Woyo
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ngoyo was a kingdom of the Woyo ethnic group, located in the south of Cabinda and on the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
coast of
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 ...
, just north of the
Congo River The Congo River, formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third-largest river in the world list of rivers by discharge, by discharge volume, following the Amazon Ri ...
. In the 13th century it formed part of a confederation led by
Vungu The kingdom of Vungu or Bungu was a historic state located in Mayombe (between the present-day Republic of Congo and the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo). In the 13th century it led a confederation of itself, Ngoyo, and Kakongo. It neighbo ...
. Ngoyo tradition held that the kingdom's ancestors were among the earliest settlers in the area, leading their chiefs to title themselves the ''nfumu nsi'' ("lords of the earth"). The capital was Mbanza Ngoyo. In the 1630s Ngoyo was invaded by the forces of
Soyo Soyo (formerly known as ''Santo António do Zaire'') is a city, with a population of 200,920 (2014 census), and a municipality, with a population of 227,175 (2014 census), located in the province of Zaire in Angola, at the mouth of the Congo Riv ...
, and the son of the ruler of Soyo was installed as ruler of Ngoyo. It is not clear who the following rulers were for the next few decades. In the 1680s Ngoyo had various relations with Soyo. It also had several English merchants present. When Antonio II Baretto da Silva invaded, the English forces tried to stop him and protect the interests of Ngoyo, but they were unsuccessful and Baretto da Silva imposed for peace terms. By 1700, Cabinda had become the leading
slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
port north of
Luanda Luanda ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Angola, largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Ang ...
, and Ngoyo's economy rested heavily on the sale of slaves.Ana Lucia Araujo, ''The Gift: How Objects of Prestige Shaped the Atlantic Slave Trade and Colonialism'' (Cambridge University Press, 2024) In 1783, Ngoyo joined forces with the neighboring state of
Kakongo Kakongo was a small kingdom located on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, in the modern-day Republic of the Congo and Cabinda Province, Angola. In the 13th century, it formed part of a confederation led by Vungu. Along with its neighboring kin ...
to destroy a
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
fort. However, the kingdom was soon undone by the growing financial burden that the kingship entailed. With fewer and fewer possible claimants seeking the office, the kingdom effectively disintegrated in the 1830s after the nobles failed to elect a new king. In 1885, the Ngoyo signed the
Treaty of Simulambuco The Treaty of Simulambuco was signed in 1885 by representatives of the Portuguese government and officials in the N'Goyo Kingdom. The agreement was drafted and signed in response to the Treaty of Berlin, which was an agreement between the colo ...
with
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, and became a protectorate of that nation.


See also

*
Woyo masks Woyo masks are ritual masks made by the Woyo people of Central Africa Central Africa (French language, French: ''Afrique centrale''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''África central''; Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''África Central'') is a ...
*
Cimpaba A cimpaba (sometimes tshimphaaba or chimpaba) is a sword from the Woyo of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uses It is a Woyo dignitary's symbol. It is part of the attributes of power of the ''Mangoyo'' (the king). Its shape is very special and ...


References

*Martin, Phyllis M. "Family Strategies in Nineteenth-Century Cabinda." ''The Journal of African History'' 28.1 (1987): 65-86.


External links


The origins of the kingdom of Ngoyo (in French)
* Iron Age cultures of Africa Countries in ancient Africa Early modern history of Angola History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Former countries in Africa States and territories established in the 15th century States and territories disestablished in the 1830s 15th-century establishments in Africa 1830s disestablishments in Africa {{Africa-hist-stub