Battle of Mbwila facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Mbwila |
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| Part of the Portuguese colonisation of Africa | |||||||
 A map of the Kingdom of Kongo, as of 1711. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kongo |
 Portugal |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| King António I of Kongo † Aqualtune (POW) |
Captain Luís Lopes de Sequeira | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 21,900–29,000 | 14,150–14,500 2 artillery pieces |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 5,000 men killed or captured including the King, his two sons, his two nephews, four governors, various court officials, 95 title holders and 400 other nobles | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Mbwila (also known as the Battle of Ambuila) was a big fight that happened on October 29, 1665. In this battle, the army from Portugal fought against the army of the Kingdom of Kongo. The Portuguese won, and King António I of Kongo (also called Nvita a Nkanga) of Kongo was killed.
Contents
Why the War Started
For a long time, the Kingdom of Kongo and Portugal were friends and traded with each other. But in 1575, Portugal started a colony called Angola. This made things difficult between them.
Growing Tensions
At first, Kongo even helped Portugal. In 1579, Kongo sent an army to save the Portuguese governor, Paulo Dias de Novais. His war against the Ndongo kingdom was not going well.
However, as Portugal became stronger, they started to push Kongo around. In 1622, a large Portuguese army attacked southern Kongo. They won a battle there called the Battle of Mbumbi.
King Pedro II of Kongo fought back. He led his own army and crushed the Portuguese invasion at the Battle of Mbanda. After this, he asked the Dutch if they wanted to team up. He hoped they could kick the Portuguese out of Angola completely.
Dutch Alliance and Portuguese Return
This alliance finally happened in 1641. Dutch forces took over the city of Luanda, and Kongo's army joined them. The Portuguese had to retreat inland.
But the Dutch and Kongo couldn't finish the job. In 1648, the Portuguese managed to force the Dutch out of Luanda.
After the Dutch left, Portuguese leaders in Angola wanted revenge on Kongo. They also wanted to control the slave trade more. They started attacking small, independent states called Dembos. These states were between Angola and Kongo, and both kingdoms claimed them.
King António I of Kongo was a strong ruler. He was talking with Spain to form an alliance against Portugal. He also sent people to the Dembos areas. He wanted them to join Kongo against the Portuguese, promising help from Spain.
The Spark: Mbwila Succession
In 1665, one of these small kingdoms, Mbwila, had a problem. Different groups were fighting over who should be the next ruler. Both Kongo and Angola sent armies to help their chosen side. This led to the big battle.
The Battle of Mbwila
The battle took place on October 29, 1665. Both armies had marched for days to get there. The battlefield was in the valley of the Ulanga River, south of Mbwila's capital.
Portuguese Forces
The Portuguese army was led by Luís Lopes de Sequeira. Their main force had 450 musketeers (soldiers with guns) and two small artillery cannons.
They also had about 15,000 other soldiers. These included people from the Portuguese colony of Brazil. Some were of African or Native American background. There were also Imbangala and other African fighters.
Kongo Forces
The Kongo army had a large number of archers, probably around 15,000. They also had about 5,000 heavy infantry. These soldiers carried shields and swords.
Kongo also had a musket regiment of 380 men. Twenty-nine of these were Portuguese, led by Pedro Dias de Cabral.
How the Battle Unfolded
The Portuguese set up their positions between steep hills and the river. Their African forces were on the sides. The musketeers formed a diamond shape in the middle, with their cannons. The Imbangala fighters were kept ready as a backup.
King António's army moved forward. They had a front group, followed by three groups of heavy infantry. The archers were on the sides. The Duke of Bengo commanded the backup forces.
At the start, Kongo's archers pushed back most of the Portuguese African archers. Then, Kongo's archers, heavy infantry, and musketeers attacked the Portuguese musketeers.
The fighting was very tough. But the Kongo forces could not break through the Portuguese lines. King António was killed during his final attempt to break through.
After the king died, most of the Kongo army broke apart. The remaining soldiers were only able to get away because the Duke of Bengo and his backup forces fought bravely to protect their retreat.
Losses and Trophies
More than 400 of Kongo's heavy infantry were killed. Many more archers also died. The royal chaplain, a priest named Francisco de São Salvador, was also killed. King António's young son, who was only seven, was captured.
After the battle, the Portuguese buried the king's head with a ceremony. It was placed in a chapel in Luanda. The crown and scepter of Kongo were sent to Lisbon as war trophies.
What Happened Next
Portugal made the regent of Mbwila, D. Isabel, agree to be their vassal. This meant she would be under Portuguese rule. But Portugal couldn't really control the area after their army left. They had to come back in 1693 to try and take control again.
Kongo's Civil War
The biggest result for Kongo was a long civil war. Since King António had no clear heir, the country fell into chaos. This war lasted for 50 years. It caused Kongo to become less centralized and changed it forever. Even in 1700, historians in Kongo saw this battle as a major turning point in their country's history.
Enslavement and New Kingdoms
After the battle, many people were captured. This included nobles and members of the royal family. Some of them were enslaved and taken across the sea to the Portuguese colony of Brazil. It is not known what happened to most of them.
However, before 1670, the sons of Princess Aqualtune appeared in Brazil. She had led a group of soldiers during the battle. Her sons, Ganga Zumba and Ganga Zona, and their sister Sabina, were enslaved on a sugar cane farm.
They led a rebellion on the farm and escaped. Later, they formed their own kingdom called Quilombo dos Palmares. This was a nation of Maroon people, which means they were formerly enslaved people who had escaped and built their own communities. Palmares controlled large parts of northeast Brazil during the Dutch-Portuguese War.
Sabina had a son named Zumbi. He was captured as a child and raised in a church. But he escaped and later became the king of Palmares. He also led the rebellion. Zumbi was killed in 1695 by people called Bandeirantes. After his death, the kingdom of Palmares was destroyed.
Zumbi's son, Camuanga, took over leadership of the rebellion. But after that, it is unknown what happened to them or their family line. Today, Zumbi is seen as a national hero in Brazil.
See also
- African military systems to 1800
- African military systems after 1800
