The following is a list of the Rulers of the Lunda Empire. The

Lunda Empire The Lunda Empire or Kingdom of Lunda was a confederation of states in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, north-eastern Angola, and north-western Zambia. Its central state was in Katanga Province, Katanga. Origin Initially, the core of ...

was a pre-colonial

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 centered in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

whose sphere of influence stretched into

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

and

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

. The Lunda were initially ruled by kings with the title ''Mwaantaangaand'' meaning "''owners of the land''". This later became "''Mwaantayaav''" or "''Mwaant Yaav''" with the rise of Mbala I Yaav.

Mwaantaangaand of
Lunda Kingdom The Lunda Empire or Kingdom of Lunda was a confederation of states in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, north-eastern Angola, and north-western Zambia. Its central state was in Katanga Province, Katanga. Origin Initially, the core of ...

* Mwaaka (c. 1500-c. 1516) *Yala Maaku, son of Mwaaka(c. 1516-c. 1550) *Kunde, perhaps a double for the next ruler (c. 1550-c. 1590) * Nkonda Matit, son of Yala Maaku (c. 1590-c. 1620) * Cibind Yirung, son-in-law of Nkonda Matit (ruled c. 1620-c. 1630) * Yaav I a Yirung (or Naweej), son of Cibind Yirung (ruled c. 1630-c. 1660) * Yaav II a Nawej, son of Naweej (ruled c. 1660-c. 1687)

Mwaant Yaav of
Lunda Empire The Lunda Empire or Kingdom of Lunda was a confederation of states in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, north-eastern Angola, and north-western Zambia. Its central state was in Katanga Province, Katanga. Origin Initially, the core of ...

* Mbal I Yaav, son of Yaav II (ruled c. 1687-c. 1719) * Mukas Munying Kabalond, brother of Mbal I (ruled c. 1719-c. 1720) * Muteb I Kat Kateng, brother of Mukas I (ruled c. 1720-c. 1748) * Mukas Waranankong, son of Muteb I (ruled c. 1748-c. 1766) * Naweej I Mufa Muchimbunj, of unclear pedigree (ruled c. 1766-1775) * Cikomb Yaav Italesh, son of Yaav ya MbanyiYaav ya Mbanyi is mentioned as ruler before Cikomb in several lists, either as a brother or junior relative of Muteb I; Hoover (1978), p. 604, 613. (ruled 1775-1800) * Naweej II a Ditend, nephew of Cikomb (ruled 1800-1852) * Mulaj a Namwan, nephew of Cikomb (ruled 1852-1857) * Cakasekene Naweej, son of Mulaj a Namwan (ruled 1857) * Muteb II a Cikomb, son of Cikomb (ruled 1857-1873) * Mbal II a Kamong Isot, son of Naweej II (ruled 1873-1874) * Mbumb I Muteba a Kat, nephew of Cikomb (ruled 1874-1883) * Cimbindu a Kasang, son of Muteb II (ruled 1883-1884) * Kangapu Naweej, son of Muteb II (ruled 1884-1885) * Mudib, son of Naweej II (ruled 1885-1886) * Mutand Mukaz, son of Naweej II (ruled 1886-1887) * Mbal III a Kalong, son of Naweej II (ruled 1887)

Mwaant Yaav under the
Congo Free State The Congo Free State, also known as the Independent State of the Congo (), was a large Sovereign state, state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908. It was privately owned by Leopold II of Belgium, King Leopold II, the const ...

* Mushidi I a Nambing, son of Mbumb I (ruled 1887-1907) * Muteb I a Kasang, son of Muteb II a Cikomb (ruled 1907-1908, in rebellion from 1898)

Mwaant Yaav under the
Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

* Muteb I a Kasang cont. (ruled 1908-1920) * Kaumbw Diur, grandson of Naweej II (ruled 1920-1951) * Yaav a Naweej III, great-grandson of Naweej II (ruled 1951-1960)

Mwaant Yaav under Katanga

* Yaav a Nawej III cont. (ruled 1960-1962)

Mwaant Yaav under
Republic of Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a country located on the western coast of Central ...

* Yaav a Nawej III cont. (ruled 1962-June 1963) * Mushidi II "Lumanga" Kawel a Kamin, grandson of Mushidi I (ruled 1963-December 1965) * Muteb II Mushid, nephew of Mushidi II (ruled 1965-1971)

Mwaant Yaav under
Zaire Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...

* Muteb II Mushid cont. (ruled 1971-27 November 1973) * Mbumb II Muteb, brother of Muteb II (ruled 1973-1984) * Kawel II, brother of Mbumb II (ruled 1984-1997)

Mwaant Yaav under
Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

* Kawel II cont. (ruled 1997-27 January 2005) * Mushid III, brother of Kawel II (ruled 2005-)

References

Literature

*Duysters, Léon (1958) "Histoire des aluunda", ''Problèmes d'Afrique Centrale'' 78, pp. 75-98. *Hoover, J. Jeffrey (1978) ''The seduction of Ruwej: Reconstructing Ruund history (the nuclear Lunda; Zaire, Angola, Zambia).'' PhD thesis, Yale University. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lunda Lists of monarchs in Africa

rule Rule or ruling may refer to: Human activity * The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power * Business rule, a rule pertaining to the structure or behavior internal to a business * School rule, a rule th ...

Mwaantaangaand of Lunda Kingdom The Lunda Empire or Kingdom of Lunda was a confederation of states in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, north-eastern Angola, and north-western Zambia. Its central state was in Katanga Province, Katanga. Origin Initially, the core of ...

Mwaant Yaav of Lunda Empire The Lunda Empire or Kingdom of Lunda was a confederation of states in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, north-eastern Angola, and north-western Zambia. Its central state was in Katanga Province, Katanga. Origin Initially, the core of ...

Mwaant Yaav under the Congo Free State The Congo Free State, also known as the Independent State of the Congo (), was a large Sovereign state, state and absolute monarchy in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908. It was privately owned by Leopold II of Belgium, King Leopold II, the const ...

Mwaant Yaav under the Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...