Manikongo of the Kingdom of Kongo, Congo and Angola Territory

Kingdom of Kongo was a royal state founded in 1390 by the kongo speaking people. It stretched from western Congo DRC, Congo Brazzaville, south Gabon and north Angola. Its capital was at Mbanza Kongo which is a UNESCO world heritage site today located in northern Angola after the drawing of colonial boundaries that are used today.

The Kingdom was ruled by a king or ruler called Mwene-Kongo meaning ruler of Kongo but the Portuguese colonialists couldn’t pronounce the name so they corrupted it to Manikongo. He ruled Kongo in its extensive area including the vassal kingdoms like Matamba. Hence his title By the grace of God King of Kongo, of Loango, of Kakongo and of Ngoyo, on this side of the Zaire and beyond it, Lord of the Ambundu and of Angola, of Aquisima, of Musuru, of Matamba, of Malilu, of Musuko and Anzizo, of the conquest of Pangu-Alumbu, etc”

Royal Titles

• Mwenekongo -Title for King/Emperor of Kongo people/ kingdom (Corrupted by whites to Manikongo)
• Infante – Prince (adopted from Portuegese influence)
• Mfumu – title meaning Lord or Chief
• Ntinu – Title for lesser vassal Kings under Kongo eg King of Soyo
• Soba – Title for Chief

List of 64 Kings

• 1 MweneKongo Lukeni lua Nimi –
• 2 MweneKongo Nanga
• 3 MweneKongo Nlaza
• 4 MweneKongo Nkuwu a Ntinu
• 5 MweneKongo Joao I Nzinga a Nkuwu
• 6 MweneKongo Afonso I Mvemba a Nzinga
• 7 MweneKongo Pedro I Nkanga a Mvemba
• 8 MweneKongo Francisco I
• 9 MweneKongo Diogo I Nkumbi a Mpudi
• 10 MweneKongo Afonso II Mpemba a Nzinga
• 11 MweneKongo Bernardo I of Kongo
• 12 MweneKongo Henrique I Nerika a Mpudi
• 13 MweneKongo Álvaro I Nimi a Lukeni lua Mvemba
• 14 MweneKongo Álvaro II Nimi a Nkanga
• 15 MweneKongo Bernardo II Nimi a Nkanga
• 16 MweneKongo Álvaro III Nimi a Mpanzu
• 17 MweneKongo Pedro II Nkanga a Mvika
• 18 MweneKongo Garcia I Mvemba a Nkanga
• 19 MweneKongo Ambrósio I Nimi a Nkanga
• 20 MweneKongo Álvaro IV Nzinga a Nkuwu
• 21 MweneKongo Álvaro V Mpanzu a Nimi
• 22 MweneKongo Álvaro VI Nimi a Lukeni a Nzenze a Ntumba
• 23 MweneKongo Garcia II Nkanga a Lukeni a Nzenze a Ntumba
• 24 MweneKongo António I Nvita a Nkanga
• Civil War from 1665 – 1709
  • Different Kings of varoius divisions like Sao salvador, Kibangu, Nkondo, Lemba Mbula, Mbamba Lovata
• Reunification in 1709
• MweneKongo Pedro IV Nusamu a Mvemba of the House of the Agua Rosada (ruled Kibangu December 1695 – early 1709; ruled reunited kingdom from São Salvador February 1709 – 21 February 1718)
• MweneKongo Manuel II Mpanzu a Nimi of the House of Kimpanzu (ruled February 1718 – 21 April 1743)
• MweneKongo Garcia IV Nkanga a Mvandu of the House of Kinlaza from Mbula (ruled 27 July 1743 – 31 March 1752)
• MweneKongo Nicolau I Misaki mia Nimi of the House of Kimpanzu (ruled 27 August 1752 – post 1758)
• MweneKongo Afonso IV Nkanga a Nkanga of the House of Kinlaza
• MweneKongo António II Mvita a Mpanzu of the House of Kimpanzu
• MweneKongoSebastião I Nkanga kia Nkanga of the House of Kinlaza
• MweneKongo Pedro V Ntivila a Nkanga of the House of Kimpanzu (ruled September 1763 – 1764)
• MweneKongo Álvaro XI Nkanga a Nkanga of the House of Kinlaza from Nkondo (ruled May 1764 – 1778)
• MweneKongo José I Mpasi a Nkanga of the House of Kinlaza[27] (ruled 1778–1785)
• MweneKongo Afonso V of Kongo of the House of Kinlaza from Nkondo (ruled 1785–1787)
• MweneKongo Álvaro XII of Kongo of the House of Kinlaza from Nkondo (ruled 1787–unknown)
• MweneKongo Aleixo I Mpanzu a Mbandu (ruled unknown–1793)
• MweneKongo Joaquim I of Kongo (ruled 1793–94)
• MweneKongo Henrique II Masaki ma Mpanzu (ruled 10 January 1794 – 1803)
• MweneKongo Garcia V Nkanga a Mvemba (ruled 1803 – start 1830)
• MweneKongo André II Mvizi a Lukeni (ruled start 1830–1842)
• MweneKongo Henrique III Mpanzu a Nsindi a Nimi a Lukeni (ruled 1842 – January 1857)
• MweneKongo Álvaro XIII of Kongo, also known as Ndongo, (ruled January 1857 – 7 August 1859)
• MweneKongo Pedro V Elelo – 7 August 1859 to February 1891.He was a nephew of his Henrique III. Signed a treaty of vassalage with Portugal in 1888. He was the 6th king named Pedro, but signed his correspondence as Pedro V, thus ignoring the Pedro V who had ruled from 1763 to 1764.
• MweneKongo Álvaro XIV – February 1891 18 November 1896. He was a nephew of his predecessor. Also known as Água Rosada.
• MweneKongo Henrique IV – 1896 1901. He was a half-brother of his predecessor. Also known as Tekenge.
• MweneKongo Pedro VI – 1901 1910. He was a nephew of Álvaro XIV. Also known as Mbemba.
• MweneKongo Manuel Nkomba – 1910 1911 Manikongo. He was a son of his predecessor. He was not awarded the title of Manuel III.
• MweneKongo Manuel III – reigned from 1911 to 1914. He was a uncle of his predecessor. Also known as Kiditu. The Portuguese abolished the title of King of Kongo following the revolt of 1914
• Mwenekongo Álvaro XV Afonso – also known as Nzinga,- ruled 1915–1923
• Mwenekongo Dom  Pedro VII – reigned from 1923 to 1955
• Mwenekongo Dom Dom Antonio III – reigned 1955 – 1957
• Regent Mwenekongo Queen Dona Isabela de Gama – wife of Antonio III, ruled as regent from 1957 to 1962
• Mwenekongo Pedro IX Afonso Mansala – reigned in 1962 dying the same year
• Regent Mwenekongo Queen Dona Isabela de Gama – wife of Antonio III, ruled as regent from 1962 to 1975. She died in the 1990s

Since 1975 or 1990s, the royal houses each have their own successor and haven’t decided on one. They include

• Dom Josè Henrique da Silva Meso Mankala since 2000.
• Yves Nzinga
• Manuel Alfonso Nzinga

The government of Angola also appointed a royal court custodian of Kongo customs – Afonso Mendes

Manikongo Dom Antonio III of Kongo

Manikongo (Mwene-Kongo) Dom Antonio III of Kongo kingdom succeded his late father Dom Pedro VII of Kongo after his death in 1955 reigning for only two years until 1957 when he died of an heart attack.
His wife Queen Dona Isabela de Gama therefore became regent from 1957 until 1975. She died in the 1990s.
Here pictured with  their 3 daughters.

Manikongo Dom Pedro VII of Kongo

Manikongo (Mwene-Kongo) Dom  Pedro VII of Kongo kingdom, Congo region and his wife Queen Dona Isabela de Afonso Nzinga.
He reigned from 1923-1955 and was succeeded by his son Manikongo Dom Antonio III.

M’banza Kongo

M’banza Kongo formerly known as Sao Salvador was the royal capital of the Kingdom of Kongo. It hosts various places of significance for Kongo. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, it has a royal Museum of the Kings of Kongo in the grounds of the former royal palace. The museum hosts various royal artefacts incluing the Queens crown of the Kongo kingdom though many were lost during the civil war. Yala Nkuwu tree also has survived where the King met his hosts

• Crown of Kongo – Back in the original days, the King/,Manikongo/Mwenekongo had a towered crown made of iron and cloth per the making of the black smiths of the day, the crown and scepter were lost at the battle of Mbwila in 1665 and sent back to Portugal. A new set of crowns were made and lost from that time till 1830s. There was an iron crown made from a portugese canon but it was destroyed during the Kongo civil war of 1857-59 in 1859/60. The first head it sat on was Pedro the V (VI) then from there nearly every Manikongo has worn it since besides 2 because of 2 short of a reign. The Crown is made of bronze and engraved like they use to be back in the day good craftsmanship. The Kings crown is missing but the crown commonly seen is the queens version. The Kings version worn on celebration days and on certain occasions was destroyed in the Angolan civil war. the battle of Mbanza Kongo with the fall of FNLA and Roberto Holdens forces the MPLA forces looted and destroyed much of the historical district of the city. Queen Dona Isabela de Gama therefore became regent from 1957 until 1975 and continued to wear it. She died in the 1990s.

Appreciation to Mfumu Martin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kongo

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