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More on the Invasions of Kongo and Angola by the Jaga and the Lunda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2009

Jan Vansina
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Extract

Two series of migrations have left a profound imprint on the cultures of western central Africa: those of the Jaga who began a spectacular career with the sudden capture of the Kongo kingdom in 1569, and those of the Lunda and related peoples in central and eastern Angola. The amplitude of the Jaga migration was recognized from the beginning, whilst the scope of the Lunda migrations has not been fully realized as yet. So much is known about the latter invasions that the huge movement is subdivided into submigrations, so that the general perspective has been lost. It is this second set of migrations which was led by Kinguri, a Lunda prince who left his country after its capture by the Luba. In our opinion Kinguri's successor contacted the Portuguese around 1610, which leaves an interval following the Jaga arrival great enough to warrant the view that two invasions were involved. If so, the coincidence of two major population movements following each other so shortly in time is still remarkable and begs further investigation.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of African History , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , November 1966 , pp. 421 - 429
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1966

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References

1 See Vansina, J., ‘The foundation of the kingdom of Kasanje’, J.A.H. IV (1963), 3.Google Scholar

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35 Verhulpen, E., passim.Google Scholar

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37 The best studies of the Luba to date are those of Th. Theuws. He stresses, 202–12, how little is actually known. Even within the royal genealogy of the major kingdom the succession of kings is not yet well established. Cf. J. Vansina, Kingdoms of the Savanna, 76.Google Scholar