kongo_king's+profile

The King’s Profile

The King, or Mani Kongo, of the BaKongo had absolute power. One of the most well known Mani Kongos was called Affonso the first. He envisioned more prosperity and power for his country. Affonso I was the first ever leader to resist selling his people to the Europeans into slavery. He and the Portuguese king spoke together but never met. When he died, the King of Portugal didn’t even notice. The success and prosperity of Kongo lies in the tax system that seems to gbe the key of wealth for most countries. It worked like this. Chiefs collected taxes from the people, governers collected taxes from chiefs and the king collected taxes from the governers. If someone paid their taxes, the Mani Kongo would award them with salt, meat, hides, fish, beer or clothing. When the King died, the council of elders would elect a new king from the most powerful of the late Mani Kongo’s sons. There were many sons as the king had many wives.