King+Nzinga+Mbemba

King Nzinga Mbemba, also known as Afonso I of Kongo, reigned from 1509 to 1543. He vigorously took on European culture when he took the throne from his father. He made Portuguese the offical language of state business and adopted Christianity as the state religion though in fact most subjects, esspecially those living in the hinterlands remained followers of the ancient religions. Towards Afonso's death Kongo was on the verge of disintergartion, and as many African rulers would learn, this was due to the introduction of European products and culture that caused widespread dissension among the peoples. In 1526 King Nzinga Mbemba wrote several letters to the ruler of Protugal, King Joao III. These were primarily in complaint of the slave trade and the ruthlessness of Portuguese slave traders who were undermining King Nzinga Mbema's authority by making free Africans slaves and not taking the prisoners of war that were supplied to them. King Afonso threatened to close the trade altogether but instead created an examination system to check the legality of each slave.

Created by Ian Worthington 12/11/08 Edited by Frances Grimball 12/11/08