Figure 1.-- |
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Little is known about the early inhabitants of the Congo. They may have been primative Pygmies. Gradually the Bantus from the northwest settled most of what is now the Congo. The Bantu population steadily increased and states began to form, several of which grew in size. ome of these states controlled fairly large areas and had sophisticated administrative systems. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach the Congo. The Portuguese at the time were sailing south in an effort to round the African coast and sail east to Asia. Diogo Cão reached the mouth of the Congo River (1482). Eventually the Portuguese expanded their coastal trading osts into the colony of Angola. Arab and Arabized African (Swahili and Nyamwezi) traders from the Indian Ocean coast of modern Tanzania penetrated into central Africa--the eastern Congo. Much of this effort centered on Zanzibar where the Sheik of Oman trasferred his court. The Arabs traded and raided for slaves, ivory, and other commodities. Thus central Africa became an important source of captives for the Indian Ocean slave trade. The Congo Free State, was a far cry from the humanitarian inpulse with which the Victorians justified colonialism. Leopold administered the Congo as his personal property and not a national colony. The people in the the Congo Free State were essentilly turned into slaves worked to enrich Leopold personally. The Belgian Parliament responding to reports of abuses convertedthe Congo Free State into a Belgian colony. The worst excesses of Leopold's rule, especially forced labor, were ended. Enforcement of the new regime ws at irst uneven as the concessionaire companies controlled large areas and the number of Belgian officials were small.
Little is known about the early inhabitants of the Congo. They may have been primative Pygmies. The population was probably small and the pygmies appear to have lived in the equatorial forests located in what is now the north and northeast of the Congo. Eventually Bantu-speaking people migrated from the northwest (modern Nigeria and Cameroon). They moved into
savanna (plains) regions of the southern Congo. The Bantus were more technolgically advanced than the pymaies. They had mastered metalurgical processes incluing iron. There is evidence of Bantu people working copper in Katanga (8th century AD). They also had basic agricultural technology.
Bantu peoples had settled most of the Congo (by the 11th century). The Pygmies were driven into remote forested areas. The Bantu population steadily increased and states began to form, several of which grew in size. ome of these states controlled fairly large areas and had sophisticated administrative systems. The basic governing sytem was monarchy, but the power of the Bantu monarchs was limited by councils variously composed of elders ans cilvil administrators. Several of these kingdoms were particularly notable. The Kongo after which the country was named included much of northern Angola and western Congo (14th century- ). The Luba Empire controlled the area around lakes Kisale and Upemba in central Katanga (early 16th century). The Lunda kingdom of Mwata Yamo became important in the southwesern Congo (15th century- ). The Kuba kingdom was formed by the Shongo people in the southern Congo along the Kasai and Sankuru rivers (early 17th century- ).
The Lunda kingdom wasformed by the Mwata Kazembe along the Luapula River, now the Congo-Zambia boundary (18th century). The Luba were particularly influential. Marriage and trade contacts
helped spread political ideas abnd technology to the Lunda, Many smallLuba-Lunda states were organized in the southern Congo.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach the Congo. The Portuguese at the time were sailing south in an effort to round the African coast and sail east to Asia. Diogo Cão reached the mouth of the Congo River (1482). He sailed only a few miles upstream. The Portuguese established trading posts along the coast of what is modern Angola. From an early point slaves became one of the most valuablr trade commodities, laying the foundation for the Atlantic slave trade. The Portuguese had extensive relations with Ndongo Kingdom which paid tribute to the Kongo. The Portuguese had little influence in the Congo and made no effort to move inland (until the late-18th century). The Portuguese first effort to move inland was to arm African and mulatto traders (pombeiros). Thy began top move into land controlled by the Lunda kingdom. Eventually the Portuguese expanded their coastal trading osts into the colony of Angola.
Arabs from North Africa began penetrating over the Sahara to West Africa soon after Arab conquests. They did not, however reach central Africa. It was Arab and Arabized African (Swahili and Nyamwezi) traders from the Indian Ocean coast of modern Tanzania penetrated into central Africa--the eastern Congo. Much of this effort centered on Zanzibar where the Sheik of Oman trasferred his court. The Arabs traded and raided for slaves, ivory, and other commodities. Thus central Africa became an important source of captives for the Indian Ocean slave trade. The Arabs were more than traders. Some set up quasi-states to support their trading and traiding enterprises.
One of the most important Arab trader state was created by Msiri (a Nyamwezi). He set up his state near Mwata Kazembe encroaching upon the Lunda kingdom (1856). He was an important force in the Congo until Belgian authorities killed him (1891). Muhammad bin Hamad (Tippu Tib) established a another Arab trader state (1860s). Tippu was an Arabized Swahili trader from Zanzibar who was part Nyamwezi. He controlled a substantial area of the eastern Congo northwest of Lake Tanganyika.
Belgium granted independence to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1960). Belgium had done little to prepare the Conglese people for indepebdence. We notice the account of a Western boy in Zaire.
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