Kingdom, and the Kongo Kingdom was born out of this alliance.

In the fifteenth century the kingdom stretched from the River Congo in the north to the River Loje in the south, and from the Atlantic Ocean to beyond the River Kwango in the east. Several smaller autonomous states to the south and east paid tribute to it. Kongo was ruled by the manikongo, or king, and was divided into six provinces, each administered by a governor who was appointed by the manikongo. The capital was at Mbanza.

Unfortunately, the history of the kingdom was only written down in the late sixteenth century, and focussed on the ruling dynasty, largely overlooking any previous ruling dynasties.

c.1375

Nimi a Nzima

Ruler of Mpemba Kasi.

c.1375

Nsaku Lau

Ruler of the Mbata Kingdom.

c.1375

The alliance guarantees that each of the two partners ensures the succession of their joint lines. The son and heir of this arrangement, Lukeni lua Nimi becomes the founder of the Kongo Kingdom when, in around 1400, he conquers the kingdom of the Mwene Kabunga (or Mwene Mpangala), which lay upon a mountain to his south.

EARLY KINGS

1400 - ?

Lukeni lua Nimi (Nimi a Lukeni)

Founded Kongo Kingdom.

Nanga

Nephew.

Nlaza

Cousin.

c.1450

Nkuwu a Lukeni

Son of Lukeni.

1470 - 1509

Nzinga Nkuwu / João I

Son.

1482

Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão visits the kingdom, impressing the manikongo with Portuguese culture.

1491

Portuguese missionaries, soldiers, and artisans are welcomed at Mbanza. The missionaries soon gain converts, including Nzinga Nkuwu (who takes the name João I), and the soldiers help the manikongo defeat an internal rebellion.

1509- 1543

Alfonso I Mvemba a Nzinga

Raised as a Christian. Attempted to convert his subjects.

1543

The Portuguese are primarily interested in increasing their private fortunes (especially through capturing Africans and selling them into slavery), despite the attempts of King Manuel I of Portugal to channel the efforts of his subjects into constructive projects. Following Alfonso's death, they play a major part in weakening the kingdom and reducing the hold of the capital (renamed São Salvador) over the provinces. Kongo declines rapidly and suffers major civil wars.

1543 - 1545

Pedro I Nkanga a Mvemba

1545

Francis

1545 - 1561

Diogo (James) I Nkumbi a Mpudi

1556

The Portuguese have already shifted their interest southwards to the kingdom of Ndongo and help them defeat Kongo.

1561

Alfonso II Mpemba a Nzinga

1561 - 1566

Bernardo I

1566 - 1568

Henrique I

Killed while fighting a war in the east.

HOUSE OF KWILU

1568 - 1587

Alvaro I Nimi a Lukeni lua Mvemba

Stepson. Accession was contested.

1569

The Portuguese help Kongo by helping to repel an invasion from the east by the Lunda ethnic group following a request by the manikongo.

1576

Kongo virtually becomes a Portuguese colony. They are "allowed" by the manikongo to found its present capital, Luanda, which they use as a base for the slave trade.

1587 - 1614

Alvaro II Nimi a Nkanga

1614 - 1615

Bernardo II Nimi a Nkanga

1615 - 1622

Alvaro III Nimi a Mpanzu

HOUSE OF NSUNDI (KINKANGA)

1622 - 1624

Pedro II Nkanga a Mvika

1624 - 1626

Garcia I Alphonse Mvemba a Nkanga

1626 - 1631

Ambrosio (Ambrose) I Nimi a Nkanga

HOUSE OF KIMPANZU

1631 - 1636

Alvaro IV Nzinga a Nkuwu

1636

Alvaro V Mpanzu a Nimi

HOUSE OF KINLAZA

1636 - 1641

Alvaro VI Alphonse Nimi a Lukeni a Nzenze a Ntumba

1641 - 1660

Garcia II Alphonse Nkanga a Lukeni a Nzenze a Ntumba

1641 - 1665

Garcia allies himself to the Dutch in an attempt to control Portuguese slave traders, but in 1665 a Portuguese force decisively defeats the army of Kongo. The manikongo becomes little more than a Portuguese vassal. The kingdom disintegrates into a number of small states, all controlled to varying degrees by the Portuguese.

1661 - 1665

Antonio (Anthony) I Nvita a Nkanga

CIVIL WAR KINGS

After the Battle of Mbwila (or Ulanga), the kingdom was involved in a long and brutal civil war. The House of Kimpanzu, with the support of Soyo, was often based at Mbamba Luvota, while the rival House of Kinlaza held Mbula (or Lemba), south of the River Congo, and Nkondo in the upper Mbidizi/Lukunga system. A third house, Agua Rosada, which was descended from both the other two, ruled in Kibangu. Soyo more or less became independent but regularly intervened in Kongo's affairs.

While many of the rulers in this period did not recognise the legitimacy of their rivals, the numbering was maintained by later generations to include them all.

1665

Afonso II

House of Kimpanzu.

1665 - 1666

Alvaro VII Tusi Mumaza

House of Kinlaza.

1666 - 1669

Alvaro VIII Mvemba a Mpanzu

House of Kinlaza.

1669

Pedro III Nsimba Ntamba

House of Kinlaza. Continued to rule at Mbula/Lemba.

1669 - 1670

Alavaro IX Mpanzu a Ntivila

House of Kimpanzu.

1670 - 1673

Rafael I Nzinga a Nkanga

House of Kimpanzu.

1673 - 1674

Afonso III Mvemba a Nimi

House of Kimpanzu.

1674 - 1678

Daniel I Miala mia Nzimbwila

House of Kimpanzu.

1678

São Salvador is sacked and destroyed, considerably weakening the country's centre to the benefit of the rival faction based on the kingdom's edge.

HOUSE OF KIBANGU FOR THE AGUA ROSADA

The Kimpanzu retreated south to Mbamba Lovata, which territory was to some extent under the protection of the Prince of Soyo. Under the informal leadership of Suzanna de Nobrega, they opposed the Kinlaza and any other group claiming to rule Kongo. The kingdom's population also retreated to the mountains or fell victim to the slavers. The manikongo of Kibangu still claimed sovereignty over the kingdom, but their power never extended beyond their fortress.

1669 - 1685

Garcia III Nkanga a Mvemba

1685

André I Mvizi a Nkanga

1685 - 1688

Manuel Afonso Nzinga a Nlenke

1688 - 1695

Alvaro X Nimi a Mvemba Agua Rosada

1695 - 1709

Pedro IV Nusamu a Mvemba

Gained the entire kingdom, creating the Rotating Houses.

KING OF LEMBA FOR THE HOUSE OF KINLAZA

Following the destruction of the capital in 1678, the Kinlaza retreated to their fortress at Mbula/Lemba, Pedro III continued his reign and Joao II followed.

1669 - 1680

Pedro III Nsimba Ntamba

Ruled Kongo (1669). Continued diminished reign at Mbula/Lemba.

1680 - 1716

João II Nzuzi a Ntamba

THE PERIOD OF ROTATING HOUSES

Following Dona Beatriz's religious movement which re-populated São Salvador, Pedro IV seized the kingdom and tried Dona Beatriz for heresy. With the church behind him, he secured Kongo and appeased the opposition faction by ensuring that a Kimpanzu heir would succeed each Kinlaza ruler at the end of his reign.

Kings shown in red are taken from Francisco das Necessidades' list which was compiled from oral traditions and documents found in São Salvador in 1844.

1709 - 1718

Pedro IV Nusamu a Mvemba

Reunited the kingdom. House of Kinlaza.

1718 - 1743

Manuel II Mpanzu a Nimi

House of Kimpanzu.

1743 - 1752

Garcia IV Nkanga a Mvandu

House of Kinlaza.

1752 - al.1758

Nicolau I Misaki mia Nimi

House of Kimpanzu. Ruled after 1758.

Afonso IV Nkanga a Nkanga

House of Kinlaza.

António II Mvita a Mpanzu

House of Kimpanzu.

Sebastião I Nkanga kia Nkanga

House of Kinlaza.

1763 - 1764

Pedro V Ntivila a Nkanga

House of Kimpanzu. Overthrown.

HOUSE OF THE SOUTHERN KINLAZA

When Pedro V was overthrown he withdrew to Mbamba Lovata as Alvaro XI seized power. Alvaro XI and his successors were apparently from the Kinlaza who controlled Nkondo on the upper River Mbidizi and had been in place since the late 1680s when Ana Afonso de Leao had established herself there. These were termed Southern Kinlaza, as the Northern Kinlaza, centered in Mbula continued to exist.

1764 - 1778

Alvaro XI Nkanga a Nkanga

1778 - 1785

José I Mpasi a Nkanga

1785 - 1787

Afonso V

1787 - ?

Alvaro XII

KINGS OF KONGO

Once Alvaro XII had died, the throne passed from house to house in no particular order, and records became very scrappy and sparse regarding their reigns.

? - 1793

Alexio I Mpanzu a Mbandu

1793 - 1794

Joaquim I

1794 - 1803

Henrique I Alphonse Masaki ma Mpanzu

1803 - 1830

Garcia V Nkanga a Mvemba

1830 - ?

André II Mvizi a Lukeni

? - 1842

André III Ndondele Beya

1836

Portugal officially abolishes the slave trade.

1842 - 1857

Henrique II Mpanzu a Nsindi a Nimi a Lukeni

1857 - 1859

Alvaro XIII / Ndongo

1859 - 1891

Pedro VI / Elelo

1888

Pedro VI signs the Treaty of Vassallage with Portugal. The area of Kongo is incorporated mostly into Angola and partly into the Independent State of Congo (the modern Democratic Republic of Congo). Local resistance persists.

KINGS OF THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF CONGO (ANGOLA)

Under Portuguese control, these kings ruled a reduced Kongo from their capital at São Salvador.

1891 - 1896

Alvaro XIV / Agua Rosada

1896 - 1901

Henrique III / Tekenge

1901 - 1910

Pedro VII / Mbemba

1910 - 1911

Manuel Nkomba

1911 - 1914

Manuel III

Deposed. The line continued with Hereditary Kings.

1914

The kings are abolished by the Portuguese following a revolt.

1951

Angola's Portuguese status changes from colony to overseas province. Between this point and 1961 a nationalist movement develops and guerrilla war begins.

1960

The Democratic Republic of Congo achieves independence from Belgium.

1974 - 1975

There is revolution in Portugal and its overseas empire collapses. The following year Angola gains independence but a power struggle ensues between the MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola), backed by Cuba, and the FNLA and Unita, backed by South Africa and the USA.

1976 - 1995

With interference mainly by Cuba (with 50,000 troops in the country) and South Africa (with its army there), the civil war alternates between phases of relative calm. In 1991 and 1992 moves are made to withdraw troops, and in 1995 UN peacekeepers arrive.

1998 - 2002

The war resumes following tensions, and finally ends when Unita signs a ceasefire in 2002.

2003

The Republic's president appoints Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos as the first prime minister to assume the post in more then three years.

HEREDITARY KINGS OF THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF CONGO (ANGOLA)

The kings apparently retained their titles but had no power and the claim seems to have ended with independence in 1975.

1915 - 1923

Alvaro XV Alphonse Nzinga

1923 - 1955

Pedro VIII Alphonse

1955 - 1957

António III Alphonse

1957 - 1962

Pedro IX Alphonse Mansala

1962 - 1975

Isabel Maria da Gama

Would have been the first queen.