Afonso V of Kongo

Afonso V of the Congo (Ndo Mfunsu V in Kikongo and Afonso V in Portuguese) was a Kinlaza manikongo of the Kingdom of Kongo from 1785 to 1787. ^[1]

He succeeded to his brother José I of Kongo without any struggle in April 1785 and was part of the southern faction of the Kanda Kinzala based in Nkondo. He was a king known for his piety and took the pompous title of the powerful Dom Alfonso V, King of Congo, ruler of part of Ethiopia in his letters. ^[2] It is possible he was poisoned by his successor in order to seize the throne. His sudden death caused a period of turmoil within the nation that would not end until Henrique II took the throne. ^[3]

After his death, war once again broke out between the Kinlaza and Kimpanzu over the throne. This provided the Atlantic Slave Trade with a plentiful amount of Kongo captives from 1787 to 1794, when Henrique II took the throne as a compromise. Many of these captives would disembark in the French West Indies ^[4] . It is estimated that up to 62,000 Kongo slaves were trafficked to the Americas during the conflict between the Kimpanzu and Kinlaza factions, between 1780 and 1790. ^[5]

References

1. Kwame Anthony Appiah (2005). Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. Oxford University Press. p. 2. ISBN   978-0-19-517055-9.
2. Thorton, John K. (2000). "Mbanza Kongo/Sao Salvador: Kongo's Holy City". In Anderson, David M.; Rathbone, Richard (eds.). Africa's Urban Past. Oxford: James Currey Ltd. p. 75. ISBN   978-0-85255-761-7.
3. The History Files: Kings of Kongo: http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsAfrica/AfricaAngola.htm
4. Thornton, John K. (1993). "I Am the Subject of the King of Congo": African Political Ideology and the Haitian Revolution". Journal of World History. 4 (2): 187.
5. Thornton, John K. (1993). "I Am the Subject of the King of Congo": African Political Ideology and the Haitian Revolution". Journal of World History. 4 (2): 184.

Sources

• Thornton, John K. (2000). "Mbanza Kongo/Sao Salvador: Kongo's Holy City". In Anderson, David M.; Rathbone, Richard (eds.). Africa's Urban Past. Oxford: James Currey Ltd. pp. 73–78. ISBN   978-0-85255-761-7.

Preceded by José I of Kongo

Manikongo 1785–1787

Succeeded by Álvaro XII of Kongo

• Democratic Republic of the Congo portal
• Republic of the Congo portal