Kakongo was a small kingdom located on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, in the modern-day Republic of the Congo and Cabinda Province, Angola. Along with its neighboring kingdoms of Ngoyo and Loango, Kakongo became an important political commercial center during the 17th through 19th centuries. The people speak a dialect of the Kikongo language and thus may be considered a part of the Bakongo ethnicity. Kakongo was a vassal of the Kingdom of Kongo for a part of its history.
Kingdom of Kakongo
15th century–1885
Royal banner (c. 1883)
Henry Morton Stanley's map of the area during his expedition down the Congo River
The earliest history of Kakongo is unknown, and oral traditions collected in the region in the 19th and 20th centuries do not do much to elucidate.[1] In its present state, archaeology can only attest that the region was already in the Iron Age by the 5th century BC, and that complex societies were emerging in the general vicinity by the early centuries CE.
The kingdom is first mentioned in the titles of the King of Kongo Afonso I in 1535, in which he notes that he was king over this region, as well as a number of others located along the north bank of the Congo River.[2] This title has led historians to believe that Kakongo was once part of a federation of states that included Kongo and that may have formed around the late 14th century. Kakongo was, however, an independent state for all intents and purposes from the 16th century onward. Portuguese merchants, interested in the trade in copper, ivory, and slaves, began to establish factories in Kakongo in the 1620s, and Dutch and English merchants also visited the kingdom during the 17th century. Its capital was called Kinguele and was an inland town.
In the 1680s Kakongo had diplomatic relations with Soyo on the south side of the Congo River. It lost control of the island of Nzari a Kongo in the river to Soyo in about 1688.[3]
Commercial centeredit
Kakongo became a very important commercial center in the 18th century, regularly visited by ships from England, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Its port of Cabinda was a major hub that lay in a protected bay. Slaves dominated the exports of the country, though most were simply transhipped from areas further south, mostly from the Kingdom of Kongo and the eastern provinces of Angola, such as Matamba.
Important goods that were also traded included gunpowder, guns, knives, cotton cloths, glass beads, copper and iron bars. In 1775, French missionaries sought to convert the kingdom, along with its neighbors, to Christianity, hoping to reap the fruit of its long association with the neighboring, Christian, Kingdom of Kongo. The mission was largely unsuccessful but did make contact with a community of Christians from Kongo's province of Soyo, living in the town of Manguenzo in the interior. The mission was ultimately abandoned.
Notesedit
^Phillipson, David W. (2005) African Archaeology (3rd edition) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, page 295, ISBN978-0-521-54002-5
^Martin, Phyllis M. (1972) The external trade of the Loango Coast, 1576-1870: the effects of changing commercial relations on the Vili Kingdom of Loango Clarendon Press, Oxford, England, page 31, OCLC 635840790
kakongo, small, kingdom, located, atlantic, coast, central, africa, modern, republic, congo, cabinda, province, angola, along, with, neighboring, kingdoms, ngoyo, loango, became, important, political, commercial, center, during, 17th, through, 19th, centuries,. Kakongo was a small kingdom located on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa in the modern day Republic of the Congo and Cabinda Province Angola Along with its neighboring kingdoms of Ngoyo and Loango Kakongo became an important political commercial center during the 17th through 19th centuries The people speak a dialect of the Kikongo language and thus may be considered a part of the Bakongo ethnicity Kakongo was a vassal of the Kingdom of Kongo for a part of its history Kingdom of Kakongo15th century 1885Royal banner c 1883 Henry Morton Stanley s map of the area during his expedition down the Congo RiverCapitalKingueleCommon languagesKikongoReligionOfficial BukongoGovernmentMonarchyHistory Established15th century Coast occupied by Portugal1883 Incorporated into Portuguese Angola1885Early history editThe earliest history of Kakongo is unknown and oral traditions collected in the region in the 19th and 20th centuries do not do much to elucidate 1 In its present state archaeology can only attest that the region was already in the Iron Age by the 5th century BC and that complex societies were emerging in the general vicinity by the early centuries CE The kingdom is first mentioned in the titles of the King of Kongo Afonso I in 1535 in which he notes that he was king over this region as well as a number of others located along the north bank of the Congo River 2 This title has led historians to believe that Kakongo was once part of a federation of states that included Kongo and that may have formed around the late 14th century Kakongo was however an independent state for all intents and purposes from the 16th century onward Portuguese merchants interested in the trade in copper ivory and slaves began to establish factories in Kakongo in the 1620s and Dutch and English merchants also visited the kingdom during the 17th century Its capital was called Kinguele and was an inland town In the 1680s Kakongo had diplomatic relations with Soyo on the south side of the Congo River It lost control of the island of Nzari a Kongo in the river to Soyo in about 1688 3 Commercial center editKakongo became a very important commercial center in the 18th century regularly visited by ships from England France the Netherlands and Portugal Its port of Cabinda was a major hub that lay in a protected bay Slaves dominated the exports of the country though most were simply transhipped from areas further south mostly from the Kingdom of Kongo and the eastern provinces of Angola such as Matamba Important goods that were also traded included gunpowder guns knives cotton cloths glass beads copper and iron bars In 1775 French missionaries sought to convert the kingdom along with its neighbors to Christianity hoping to reap the fruit of its long association with the neighboring Christian Kingdom of Kongo The mission was largely unsuccessful but did make contact with a community of Christians from Kongo s province of Soyo living in the town of Manguenzo in the interior The mission was ultimately abandoned Notes edit Phillipson David W 2005 African Archaeology 3rd edition Cambridge University Press Cambridge England page 295 ISBN 978 0 521 54002 5 Martin Phyllis M 1972 The external trade of the Loango Coast 1576 1870 the effects of changing commercial relations on the Vili Kingdom of Loango Clarendon Press Oxford England page 31 OCLC 635840790 John K Thornton History of West Central Africa to 1850 p 202 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kakongo amp oldid 1174235012, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
