Álvaro II Nimi a Nkanga was

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

of Kongo from 1587 to 1614. He was one of Kongo's most powerful and important kings, who succeeded his father Álvaro I, but not until resolving a dispute with his brother. Both sides brought armies to M'banza-Kongo (São Salvador) but to avoid bloodshed they agreed to single combat, won by Álvaro. Álvaro faced serious problems with other nobles besides his brother, and in 1590–91 was racked by a serious, though poorly documented civil war. In order to reestablish his authority, Álvaro had to accept the virtual independence of Miguel, the count of Soyo. In order to recognize those nobles who had been loyal to him during this struggle, Álvaro began granting habits of the Order of Christ to his followers. Kongo kings continued this order in the Kingdom of Kongo (see Order of Christ (Kongo)) and granted knighthoods in it through the 19th century, which continues by pretenders to the throne. During Álvaro's reign, the capital city, M'banza-Kongo was recognized as the capital of the diocese of then Portuguese Congo and

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

, and the first bishop was appointed, in 1596. However, because the kings of Portugal claimed the right of Padroado (patronage), they chose their own bishop. Constant struggles between the king and the bishop followed. Kongo's relations with

Portuguese Angola In southwestern Africa, Portuguese Angola was a historical Evolution of the Portuguese Empire, colony of the Portuguese Empire (1575–1951), the overseas province Portuguese West Africa of Estado Novo (Portugal), Estado Novo Portugal (1951–1 ...

worsened during Álvaro's reign, and he complained bitterly about the behaviour of the governors to the

King of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

(then also ruling Portugal during the period of the

Iberian Union The Iberian Union is a historiographical term used to describe the period in which the Habsburg Spain, Monarchy of Spain under Habsburg dynasty, until then the personal union of the crowns of Crown of Castile, Castile and Crown of Aragon, Aragon ...

). In 1604–1608, Alvaro II sent an ambassador to Pope Paul V in the person of Emanuele Ne Vunda.Transactions of the Royal Historic Society "Representing Africa", p.112
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alvaro 02 Of Kongo Manikongo of Kongo 16th-century births 1614 deaths 16th-century monarchs in Africa 17th-century monarchs in Africa

See also

References