Central African Kingdoms Central Africa is a region of
Africa located in the center-most western area of the continent. Many kingdoms thrived in
Central Africa. These kingdoms were typically primary or secondary kingdoms. Primary kingdoms gain power by being the only state or society that exists; these kingdoms are located near environmentally rich areas that benefit society. Secondary kingdoms are created by breaking away from the primary kingdom. Secondary kingdoms focus on the value of agriculture and having an abundance of farmland. Group B kingdoms have no central government and no defined
hierarchy. Mbande a
Ngola was elected ruler of Ndongo after Kasenda in 1592 and ruled until 1617. He had a chief wife who was the daughter of a provincial ruler. Mbande a
Ngola also had numerous
concubines and children. His chief wife was the mother of his oldest son. However, with his favorite concubine, Kengela ka Nkombe, he had four children. The eldest of these children was his son, Ngola Mbande. His three daughters consisted of
Nzinga, Kambu, and Funji. The oldest of the daughters, Nzinga, was 10 years old when her father Mbande became
Ngola.
Slave trade One of the earliest forms of
slavery was developed in
Madagascar. Kingdoms in Madagascar would capture
prisoners of war and keep them in captivity until a
ransom was paid for their release. Rarely were prisoners killed or kept after their
ransom had been paid. In the 16th century,
colonizers began to enter the African continent. The concept of
forced labor had begun to gain traction across the globe and the
Transatlantic Slave Trade began in the 1500s. The Transatlantic Slave Trade involved the capturing of African peoples and transporting them across the
Atlantic Ocean to be used as unpaid workers or
"slaves." The Portuguese The Portuguese entered the Kingdom of Ndongo in 1575. Portuguese
colonizers took interest in Ndongo because of its proximity to the Central African coast where most ships entered and departed from during the Slave Trade. The Kingdom of Ndongo complied with the Portuguese for many years. The Portuguese took Ndongo citizens as prisoners in return for helping the kingdom expand by providing them with the technology to get around environmental hazards such as waterfalls. == Notable aspects ==