Kongo people facts for kids
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Herbert Ward, Kongo woman, Central African woman (1910)
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 18,904,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Angola Gabon |
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| Languages | |
| Native languages: Kikongo, Kituba Lingala (minority) Second languages: French (DR Congo, Congo, Gabon) Portuguese (Angola) |
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| Religion | |
| Predominantly Christianity, Kimbanguism and minority Kongo religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Basuku, Bayaka, Bateke and other Bantu peoples |
| Kongo | |
|---|---|
| Person | Musi Kongo, Muisi Kongo, Mwisi Kongo, Mukongo, Nkongo |
| People | Bisi Kongo, Esikongo, Besi Kongo, Bakongo, Akongo |
| Language | Kikongo |
| Country | Kongo dia Ntotila (or Ntotela), Loango, Ngoyo and Kakongo |
The Kongo people (also called Bakongo) are a large group of people in Central Africa. They are mostly known for speaking the Kikongo language. You can find them living along the Atlantic coast in parts of what are now three countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, and Angola. They are one of the biggest groups in these areas.
For centuries, the Kongo people had a strong and well-organized kingdom called the Kingdom of Kongo. This kingdom was very important in Central Africa. They were among the first African groups to meet European traders in the late 1400s. Over time, they faced many challenges, including the forced capture and sale of people, and later, colonial rule. Despite these difficulties, the Kongo people played a big role in helping their nations gain independence. Their rich culture and traditions continue to thrive today.
Contents
What Does "Kongo" Mean?
The name Kongo has a few possible meanings. Some experts think it comes from a local word for "gathering" or "assembly." Others believe it might come from a regional word like "Nkongo," which means "hunter." This suggests someone adventurous and heroic. Another idea is that it means "mountains" in a Bantu language, referring to the mountains where the Congo River flows.
A Journey Through Time: The History of the Kongo People
Ancient Roots
It is hard to know the very first parts of the Kongo people's history. This region of Africa has been home to people for thousands of years. Experts believe the Kongo language started to develop around 950 BCE. The oldest signs of people living in the area are from about 600 BCE in a place called Tchissanga. By the 5th century CE, the Kongo people had settled, farmed, and built complex societies. They had many small kingdoms and leaders by the 1200s.
The Powerful Kingdom of Kongo
The Kingdom of Kongo was a very important and strong kingdom. It was founded before the 14th century. Kings were chosen by nobles, not just inherited. The kingdom had many busy trading centers. Its capital, Mbanza Kongo, was about 200 kilometers inland from the Atlantic coast.
In 1483, Portuguese explorers arrived. They found the Kongo Kingdom to be well-organized with its own money and markets. The Kongo people were open to new ideas. The king at the time, Nzinga a Nkuwu, became Christian in 1491 and took the name João I. Many Kongo nobles also welcomed new ideas and became Catholic. By the early 1500s, Kongo was a Christian kingdom connected with Portugal.
Challenges and Changes: The Era of Forced Labor
At first, the Kongo people traded things like ivory and copper with the Portuguese. But after 1500, the Portuguese started to demand people to work on their sugar plantations. They began buying and then capturing people from the Kongo society. The Kongo king, Afonso I, wrote letters to the King of Portugal, asking them to stop.
However, the demand for captured people grew. By the 1560s, thousands of people were captured each year and sent across the ocean. This led to conflicts and wars. The Kongo people also created songs to warn each other about the arrival of the Portuguese. One famous song is "Malele," meaning "Tragedy."
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The Portuguese sometimes helped the Kongo kingdom in wars, but this made the kingdom rely on them. Sadly, this period also saw unfair and untrue descriptions of African people. These descriptions helped some people justify the capture and sale of humans. The Jaga invasion in 1568, for example, caused great hardship. People were sometimes forced to sell family members due to extreme difficulties. This weakened the kingdom and led to more people being captured.
The Atlantic Journey: Culture Across Oceans
Many Bakongo people were captured during civil wars and conflicts in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. They were often taken as prisoners of war. These captured people were sent to places like Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and parts of the United States.
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Despite the hardships, the Kongo people's culture and beliefs traveled with them. Their traditions helped create new religions and spiritual practices in the Americas. Examples include Hoodoo in the U.S., Palo Mayombe in Cuba, and Candomble Bantu in Brazil. Important Kongo religious ideas, like simbi spirits (water deities) and nkisi spirits (deities in objects), are still seen in these new traditions. The Kongo cosmogram, a special symbol, has also been found in many places where captured people lived.
The Kikongo language also left its mark. Some Kikongo words are still found in languages like Haitian Creole and the Gullah language.
Smaller Kingdoms Emerge
After a major war in 1665, the Kongo kingdom broke into smaller parts. Each part was led by different noble families. The old capital, São Salvador, was destroyed and abandoned. These smaller kingdoms often fought each other, which sadly led to more people being captured and sold.
In the 1700s, a young Kongo woman named Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita started a movement. She said that Mary and Jesus were born in Africa among the Kongo people. She urged all Kongo people to stop fighting and unite. Thousands followed her, but she was seen as a threat by the Portuguese-supported king and missionaries. In 1706, she was arrested and sadly burned.
Colonial Times and Independence
Conflicts continued through the 18th century. The capture and sale of people from Kongo lands kept growing. By 1867, over 5.6 million people from Central Africa were captured and sent across the ocean through these lands. This trade was eventually stopped in the 1840s. It was replaced by the ivory trade, where elephants were hunted for their tusks.
In the late 1800s, European countries divided up Africa. This event is known as the Scramble for Africa. The Kongo people's lands were split among France, Belgium, and Portugal. In the early 1900s, the Kongo people became very active in fighting for Africa's freedom. They worked with other groups to help their nations become independent. The French and Belgian regions became independent in 1960. Angola, the Portuguese region, gained independence in 1975.
Language: How the Kongo People Communicate
The main language of the Kongo people is Kikongo. It is a "macrolanguage," meaning it includes several related languages like Beembe, Doondo, and Vili. There are many different dialects of Kikongo. People from far apart areas might find it hard to understand each other.
In Angola, many Kongo people also speak Portuguese. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo, many speak French or Lingala. Another important language is Kituba, which is a simpler form of Kikongo spoken widely in these countries.
Beliefs and Spirituality
The Kongo people have a rich and complex religious history. When the Kingdom of Kongo first accepted Christianity in the 1500s, they blended it with their existing beliefs.
They believed in a Supreme God called Nzambi and his female partner Nzambici. They also believed in many nature spirits called simbi, nkisi, nkita, and kilundu. Early missionaries used Kongo words to explain Christian ideas. For example, nkisi (meaning holy) was used for "holy," and a church became nzo a nkisi (another shrine). Even after becoming Christian, Kongo people kept both churches and shrines for their smaller deities.
When Kongo people were forced to move to the Americas, their beliefs became the foundation for new spiritual traditions. These include Hoodoo in the United States, Winti in Suriname, Palo in Cuba, Vodou in Haiti, and Candomblé Bantu in Brazil.
The Story of Creation
The Bakongo people believe that the world began as an empty space, like a hollow circle. The creator god Nzambi and his partner Nzambici created a spark of fire called kalûnga. This spark grew into a huge energy inside the empty space. When it got too hot, it broke apart, creating planets, stars, and the sun. The Bakongo call this process luku lwalamba Nzambi, meaning "God created and cooked dough." They see kalûnga as the source of all life and change.
An important part of Bakongo beliefs is the sun's journey. The rising, peaking, setting, and absence of the sun represent the "four moments of the sun." These moments stand for the four stages of life: starting, being born, growing up, and passing away. Everything, from planets to people, goes through these stages. This cycle is shown in the Kongo cosmogram, a circle with a cross inside. The center of the cross is the most powerful point.
Daily Life and Culture
The Bakongo society has many different jobs. Some are farmers who grow foods like cassava, bananas, and maize. They also grow crops like coffee and cacao for trade. Some Kongo people fish and hunt, but many work in factories and trade in towns.
The Kongo people traditionally trace their family lines through their mothers (matrilineality). They value their independence, and villages often like to be self-sufficient. There is a strong belief in spiritual ideas among the Bakongo. They believe in two worlds: a visible world we live in and an invisible world full of powerful spirits. They think these worlds interact and can influence each other.
The Kongo week traditionally had four days: Konzo, Nkenge, Nsona, and Nkandu. These days were named after towns where markets were held in rotation. This meant that every major area had four market locations, each named after one of these days.
A Sense of Identity
The idea of Bakongo unity grew in the early 1900s, especially through newspapers. In 1910, Kavuna Kafwandani wrote an article asking all Kikongo speakers to recognize their shared identity.
The Bakongo people also show their unity and pride through sports like football. Teams are often organized by ethnic groups, and fans cheer passionately. During international games, they come together across different groups to support their country.
Famous Kongo People
Many important people come from the Kongo community. Here are a few examples:
- Alfonso I Nzinga Mvemba: The first Christian king of the Kingdom of Kongo.
- Kimpa Vita: A prophetess from the Kingdom of Kongo who inspired many.
- Simon Kimbangu: A national prophet and leader who resisted colonial rule.
- Joseph Kasa-Vubu: The first President of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Fulbert Youlou: The first President of the Republic of the Congo.
- Arsenio Rodriguez: A famous Afro-Cuban musician.
- Wifredo Lam: A renowned Cuban artist.
