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“The history of the Kingdom of Kongo is very important because it offers a remarkable and valuable insight into the early encounter and relationship between Europe and Africa. Founded by Lukeni Lua Nimi in the 14th century, the Kongo kingdom became one of the largest and most powerful states in Central Africa during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was located on the western coast of Central Africa, specifically in portions of the modern-day African states of Angola, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The kingdom was divided into six important provinces: Soyo, Mbata, Nsundi, Mpangu, Mbamba, and Mpemba. Most of the population lived in villages around the capital city, Mbanza Kongo. The first Portuguese travelers who arrived in Mbanza Kongo described the capital not only as a large and densely populated city surrounded by rain forests but also as an important popular place for trade among all the people who lived in the various parts of the Congo River’s huge basin.
The economic structure of the kingdom was primarily defined by a centralized system of taxation characterized by a hierarchy of collectors. Village chiefs collected taxes from people in villages and brought them to provincial governors. These governors were instructed to gather all the resources that were collected in villages and bring them to the king, who rewarded the governors with gifts. Within the kingdom, agriculture was the basis of production. The whole community in each village owned lands, and each harvest was divided among families, with a portion set aside for the payment of taxes.”
-Saheed Aderinto, African Kingdoms
