João I of Kongo
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João I of Kongo, alias Nzinga a Nkuwu or Nkuwu Nzinga, was ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo between 1470-1509. He was baptized as João in 3 May 1491 by Portuguese missionaries.
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[edit] Early reign
King Nzinga a Nkuwu was the fourth or fifth ruler of Kongo.[1] He was married to Queen Nzinga a Nlaza, a first cousin.[2] She had a son by the king named Nzinga Mbemba. She would later help him become king of Kongo after her husband's death.[2] Under the reign of Nzinga a Nkuwu, Kongo had grown to 100,000 square kilometres and contained a very centralised government.[3]
[edit] Arrival of the Portuguese
In 1483, a Portuguese caravel captained by Diogo Cão reached the estuary of the Congo River and made contact with subjects of the king.[4] Cao sailed back to Portugal carrying a party of Kongo emissaries. On arrival in Lisbon, the emissaries were baptized and placed in a monastery before returning to the king in 1491.[5]
Along with the emissaries came Portuguese priests, masons carpenters and soldiers plus European goods.[5] The ships anchored at Mpinda and after a brief halt to baptise the governor of Soyo, uncle to the manikongo, the procession went on to the capital where they were greeted by the king and 5 of his leading nobles.[5]
[edit] Baptisms and Later Relations
On 3 May 1491, the king of Kongo was baptised along with his family.[6] Initially, only the king and his nobles were to be converted, but the queen demanded to be baptised.[2] Kongo's royal family took the names of their Portuguese counterparts, thus Joäo, Eleanor (or Leanor in some instances) and Afonso.[7] A thousand subjects were detailed to help the Portuguese carpenters build a church, meanwhile the Portuguese soldiers accompanied the king in a campaign to defend the province of Nsundi from BaTeke raiders.[6] The European firearms were decisive in the victory and many captives were taken.[6]
[edit] Later life
Most of the Portuguese later departed with slaves and ivory while leaving behind priests and craftsmen.[6]After this cultural honeymoon, the king's profession of the Catholic faith proved short lived.[6] His life ended in 1509. He was succeeded by his son via the Queen, Afonso I.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Oliver, Roland and Anthony Atmore: "Medieval Africa, 1250-1800", page 167. Cambridge University Press, 2001
- ^ a b c d Thornton, John: "Elite Women in the Kingdom of Kongo: Historical Perspectives on Women's Political Power", page 442. The Journal of African History, Vol. 47, 2006
- ^ Thornton, John: "Elite Women in the Kingdom of Kongo: Historical Perspectives on Women's Political Power", page 438. The Journal of African History, Vol. 47, 2006
- ^ Oliver, Roland and Anthony Atmore: "Medieval Africa, 1250-1800", page 168. Cambridge University Press, 2001
- ^ a b c Oliver, Roland and Anthony Atmore: "Medieval Africa, 1250-1800", page 169. Cambridge University Press, 2001
- ^ a b c d e Oliver, Roland and Anthony Atmore: "Medieval Africa, 1250-1800", page 170. Cambridge University Press, 2001
- ^ Hilton, Anne: "Family and Kinship among the Kongo South of the Zaire River from the Sixteenth to the Nineteenth Centuries", page 197. The Journal of African History, Vol. 24, No. 2, 1983
[edit] See also
| Preceded by Nkuwu a Ntinu |
Manikongo 1470 - 1509 |
Succeeded by Afonso I |
