{{Short description, Duala king
George or Joss, born Doo a Makongo or Doo a Mukonga, was a
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
of the
Duala people
The Duala (or Sawa) are a Bantu ethnic group of Cameroon. They primarily inhabit the littoral and southwest region of Cameroon and form a portion of the Sawabantu or "coastal people" of Cameroon. The Dualas readily welcomed German and French co ...
in the late 18th century. Doo a Makongo was the son of Makongo a Njo. He lived at
Douala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region (Cameroon), Littoral Region. Home to Central Africa's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Ai ...
on the
Wouri estuary
The Wouri estuary, or Cameroon estuary is a large tidal estuary in Cameroon where several rivers come together, emptying into the Bight of Biafra. Douala, the largest city in Cameroon, is at the mouth of the Wouri River where it enters the estu ...
on the coast of
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
. By 1788–1790, Doo was a powerful ruler in the area. During this time, the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
slave trade
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
was at its height, and Douala was the primary trading post in the region.
Records of the British trading vessel ''Sarah'' in 1790 and records of an English trial in 1788 both give the name of the head trader in Douala as King George. These were likely names given Doo by the traders, who also bestowed on him the title of
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
(''kine'' in Duala). George possessed ''kalati'', trade books in which credit records were kept and the mark of a major trader in Duala eyes. He received both customs duties and a "dash" (bonus gift). Listed as lesser rulers in the region were Preshaw (
Priso a Doo Priso a Doo, also known as Preshaw, Preese, and possibly Peter, was a Duala ruler who lived on the Wouri River of the Cameroons in the late 18th century. His violent behaviour lost him his birthright and catalysed the split of the Duala people int ...
) and Bell (
Bele a Doo
Bele may refer to:
* Bele language
* Bale Robe, town and separate woreda in south-central Ethiopia
* Bele (Wolaita), administrative centre of Kindo Koysha, woreda in Wolaita, Ethiopia
* Bele, Saint-Louis-du-Sud, Haiti, a village in the Aquin arron ...
). Nevertheless, these same British records indicate that a leader named Angua (probably
Kwane a Ngie
Kwane a Ngie, known in British records as Angua or Quan, was a Duala ruler from the Bonambela sublineage who flourished from 1788 to 1790 in Douala, Cameroon. The British slave trade was at its height at this time, and, although a rival ruler fro ...
) was actually more powerful. For example, the ''Sarahs records state that George sold only 40 slaves to Angua's 50, and his "dash" was much smaller.
The succession of George's kingship remained an open question until his death. He disowned his eldest son, Priso a Doo, because of the boy's violent behaviour. In fact, George may have helped European traders capture Priso for murdering some of their compatriots. Bele a Doo was named heir, which was probably the impetus for
Ngando a Kwa Ngando may refer to:
* Ngando people, Bantu subsistence farmers who live in eastern part of Équateur and the western part of Orientale province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Ngando language, a Bantu language in the Soko-Kele languages ...
to declare his independence and set himself up as Bele's equal when Ewonde a Kwane of his own lineage died. Thus, George's death may have been indirectly responsible for the Duala people's split into the rival
Bell
A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inter ...
and
Akwa lineage Akwa may refer to:
People
* Akwá, Fabrice Akwa (born 1977), Angolan footballer
* Obed Akwa, Ghanaian soldier
* People from Akwa Ibom, Nigeria
* People from Akwa Akpa, Nigeria
Places
* Akwa, Douala, a district in Douala, Cameroon
** Stade Akwa, ...