Ambrósio I of Kongo

Manikongo
Ambrósio I
Manikongo
ReignMarch 1626 to March 1631
PredecessorGarcia I
SuccessorÁlvaro IV
DynastyKwilu dynasty

Ambrósio I Nimi a Nkanga was a mwenekongo of the Kingdom of Kongo who ruled from (March 1626 to March 7, 1631.)

Rise to Power

Ambrósio I was the nephew of Álvaro III and as such was a member of the royal House of Kwilu.[1] When Alvaro III died on May 4 of 1622, he had only a young son to leave as heir. Instead of putting an easily manipulated juvenile on the throne at a time when the Portuguese under the renegade governor João Correia de Sousa was threatening the country, the royal council elected the Duke of Mbamba as King Pedro II. This ushered in the short-lived royal House of Nsundi. King Pedro II was peacefully succeeded by his son Garcia I but the calm was not to last. In 1626, Garcia was overthrown by disgruntled nobles led by Manuel Jordão the Duke of Nsundi. At the request of the royal ladies of the court, many of whom fervent partisans of the House of Kwilu, Jordão had Ambrósio crowned as king restoring the Kwilu kanda to power.

Reign as King

King Ambrósio fell out with his benefactor after two years and accused him of eyeing the throne.[2] The king quickly moved to and succeeded at removing Jordão from his post as Duke of Nsundi, having him exiled to an island on the Congo River.[2] This would not be the end of Ambrósio's troubles, as his reign was beset by rumors of conspiracy and war mobilizations which culminated in a massive revolt. King Ambrósio I was overthrown and killed on March 7, 1631.[3]

References

  1. ^ Thornton, John: "Elite Women in the Kingdom of Kongo: Historical Perspectives on Women's Political Power", page 450. The Journal of African History, Vol. 47, 2006
  2. ^ a b Heywood, Linda M. and John K. Thornton: "Central Africans, Atlantic Creoles, and the Foundation of the Americas, 1585-1660", page 142. Cambridge University Press, 2007
  3. ^ Heywood, Linda M. and John K. Thornton: "Central Africans, Atlantic Creoles, and the Foundation of the Americas, 1585-1660", page 141. Cambridge University Press, 2007

See also

Preceded by Manikongo
1624–1631 		Succeeded by
  • v
  • t
  • e
Rulers of the Kingdom of Kongo
Awenekongo of the Kilukeni kanda (1390–1567)Awenekongo of the Kwilu kanda (1567–1622)Awenekongo of the Nkanga a Mvika kanda (1622–1626)Mwenekongo of the Kwilu kanda (1626–1636)
Awenekongo of the Kimpanzu kanda (1636)Awenekongo of the Kinlaza kanda (1636–1665)Civil War Awenekongo (1665–1678)Post-Civil War statesAwenekongo after
the recapture of São Salvador (1709–1891)Awenekongo after
1881 vassalage treaty with Portugal (1891–1914)Pretenders to the Kongo throne since 1914
  • Alvaro XV of Kongo
  • Pedro VII of Kongo
  • António III of Kongo
  • Isabel Maria da Gama, Q of Kongo (regent)
  • Pedro VIII of Kongo
  • Isabel Maria da Gama of Kongo (regent)