The Kasanje Kingdom (1620–1910), also known as the Jaga Kingdom, was a
Central Africa
Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries accordin ...
n state. It was formed in 1620 by a mercenary band of
Imbangala
The Imbangala or Mbangala were divided groups of warriors and marauders who worked as hired mercenaries in 17th-century Angola and later founded the Kasanje Kingdom.
Origins
The Imbangala were people, possibly from Central Africa, who appeared ...
, which had deserted the
Portuguese ranks. The state gets its name from the leader of the band, Kasanje, who settled his followers on the upper Kwango River. The Kasanje people were ruled by the Jaga, a
king who was elected from among the three clans who founded the kingdom.
History
In the 1650s the intellectuals of Kasanje developed a largely fiction history that sought to give meaning and stability to the state. This history claimed a Zimbo and Tendo Andumba, and their daughter Tendo Anduma as the founding force of the nation.
By the 1650s Kasanje had been making war with many of its neighbors for quite some time. These included Queen
Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba
Nzinga Ana de Sousa Mbande (; – 17 December 1663) was a southwest African paramount ruler who ruled as a queen of the Ambundu Kingdoms of Ndongo (1624–1663) and Matamba (1631–1663), located in present-day northern Angola. Born into the ...
, and also areas called Lubolo, Beebe, Haku and Sango.
Kasanje also had relations with the Yaka Kingdom of the
Yaka people
The Yaka are an African ethnic group found in southwest Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the Angola border to their west. They number about 300,000 and are related to the Suku people. They live in the forest and savanna region between the ...
. Nbangu a Kutana kwa Mbuku, whose father was the King of Yaka, was for a time a prisoner in Kasanje but later was freed and established more peaceful relations between the states.
In the 1650s Kasanje had six major languages as a result of recent conquests. The conquests continued in this decade with significant taking of areas in Bembe in 1657.
On the south Kasanje bordered a domain called
Muzumbu a Kalungu which controlled an area between the Kwanza River and the headwaters of the Cunene River. It appears that Kasanje captured some of the territory of Muzumbu a Kalungu.
There were many Portuguese merchants who operated in Ksanje by the 1650s.
In 1680, the Portuguese traveller
António de Oliveira de Cadornega
Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language–speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top ...
estimated the kingdom had 300,000 people, of whom 100,000 were able to bear arms. However, it is noted that this claim may be exaggerated.
[
The kingdom of Kasanje remained in a constant state of conflict with its neighbours, especially the kingdom of ]Matamba
The Kingdom of Matamba (pre-1550–1744) was an African state located in what is now the Baixa de Cassange region of Malanje Province of modern-day Angola. Joined to the Kingdom of Ndongo by Queen Nzinga in 1631, the state had many male and fe ...
, then ruled by queen Nzinga Mbande. The Imbangala state became a strong commercial center until being eclipsed by Ovimbundu
The Ovimbundu, also known as the Southern Mbundu, are a Bantu peoples, Bantu ethnic group who live on the Bié Plateau of central Angola and in the coastal strip west of these highlands. As the largest ethnic group in Angola, they make up 38 pe ...
trade routes in the 1850s. The decreased importance of the slave trade caused the position of the '' kinguri'' (king) to grow weak.Portuguese Angola
In southwestern Africa, Portuguese Angola was a historical Evolution of the Portuguese Empire, colony of the Portuguese Empire (1575–1951), the overseas province Portuguese West Africa of Estado Novo (Portugal), Estado Novo Portugal (1951–1 ...
in 1910–1911.
List of kings of Kasanje
The kings of Kasanje ('' kinguri'') are listed below based on a compilation of several different contemporary king lists by Joseph C. Miller.
Location
Kasanje is located on the upper Kwango River
The Cuango or Kwango (; ; ) is a transboundary river of Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the largest left bank tributary of the Kasai River in the Congo River basin. It flows through Malanje in Angola. The Kwango River basin ha ...
in what is now Angola.Kasanje - Britannica Concise
/ref>
References
External links
Kasanje at Britannica Concise
Kasanje at Britannica Online
The Foundation of the Kingdom of Kasanje
{{coord missing, Angola
Former monarchies of Africa
States and territories established in 1620
States and territories disestablished in 1910
Early modern history of Angola
Former countries in Africa