Kongo

The Kingdom of Kongo emerged around 1390 in central Africa through an alliance between the rulers of Mpemba Kasi and Mbata. Its kings ruled from Mbanza Kongo, and their authority extended across several provinces and neighbouring kingdoms.

Portuguese visitors reached the capital in 1491, when the royal family encountered Christianity. King Afonso I, who ruled in the early sixteenth century, promoted conversion, strengthened royal power and corresponded with European rulers as the Atlantic slave trade expanded.