List of Manikongo of Kongo

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This is a List of Manikongo of Kongo. Manikongo is the local version of the title for the ruler or king of the Kingdom of Kongo. Traditionally, Manikongo were elected by elders from among eligible members of the Kimpanzu or the Kinlaza clans. Some exceptions are known.

Ntinu Nimi a Lukeni circa 1380-1420, first ruler
unknown (1420-1435)
unknown (1435-1450)
unknown (1450-1465)
unknown (1465-before 1482)
João I (Nzinga Nkuwu) before 1482-1505, the sixth Manikongo
Affonso I (Mvemba Nzinga) (1506-1543)
Peter I (1543-1545)
Francis I (1545-1545)
Diogo I (1545-1561)
Affonso II (1561-1561)
Bernard I (1561-1566)
Henry I (1566-1567)
Alvare I (1568-1587)
Alvare II (1587-1614)
Bernard II (1614-1615)
Alvare III (1615-1622)
Peter II (1622-1624)
Garcia I (1624-1626)
Ambrosio (1626-1631)
Alvaro IV (1631-1636)
Alvaro V (1636-1636)
Alvaro VI (1636-1642) not from one of traditional clans
Garcia II (1642-1661)
Antonio I (1661-1665), last independent king of the Kongo
Alvaro VII (1665-1666) not from one of traditional clans
Alvaro VIII (1666-1666) not from one of traditional clans
Affonso III (1666-1667)
Peter III (1667-1683)
Raphael (1669-1674)
Alvaro IX (1669-?) not from one of traditional clans
Daniel (1674-1678)
João II (1683-1717)
Peter IV (1709-1718) rule overlaps with João II, and not from one of traditional clans, later dropped from numbering
Peter V (1718-?) considered Peter IV after predecessor dropped from numbering

Unclear period. Kings during this period must include Andrew I, an Alvaro X, an Anthony II, Garcia III, Garcia IV, Henry II and Mauel I and Manuel II based on numbering of later kings.

Henry III (1793-1802)
Alvaro XI (1802-1802)
Garcia V (1802-1830)
Andrew II (1830-?)
Andrew III (?-1842)
Henry IV (1842-1858)
Alvaro XII (1858-1859)
Peter V (1859-1891)
Alvaro XIII (1891-1896)
Regency (1896-1901)
Peter VI (1901-1912)
Manuel III (1912-1915)
Alvaro XIV (1915-1923)
Peter VII (1923-1955)
Anthony III (1955-1957)
Isabel (1957-1962); regent
Peter VIII (1962-1962)
Isabel (1962-present); again regent

This is another list, constructed primarily from the list found in Graziano Saccardo, 'Congo e Angola con la storia dell'antica missione dei cappuccini(3 vols, Milan, 1982-83), vol. 3, pp. 11-14. Saccardo bases his reconstruction on several kinglists produced over time, by Antonio da Silva, Duke of Mbamba in 1617, by Antonio de Teruel in 1664, by Pedro Mendes in 1710 and by Francisco das Necessidades in 1844. In addition many of the kings wrote letters and signed them with both their names and their numbers, and Saccardo has found many of these to verify the kinglists.

Saccardo's king list has been modified in the following manner: the Kikongo names of the kings have been given in a Kikongo form following norms established in Joseph de Munck, Kinkulu kia Nsi eto' (Tumba, 1956, 2nd ed, Matadi, 1971). The Christian names of the kings are given in modern Portuguese spelling. In addition Saccardo's entries have been updated by a number of sources, most notably the kinglist, unknown to him found in the Instituto Histórico e Geografico Brasileiro (Rio de Janeiro) Manuscritos, Lata 6, pasta 2. "Catallogo dos reis de Congo" MS of c. 1758.

Manikongos of Mbanza Kongo

Lukeni lua Nimi (c. 1390)
Nanga of Kongo
Nlaza of Kongo
Nkuwu a Ntinu of Kongo (or Nkuwu a Lukeni; ruled c 1450)
João I of Kongo (alias Nzinga a Nkuwu; ruled c 1470-1509; baptized as João I 3 May 1491)
Afonso I of Kongo (alias Mvemba a Nzinga; ruled 1509-42)
Pedro I of Kongo (alias Nkanga a Mvemba; ruled 1542-45)
Diogo I of Kongo (alias Nkumbi a Mpudi; ruled 1545-61)
Afonso II of Kongo (ruled 1561)
Bernardo I of Kongo (ruled 1561-66)
Henrique I of Kongo (ruled 1567-68)
Alvaro I of Kongo (alias Nimi a Lukeni lua Mvemba; ruled 1567-March 1587)

Manikongos of São Salvador

Alvaro II of Kongo (alias Nimi a Nkanga; ruled March 1587-9 August 1614)
Bernardo II of Kongo (alias Nimi a Nkanga; ruled 12 August 1614-August 1615)
Alvaro III of Kongo (alias Nimi a Mpanzu; ruled August 1615-4 May 1622)
Pedro II of Kongo (alias Nkanga a Mvika; ruled 26 May 1622-3 April 1624)
Garcia I of Kongo (alias Mvemba a Nkanga; ruled 27 April 1624-March 1626)
Ambrósio I of Kongo (alias Nimi a Nkanga; ruled March 1626-7 March 1631)
Álvaro IV of Kongo (alias Nzinga a Nkuwu; ruled 8 February 1631-24 February 1636)
Álvaro V of Kongo (alias Mpanzu a Nimi; ruled 27 February 1636-14 August 1636)
Álvaro VI of Kongo (alias Nimi a Lukeni a Nzenze a Ntumba; ruled 27 August 1636-22 February 1641)
Garcia II of Kongo (alias Nkanga a Lukeni a Nzenze a Ntumba; ruled 23 February 1641-end of 1660)
António I of Kongo (alias Nvita a Nkanga; ruled start of 1661-29 October 1665)

Manikongos during the Civil War After the Battle of Mbwila or Battle of Ulanga, the kingdom Kongo was emersed in a brutal civil war which resulted in the destruction of São Salvador in 1678. Both the Kimpanzu and Kinlaza lineages held separate capitals in Lemba and Kibangu, respectively. The factions would launch offensives from these bases siezing the throne from each other sporadically. Although many did not recognize the others, their numbers were considered by later generations in deciding their own numbering (that is Alvaro X, Pedro III, etc.)

Afonso II Afonso of Kongo (ruled November-December 1665; fled to Nkondo and ruled over it from December 1665-end 1669)
Álvaro VII of Kongo (alias Tusi Mumaza; ruled December 1665-June 1666)
Álvaro VIII of Kongo (alias Mvemba a Mpanzu; ruled June 1666-beginning 1669)
Pedro III of Kongo (alias Nsimba Ntamba; ruled January-June 1669; fled to Lemba and ruled over it from June 1669-1680)
Álvaro IX of Kongo (alias Mpanzu a Ntivila; ruled June 1669-end of 1670)
Rafael I of Kongo (alias Nzinga a Nkanga; ruled end 1670-mid 1673)
Afonso III of Kongo (alias Mvemba a Nimi; ruled end 1669-mid 1673 over Nkondo before reign in Kongo from mid 1673-mid 1674)
Daniel I of Kongo (alias Miala mia Nzimbwila; ruled mid 1674-mid 1678)

Rival Manikongos after the destruction of São Salvador in 1678)

Manikongos of Kibangu

Garcia III of Kibangu (alias Nkanga a Mvemba; ruled end 1669-start 1685)
André I of Kibangu (alias Mvizi a Nkanga; ruled 1685)
Manuel Afonso of Kibangu (alias Nzinga a Nlenke; ruled 1685-88)
Álvaro X of Kibangu (alias Nimi a Mvemba Agua Rosada; ruled 1688-December 1695)

Manikongos of Lemba (Mbula)

João III of Lemba (alias Nzuzi a Ntamba; ruled 1680-1716)

Manikongos ruling from São Salvador after the the reunification of Kongo

Pedro IV of Kongo (alias Nusamu a Mvemba; ruled Kibangu December 1695-early 1709; ruled reunited kingdom from São Salvador February 1709-21 February 1718)
Manuel II of Kongo (alias Mpanzu a Nimi; ruled February 1718-21 April 1743)
Garcia IV of Kongo (alias Nkanga a Mvandu; ruled 27 July 1743-31 March 1752)
Nicolau I of Kongo (alias Misaki mia Nimi; ruled 27 August 1752-post 1758)

The next kings come from a kinglist compiled by Francisco das Necessidades. He created this list based on oral traditions and documents found in São Salvador in 1844.

Afonso IV of Kongo (alias Nkanga a Nkanga)
António II of Kongo (alias Mvita a Mpanzu)
Sebastião I of Kongo (alias Nkanga kia Nkanga)
Pedro V of Kongo (alias Ntivila a Nkanga; ruled September 1763-1764)
Álvaro XI of Kongo (alias Nkanga a Nkanga I; ruled May 1764-1778)
José I of Kongo (alias Mpasi a Nkanga; ruled 1778-1785)
Afonso V of Kongo (ruled 1785-1788)
Álvaro XII of Kongo (ruled 1788-unknown)
Alexio I of Kongo (alias Mpanzu a Mbandu; ruled unknown-1793)
Joaquim I of Kongo (alias 1793-94)
Henrique I of Kongo (alias Masaki ma Mpanzu; ruled 10 January 1794-1803)
Garcia V of Kongo (alias Nkanga a Mvemba; ruled 1803-start 1830)
André II of Kongo (alias Mvizi a Lukeni; ruled start 1830-1842)
Henrique II of Kongo (alias Mpanzu a Nsindi a Nimi a Lukeni; 1842-January 1857)
Álvaro XIII of Kongo (alias Ndongo; January 1857-7 August 1859)
Pedro V of Kongo (alias Elelo; ruled 7 August 1859-February 1891; signed treaty of vassallage with Portugal in 1888)