Two other kingdoms in Southwest Africa, the Kingdoms of Luba and Kongo, were formed south of Benin and Yoruba along the Congo River. Agriculture had developed south of the equator by A.D. 800. It was the Kongolo people, who practiced intensive agriculture, who formed the Luba Kingdom (1000-1600). Individuals who were leaders of their own kinship groups assumed economic and political power through the wealth acquired from the land. These leaders united several villages and developed a state. The Luba Kingdom was ruled by a feudal system - a hierarchical system with the king at the top, delegating authority to the level of leaders below. In turn, the second-level leaders delegated authority to a third level of leaders below them.
The Kingdom of Kongo (1200-1600) rose slowly on the coast of Southwest Africa. It is the most famous of all the kingdoms south of the Sudan because of the numerous written sources describing the kingdom. The Kongo Kingdom was a Sudanic-type of state, where the incorporating smaller states, the king ruled over a series of provinces, each ruled by governors. Trade was controlled by the king. He lived in the capital city, Mbanza, which served several functions. The capital was a fortress, and the king's court was located within it. It was also a trading center between the coast and the interior, and it served as religious center.
The Kongo Kingdom was the first African kingdom to be visited by the Portuguese in 1483. The Portuguese traded with the Africans, demanding primarily slaves. At first, the relations were diplomatic and peaceful, but they soon turned ugly and led to the downfall of the Kongo Kingdom. The most famous Kongo king was Alfonso I (1506-1543), who wrote a number of letters to the Portuguese government, complaining of the effects of enslaving the dual nature of the Portuguese's interest in Africa - slaves and the conversion of the Africans to Christianity. |
