Question

Please help!! describe an important political feature of ancient Kongo.

Answer 1

Slavery and royal rivalries. In the following decades, the Kingdom of Kongo became a major source of slaves for Portuguese traders and other European powers. ... A common characteristic of political life in the kingdom of Kongo was fierce competition over succession to the throne.


The Kongo king played a primary role in the highly centralized political and social structures. He retained the right to appoint and remove officials, but his authority was checked by the council of elders and the traditional rights of clan chiefs.

Answer 2

The Kongo king played a primary role in the highly centralized political and social structures. He retained the right to appoint and remove officials, but his authority was checked by the council of elders and the traditional rights of clan chiefs. After the rule of Affonso I (1506 to about 1545), only his descendants could claim succession to the throne. Disputes between claimants to the throne were common. The position usually fell to the individual who gained the support of the royal court and the approval of the electoral college, whose responsibility it was to designate the new king.