Álvaro VII (Mpanzu-a-Mabondo) (1631 – June 1666) was king of the

Kingdom of Congo The Kingdom of Kongo ( or ''Wene wa Kongo;'' ) was a kingdom in Central Africa. It was located in present-day northern Angola, the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. At its gre ...

from 1665 to 1666. When the death of Antonio I at the

Battle of Mbwila Battle of Mbwila (also the Battle of Ambuila, Battle of Mbuila, or Battle of Ulanga) occurred on 29 October 1665 in which Portuguese forces defeated the forces of the Kingdom of Kongo and decapitated king António I of Kongo, also called Nv ...

(October 29, 1665) was announced, Álvaro, a relative of the dead sovereign and a member of the

Kinlaza The Kinlaza were members of the Nlaza kanda or House of Kinlaza, one of the ruling houses of the Kingdom of Kongo during the 17th century. It was one of the main factions during the Kongo Civil War along with the Kimpanzu and Kinkanga a Mvika k ...

lineage, was proclaimed king. The new king sent a trusted Capuchin,

Friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...

Girolamo of Montesarchio, to make peace with the Portuguese in to

Luanda Luanda ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Angola, largest city of Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Ang ...

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 ...

, in

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

1665. But the friar was waylaid by a rebellion in

Mbamba Mbama is a Bantu language spoken in the Bambama District ( Lekoumou Region) of the Republic of Congo and in Haut-Ogooué Province in Gabon by the Mbama people. Phonology Mbama also has two tones; high, and low. References Bibliography ...

, and only returned to the capital in June 1666, where he found Álvaro VII already dead; in the meantime, the powerful

Count of Soyo Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

, Paulo da Silva, had marched on São Salvador (the capital of the kingdom), killed the king and proclaimed Álvaro VIII in his place.

References

Manikongo of Kongo 17th-century monarchs in Africa 1666 deaths {{Africa-royal-stub

See also

References