Kingdom of Ndongo

The Kingdom of Ndongo was an important African state that existed many years ago in a place called the highlands between the Lukala and Kwanza Rivers, in what we now call Angola. People often called it Angola or Dongo in the past.

We first hear about the Kingdom of Ndongo in the sixteenth century. It was one of several smaller states that owed loyalty to a bigger kingdom called Kongo, but Ndongo was the strongest of these smaller states. The ruler of Ndongo was known as the Ngola.

Not much was written about Ndongo in the very early 1500s. By 1535, the word "Angola" appeared as one of the titles used by the King of Kongo, which suggests Ndongo was somewhat under Kongo’s control. Stories passed down by people in Ndongo, collected later in the sixteenth century by a Jesuit named Baltasar Barreira, told of the kingdom’s founder, Ngola Kiluanje (also called Ngola Inene). He was described as someone who came from Kongo and became a leader of a group of people who spoke the Kimbundu language.

Political structure

The land of the Mbundu people was ruled by a king called the Ngola. He lived with his family in the capital city, called the kabasa. The kingdom was divided into areas ruled by nobles known as sobas. These sobas governed their own lands, called murinda, and paid tribute to the Ngola. They also fought for the kingdom in wars. Sometimes, sobas would team up during internal conflicts, creating larger areas called kandas.

The Ngola relied on important officials to help run the kingdom. The main advisor was the tendala, who could rule when the Ngola was away. Below him was the military commander, called ngolambole. The Ngola also had many bureaucrats called makotas, who helped manage the capital and give advice. These included officials who handled the palace, food and taxes, religious matters, and served as the kingdom's priest. The king also listened to a spiritual leader called a nganga marinda, who was believed to connect with the ancestors.

The kingdom had special titles for nobles. The court was called the o-mbala, and the title for a chief was se-kulu, meaning "old father." There were also titles similar to counts, dukes, and barons. By the sixteenth century, the rulers of Ndongo had united most of these regions. The capital city, Kabasa (Caculo Cabaça), was located near modern-day N'dalatando and was a big, busy town with up to 50,000 people.

Social structure

The Kingdom of Ndongo was made up mostly of free people called ana murinda, meaning "children of the murinda". There were also two groups of enslaved people. The ijiko or kijikos were captured during wars and tied to certain lands as serfs, but they could not be sold. The abika or mubikas were war captives who could be bought, sold, or passed down.

Ndongo had strict rules about slavery and sending enslaved people away. To make sure no free person or kijiko was taken unfairly, the kingdom would talk to every enslaved person meant for export. Their situation had to be proven fair before they could be sold outside the kingdom.

History

The Mbundu people created the Kingdom of Ndongo under a king from the Ngola dynasty. They used their skills in crafts, farming, and trade to become important in the area. They built large farming towns, honored their ancestors and gods, and set up ways to protect their land.

In 1518, a king from Ndongo asked Portugal to send priests to learn more about Europeans. Priests came in 1520, but they had to leave because of local problems. Later, around 1556, Ndongo tried again to get help from Portugal. Portuguese leaders weren’t sure if Ndongo truly wanted to become a friend. In 1560, another group from Portugal arrived but failed to make progress.

By 1571, Portugal decided to take control of the area called Angola. They tried to conquer land but couldn’t do it alone, so they worked with nearby groups.

In 1579, leaders from Portugal were told that Portugal planned to take over Ndongo. A leader in Ndongo tricked the Portuguese and attacked them. This started a war. Portugal built forts and took some land, but Ndongo fought back with help from nearby groups. In 1599, Portugal and Ndongo agreed on a border.

During the early 1600s, Portugal kept trying to expand. They worked with a group called the Imbangala to attack Ndongo. In 1617, a new leader from Portugal started attacking Ndongo with help from the Imbangala. They captured the capital and took many people from Ndongo.

A leader named Nzinga tried to make peace, but Portugal didn’t keep its promises. This led to more fighting. Nzinga became the ruler and continued to fight against Portugal. She moved to another kingdom called Matamba and continued to lead from there.

Filipe I, a leader who worked with Portugal, later felt treated unfairly. He rebelled against Portugal in 1670, but Portugal captured his fortress in 1671, ending Ndongo’s independence.

Main article: Battle of Pungo Andongo

Military

The Ndongo army did not use shields for protection. Instead, soldiers were trained to move quickly to avoid arrows, javelins, and spears. They practiced a special fighting style called Sanguar, which involved moving very fast and changing directions to dodge attacks.

The army had special groups called quimbares for fighting. Sometimes, they hired help from Portuguese soldiers. They also had a special group known as the "Flower of Angola" who worked only for the king. Their weapons included swords, battle axes, and later, muskets. In battles, the army was organized into groups with a center and wings, and they could build wooden forts for protection during campaigns. They also had river boats used for travel and fighting.