Kongolo Mwamba
Encyclopedia
Kongolo was a leader of Luba
people in the region of Katanga
, and the first king of the Luba Empire. He built his capital in Mwibele, near Lake Boya, although some stories say it originated from Songye
. Kongolo (or Nkongolo) Mwamba was trying to extend his kingdom in conquering the Songye neighbouring chiefdoms.
He met a prince of the Kunda
tribe on behalf of Ilunga Mbidi through its sisters who had met at the lake; Mbidi, being a late military strategist, helped Kongolo expand his Kingdom. The popularity and the growing power of Mbidi Ilunga overshadowed that of Kongolo, who was advised by his entourage to organize a conspiracy to eliminate Mbidi. With the help of his wives, Ilunga Mbidi absconded by leaving women and children while returning to Kunda.
A son of Ilunga Mbidi and nephew of Kongolo, Kalala Ilunga
, took the place of his father as one of the generals among the warring forces. He also became very powerful, which overshadowed Kongolo. Kongolo tried several times to remove his nephew but failed. At the last attempt, Kalala Ilunga decided to end it, and defeated and killed Kongolo after a victory on the battlefield. After severing the head and genitals of Kongolo, he was proclaimed Emperor, or Mulopwe.
Luba
Luba may refer to:*Slavic origin feminine name which means "someone who has love"*Luba, Equatorial Guinea*Luba, Abra, a municipality in the Philippines*Ľubá, a village and municipality in the Nitra region of south-west Slovakia...
people in the region of Katanga
Katanga Province
Katanga Province is one of the provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province. Under the new constitution, the province was to be replaced by four smaller provinces by February 2009; this did not actually take place.Katanga's regional...
, and the first king of the Luba Empire. He built his capital in Mwibele, near Lake Boya, although some stories say it originated from Songye
Songye
The Songye people are an ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of Congo , living in the Kasai-Oriental province along both sides of the Lualaba River. In 1985 it was estimated that the Songye numbered between 150,000 and 217,000. The Songye are divided into sub-groupings that are under the...
. Kongolo (or Nkongolo) Mwamba was trying to extend his kingdom in conquering the Songye neighbouring chiefdoms.
He met a prince of the Kunda
Kunda
Kunda is a town in Estonia, located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. There is a pulp mill , a cement factory and a port. Its population is ca...
tribe on behalf of Ilunga Mbidi through its sisters who had met at the lake; Mbidi, being a late military strategist, helped Kongolo expand his Kingdom. The popularity and the growing power of Mbidi Ilunga overshadowed that of Kongolo, who was advised by his entourage to organize a conspiracy to eliminate Mbidi. With the help of his wives, Ilunga Mbidi absconded by leaving women and children while returning to Kunda.
A son of Ilunga Mbidi and nephew of Kongolo, Kalala Ilunga
Kalala Ilunga
Kalala Ilunga was one of the emperors of Luba, an empire which spread over the province of Katanga into Zambia and Zimbabwe. Kalala Ilunga was the eldest son of Ilunga Mbili and nephew of King Kongolo Mwamba...
, took the place of his father as one of the generals among the warring forces. He also became very powerful, which overshadowed Kongolo. Kongolo tried several times to remove his nephew but failed. At the last attempt, Kalala Ilunga decided to end it, and defeated and killed Kongolo after a victory on the battlefield. After severing the head and genitals of Kongolo, he was proclaimed Emperor, or Mulopwe.