Kingdom of Kongo and Portugal Form Alliance

Timeline

1. 1512Mbanza Kongo · Democratic Republic of the CongoAfter accession, Afonso I continued his predecessor João I's pro-Portuguese policy, requesting priests, literacy education, and military technical support from Manuel I through envoys and letters, to consolidate royal power and advance Christianization.
2. 1512–1520Coastal and inland trade routes of the Kingdom of Kongo · Congo BasinPortuguese merchants, missionaries, and artisans entered Kongo through posts such as Luanda, importing firearms, textiles, and religious books; Kongo exported ivory, copper goods, and labor, forming a long-term unequal but mutually beneficial transatlantic connection.