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Nzinga a Nkuwu (João I)

Nzinga a Nkuwu (João I)

?1506 CE · Mbanza-Kongo

Nzinga a Nkuwu ruled the Kingdom of Kongo in the late 15th century and was the first of its kings to encounter the Portuguese, whose first mission reached his court in 1483. In 1491 he accepted Christian baptism, taking the name João I, and opened relations with Portugal that brought missionaries, artisans, and new trade. His conversion began the long and complex relationship between Kongo and Catholic Europe, though he is said to have distanced himself from the new faith later in life. He was succeeded by his son, Afonso I.

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Stop 1 of 1Seat Of Power

Mbanza-Kongo

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In Mbanza-Kongo at the same time

Afonso I of Kongo

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The world in their lifetime

Thinkers, teachers, and rulers whose lives overlapped with Nzinga a Nkuwu (João I)’s — a glimpse of the wider world they lived in. Drawn purely from recorded birth and death years.

Works

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