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Afonso I (Kongo)

Type Figure Region Kingdom of Kongo Time c. 1456–1543 Also known as Afonso, King of Kongo

Manikongo of Kongo (r. c. 1509–1543) who made Christianity the court religion, built church institutions, and resisted Portuguese slave raiding.

Timeline

  1. 1491–1509Mbanza Kongo · Kingdom of KongoBaptized in 1491 together with his father Nzinga a Nkuwu, he prevailed in a fraternal struggle for the throne in 1509, made Christianity the court religion, and began introducing Portuguese missionaries and a chancery system.
  2. 1511–1520Mbanza Kongo · Kingdom of KongoBetween 1511 and 1520 he built churches and established parishes in the capital, sent noble youths to study in Lisbon, and exchanged letters with Manuel I; he also issued decrees against the illegal seizure of his subjects as slaves, asserting royal control over trade.
  3. 1520–1543Mbanza Kongo · Kingdom of KongoIn his later years he continued to negotiate with Portugal over the slave trade and church appointments, and Christianization reached the grassroots, but the expansion of Portuguese São Tomé's influence deepened his fear that royal control over foreign relations was slipping.

Sources