Alvaro XIII or Ndongo was king of Kongo from 1857 until 1859. He was a member of the Nkanga branch of the

Kimpanzu The Kimpanzu were members of the Mpanzu kanda also known as the House of Kimpanzu, one of the lineages from which the kings of Kongo were chosen during the 17th century and following Kongo's reunification under Pedro IV. They are remembered in ...

house.

Rule

The electors chose Álvaro XIII to rule, but his cousin, Pedro V, contested the throne. Pedro was expelled from the capital city, São Salvador, where he sought the assistance of the Portuguese, who had recently occupied Bembe, located to the south of his core domains. In order to obtain this aid, Pedro swore vassalage to Portugal, the first Kongo king ever to do so. With Portuguese assistance, he was able, after a long struggle, to capture São Salvador and drive Álvaro off the throne.Thornton, "Master or Dupe?" pp. 119-21.

References

Manikongo of Kongo {{Africa-royal-stub