Kongo

Question 1

Why was the Portuguese seizure of Luanda important?

Answer 1

• gave Portugal control over slave trade hub, weakening Kongo’s autonomy
• shift to Portuguese aggression; Kongo more dependent to Portuguese trade
• enabled later conflicts e.g Battle of Mbwila

Question 2

How did Afonso I transform Kongo?

Answer 2

Christianity: - made Catholicism the state religion e.g. reference to St James’ miracle in a battle in Kongo coat of arms - religious legitimacy

Bureaucracy: - created titles e.g. dukes/counts, reinforces loyalty
- school for 400 pupils, loyal literate elite

Diplomacy: - active correspondence with Portugal & Vatican, made Kongo relevant in Catholic politics
- son Henrique made a bishop in 1518 - Kongo has a say in Church matters

Slave trade: - initially regulated s.t.
- Portuguese abuses e.g. enslavement of free Kongolese, bribery, trading directly with local chiefs
-> wrote to King Joao III in 1526 - attempt was unsuccessful

Question 3

Which factor was more important in Kongo’s rise: geography or alliances?

Answer 3

Geography: - near Malebo Pool (River Congo) = trade with both interior regions and coastal areas
- Nsundi rich in iron = weapons for military, tools for building
- Mbanza Kongo on a defensible mountain

Alliances: - marriage of Nimi a Nzima & Lukeni lua Nsanze unified powerful Kikongo-speaking groups, creating legitimacy
- Kanda system allowed governance of provinces through family ties = loyalty without direct conquest

Geography made expansion possible, alliances made it sustainable - prevented fracturing into regional powers.

Question 4

Why was the Battle of Mbwila (1665) a turning point?

Answer 4

• death of Antonio I, collapse of central authority -> succession crises (15 rival kings in 40 years following)
• confirmed Portugal’s military superiority, deepens their influence in Kongo - controls Luanda, a key slave trade route, weakens Kongo’s economic power
• Soyo acts independently, aligns itself with Dutch

Question 5

Kanda system

Answer 5

• matrilineal kinship clans e.g. Mwissikongo
• allowed for shared elite identity & peaceful integration of provinces (loyalty without direct conquest) - federalism
• BUT fuelled violent succession disputes after Antonio I’s death e.g. Kimpanzu & Kanlaza, made Kongo weak

Question 6

Did the slavery benefit Kongo?

Answer 6

Short term, yes: - elites gained power, used profits to build army e.g. Garcia II’s slave army
Long term, no: - Portugal seized Luanda (1575), cutting Kongo off from key trade routes
- enslavement of freeborns led to resistance e.g. Antonian revolt 1704
- Afonso I’s 1526 letter condemned kidnapping and abuses

Question 7

Antonianism

Answer 7

Causes: Portuguese enslavement of freeborn Kongolese, elite corruption, Dona Beatriz combined Catholicism with Kongo traditions

Goals: end civil war (after BofMbwila), end to slave trade, return to moral leadership

Outcome: suppressed by Pedro IV, Beatriz executed in 1706, but exposed deep anger in society

Question 8

How was Christianity used as a political tool?

Answer 8

Afonso I: -Christian bureaucracy centralised authority e.g. European titles
- claimed divine support e.g. St James’ miracle in 1526 battle in Mbanza Kongo
- appointed son Henrique as bishop (creating a Kongolese-led Church)
- ne vunda integrated into Chritian rites
- took oath of obedience to Pope in 1513 - tool for diplomacy
- built schools for 400 pupils, tithe to support religious teaching - loyal literate elite

Diogo I: - used Christianity instrumentally - rejected bishop of Sao Tome (1547) when he overstepped authority
- limited missionary activity in 1540, denounced a conspiracy
- banned most Europeans in 1555
- criticised by missionaries for his “scandalous ways of living”

Alvaro I: - sought to balance Portuguese influence by engaging with other countries
- formed Luso-African bourgeoisie
- literate bureaucratic class that supported monarchy
- sent repeated embassies to kings of Portugal & Spain + Pope for support
- BUT failed to free Kongo from Portuguese tutelage, did not achieve goal of placing Kongo directly under Holy See

Question 9

Jaga Invasion 1568-1573

Answer 9

• “Jaga” sacked Mbanza Kongo, King Alvaro I forced to flee, breakdown in internal security
• Alavro I turns to Portuguese for help, they send 600 soldiers - increased Kongo’s reliance on Portugal
• Jaga began capturing Kongolese and selling them to Portuguese - power shifts to slaving groups away from central government
• exposed military weakness without foreign support
• intensified ties to Portugal
• weakened central authority