Diogo I Nkumbi a Mpudi
Encyclopedia
Diogo I Nkumbi a Mpudi was manikongo
in 1545–1561. King Diogo was the grandson of king Afonso I of Kongo
and won the throne after overthrowing his uncle Pedro Nkanga a Mvemba and forcing him to take refuge in a church in São Salvador
. Diogo's early struggles are documented in a legal inquest he conducted in 1550 into a plot against him launched by the former king. In 1555, the king cut all ties with the Portuguese whom he saw as meddlesome and a threat to the kingdom and expelled all 70 Portuguese inhabitants from the kingdom.
King Diogo was anxious to extend the Roman Catholic
faith in Kongo, work already started by Afonso I during his reign and due to Portuguese
influence. Though Afonso had created a model for the Roman Catholic Church in Kongo Diogo hoped to extend it throughout the rural areas and also into neighboring countries. After his death in 1561, he was succeeded by illegitamate son Afonso II
.
Manikongo
The Manikongo or MweneKongo was the title of the rulers of the Kingdom of Kongo, a kingdom that existed from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries and consisted of land in present-day Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo...
in 1545–1561. King Diogo was the grandson of king Afonso I of Kongo
Afonso I of Kongo
Mvemba a Nzinga or Nzinga Mbemba , also known as King Afonso I, was a ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo in the first half of the 16th century. He reigned over the Kongo Empire from 1509 to late 1542 or 1543.-Pre-reign career:...
and won the throne after overthrowing his uncle Pedro Nkanga a Mvemba and forcing him to take refuge in a church in São Salvador
M'banza-Kongo
M'banza-Kongo , is the capital of Angola's northwestern Zaire Province. M'banza Kongo was founded some time before the arrival of the Portuguese and was the capital of the dynasty ruling at that time...
. Diogo's early struggles are documented in a legal inquest he conducted in 1550 into a plot against him launched by the former king. In 1555, the king cut all ties with the Portuguese whom he saw as meddlesome and a threat to the kingdom and expelled all 70 Portuguese inhabitants from the kingdom.
King Diogo was anxious to extend the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
faith in Kongo, work already started by Afonso I during his reign and due to Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
influence. Though Afonso had created a model for the Roman Catholic Church in Kongo Diogo hoped to extend it throughout the rural areas and also into neighboring countries. After his death in 1561, he was succeeded by illegitamate son Afonso II
Afonso II of Kongo
-Biography:Little is known about Afonso II or his reign. He may have been the illegitimate son of Diogo I. Six years earlier, King Diogo had cut off all relations with Portugal and expelled them from the kingdom. The Portuguese attempted to return by plotting with another claimant for the throne...
.