The Kingdom of Kongo: A Historical Overview
The Kingdom of Kongo, founded around 1390 by Lukeni lua Nimi, encompassed parts of present-day Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo, and southern Gabon. It began as a confederation and expanded its influence through conquests, ultimately assimilating neighboring tribes and subjugating adjacent kingdoms. At its height, the kingdom comprised six provinces and four vassal states, with a population estimated at around two million.
Origins and Expansion
Traditional accounts date the establishment of the Kongo Kingdom to circa 1390, although some historians suggest a 15th-century origin marked by the arrival of Portuguese explorer Diego Cao, who reached the mouth of the Congo River in 1484. The Bakongo people initially inhabited a narrow region south of the Congo River, extending from modern Kinshasa to Matadi. Through military conquests and treaties, the kingdom integrated various tribes, including the Bambata, Mayumbe, Basolongo, Kakongo, Basundi, and Babuende.
During the 16th century, the Kingdom of Kongo reached its zenith, stretching over 600 kilometers and bordered by the Kwango River to the east, the Dande River to the south, and the Kwilu River to the north. By this period, the population had exceeded two million.
Economic Structure and Governance
The economy of Kongo was primarily fueled by regional trade in commodities like copper, ivory, salt, cattle hides, and slaves along the Congo River. The kingdom also boasted a robust local production sector, with skilled artisans creating renowned raffia textiles, pottery, and metalwork.
Kongo was governed by a single monarch known as the manikongo, who appointed regional governors to oversee the provinces. These governors were responsible for collecting tributes in the form of millet, ivory, palm wine, and animal skins, which were presented to the manikongo at lavish annual ceremonies held in Mbanza-Kongo, the capital. In return, they received military protection, valuable gifts, and were believed to gain "divine favor" as the manikongo was seen as a direct connection to the spiritual realm.
The manikongos were recognized by distinct symbols, including a ceremonial headdress, a royal stool, a drum, and jewelry crafted from ivory and copper. To maintain control, they commanded a significant force of slaves, numbering around 20,000 during the 16th century.
Interactions with the Portuguese
Although the Kongo economy thrived on its own, the arrival of the Portuguese in the late 15th century greatly enhanced the kingdom’s economic landscape, particularly through the slave trade. The Portuguese traded goods such as cotton textiles, silk, and glass beads for the Bakongo's slaves.
In 1491, Nzinga a Nkuwu, the reigning manikongo, and his son, Mvemba a Nzinga, were baptized by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the Christian names João I and Afonso I. João I became the first Christian king of Kongo, while Afonso I, who succeeded him in 1507, played a pivotal role in institutionalizing Christianity within the kingdom, leading to the Bakongo being the first sub-Saharan Africans to embrace Christianity, albeit in their unique interpretation of Roman Catholicism.
Afonso I further solidified diplomatic relations with Portugal through the 1512 Regimento agreement, which recognized Portuguese institutions and granted extraterritorial rights to Portuguese citizens while allowing for the supply of slaves to Portuguese traders. He also expanded Kongo's territorial reach and centralized governance.
However, by 1526, Afonso's peaceful relations with the Portuguese soured when he discovered that they were illegally trading enslaved individuals. In response, he established an administrative system to oversee the slave trade and attempted to restrict Portuguese influence to his kingdom.
Towards the end of Afonso's reign in 1542, disputes arose regarding his succession, leading to political turmoil and even an assassination attempt orchestrated by the Portuguese. The ensuing power struggles ultimately fractured the kingdom into rival factions.
Decline and Division
The Kingdom of Kongo faced significant challenges in 1568 when it was attacked by the Jagas, eastern warriors. The manikongo at that time, Alvaro I Nimi a Lukeni, managed to restore order with Portuguese support, allowing them to establish a foothold in Luanda, which later became part of Angola.
However, tensions escalated when the governor of Angola invaded Kongo in 1622, and from 1641 to 1648, King Garcia II Nkanga a Lukeni allied with the Dutch against the Portuguese. This conflict culminated in the Battle of Mbwila on October 29, 1665, which resulted in a decisive Portuguese victory and the execution of the ruling manikongo, Antonio I Nvita a Nkanga.
Following this battle, the once-unified Kongo Kingdom fractured into two factions, the Kimpanzu and Kinzala, leading to a protracted civil war that persisted into the 18th century. This conflict devastated the countryside and resulted in thousands of Bakongo being sold into the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Legacy and Cultural Revival
In the midst of the turmoil, rival factions created semi-independent regions and instituted a system of rotating kingship, which allowed for a temporary restoration of the monarchy under leaders like Manuel II Nimi a Vuzi and Garcia IV Nkanga a Mvandu. However, ongoing disputes about succession weakened the monarchy.
As the 19th century progressed, Portugal intervened to resolve the succession issue after the death of Henrique II Mpanzu a Nzindi in 1857, leading to the appointment of Pedro V Agua Rosada Lelo. In exchange for increased royal powers over surrounding areas, Pedro V ceded his territory to become part of Portuguese Angola.
The final blow to the Kongo Kingdom occurred with a revolt against Portuguese rule led by Alvaro Buta in 1913-14. The uprising was suppressed, and the kingdom was ultimately absorbed into Angola.
Following this integration, there were strong efforts to revive Kongo nationalism and culture. In 1921, Simon Kimbangu, a member of the English Baptist Mission Church, initiated the Kimbanguism movement, which became a focal point for anti-colonial sentiments in the Belgian Congo. His activism, which challenged both the church and colonial authority, led to his imprisonment, but after his death in 1951, Kimbanguism flourished, eventually gaining legal recognition and becoming a significant religious movement.
European scholars and missionaries, like Georges Balandier and Father Van Wing, contributed to rediscovering the rich history of the Kongo Kingdom. Their efforts inspired Bakongo intellectuals in the Belgian Congo to demand independence, leading to the formation of a political party that won a majority of municipal seats in 1959 and the election of Joseph Kasavubu as the first president of the newly independent DRC in 1960.
Today, the Bakongo are the largest ethnic group in the Republic of Congo and the third largest in Angola. Mbanza-Kongo, once the capital of the kingdom, remains culturally significant and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.
