Before Imperialism (jan 1, 1000 BC – jan 1, 1877)
Description:
Bantu speaking people arrived in the Congo around 1000 BC. It is believed that their contributions to agriculture and woodworking had a huge impact on what would later be the kingdom. Due to their success with agriculture it enabled them to further communicate with other tribes and trade with them, enlarging their community. Before being colonized, there was a well-developed social structure in the kingdoms. Most of the area was ruled by the Luba empire, Lunda empire, and the Kongo empire. Although the Luba was the largest and dominated the most land. In the kingdoms there were provinces ruled by governors, the provinces were made up of districts, and the districts were composed of small villages. The kingdom was of course ruled by a King. The Kingdom of the Kongo, for example, was approximately 770 square kilometers. It covered part of West Africa, including what is now known as Angola, Cabinda, Republic of Congo, and the West part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the 1480’s, contact with Portuguese explorers began the steady increase of European colonization in Africa.
Added to timeline:
Congo Timeline
Date:
