Battle of Mbwila (Ambuila)
Mbwila, in the Ulanga River valley, northern Angola
What happened
King António I of the Kingdom of Kongo fought Portuguese forces from Luanda led by Captain Luís Lopes de Sequeira, with Brazilian and African allies. The Kingdom of Kongo and Portuguese Angola both claimed the small border states between them, and a quarrel over who should rule Mbwila drew them into war. Kongo's archers drove back the African archers on the Portuguese side. But they could not break the Portuguese musketeers, and King António I died in the final attack.
Why it matters
Why it matters: With no clear heir, the Kingdom of Kongo fell into a civil war that lasted about half a century. The kingdom never regained its former power.
What came next
Many captured Kongolese were sold into slavery in Brazil. Rival factions fought over Kongo for about 40 years until the kingdom was restored in the early 1700s.
Did you know?
Among those taken to Brazil was a woman named Aqualtune, whose descendants led the free community of Palmares; one of them, Zumbi, is a Brazilian national hero.
Timeline
- 1660sA succession dispute in Mbwila draws in Kongo and Portugal.
- 29 October 1665Portuguese forces defeat Kongo at Mbwila.
- 1678Kongo's capital is sacked during the civil wars.
- Early 1700sThe kingdom is restored under King Pedro IV.