The first structured groups of people to populate the territory that today
constitutes
Angola were the Boschimans —great hunters of pigmy stature and light brown
pigmentation.
At the beginning of the sixth century A.D., more evolved peoples of black
pigmentation,
technologically belonging to the Metal Age, undertook one of the greatest
migrations in history.
They were the Bantu and they came from the north, most likely from the
region that
today constitutes the Republic of the Cameroon. Upon arriving in Angola,
these
people found the Boschimans and other groups to be more primitive. They
imposed
upon them their own technology in the areas of metallurgy, ceramics and
agriculture.
The settlement of the Bantu continued for many centuries, generating diverse
ethnic groups who came to establish themselves as distinct ethnicities that
have
lasted to this date.
The first great political unification of the territory came to be known in
history as the
Kingdom of the Congo. It arose in the thirteenth century, expanding from
Gabon in
the North to the Kwanza River in the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west
and the
Kuango River to the east.
Agriculture was its greatest resource and power was in the hands of the Mani
– aristocrats
that occupied key locations in the kingdom and who were subordinates only
to the almighty King of the Congo. Mbanza was a great territorial unit
organized and governed by a Mani; Mbanza Congo was the capital and had a population of over 50,000 inhabitants in the sixteenth century. The Kingdom of the Congo was divided into six provinces and included a few tributary kingdoms, such as Ngondo in the south. Commerce was its primary economic activity, based on a strong agricultural production and a growing mining industry.
In 1482, Portuguese ships captained by Diogo Cão arrived in the Congo. Other voyages would follow and relations between the two states were quickly established. The Portuguese had firearms and an interesting religion whereas the Kingdom of the Congo offered slaves, ivory and mineral resources to the Portuguese. The King of the Congo soon converted to the Christian faith and adopted a political structure much like the European model. He became a well-known figure in Europe, and even received personal correspondence from the Pontiff.
To the south of the Kingdom of the Congo, in the Kwanza River region, there were many important states. The Kingdom of Ngondo was governed by the Ngola (king) and was the most important.
Ngola Kiluange reined at the time of the Portuguese arrival. He, along with political coalitions made with neighboring states, resisted foreigners for several decades. Ngola Kiluange was decapitated in Luanda. Years later, the Ngondo Kingdom rose to prominence when N’Zinga Mbandi, immortalized as Queen N’Zinga, was crowned. Her clever politics kept the Portuguese in check with well planned treaties. She embarked on several diligent efforts and finally in 1635 was able to form a great coalition with the states of Matamba, Congo, Kassaje, Dembos and Kissamas.
At the head of the powerful coalition, N’Zinga forced the Portuguese to retreat to the coastline. In the meantime, Portugal was occupied by Spain, leaving its overseas territories effectively powerless. The Dutch took advantage of the situation and took Luanda in 1641. N’Zinga allied with the Dutch, augmenting the force of the coalition and reducing the Portuguese to Massangano, a center which they securely occupied and from where they sporadically parted for their Kuata! Kuata! Wars (to capture slaves). The slaves from Angola were fundamental to the development of the colony of Brazil and its traffic was at a stand still.
In 1648, a large squadron commanded by Salvador Correia de Sá, arrived from Brazil and reoccupied Luanda provoking a massive revolt from the Portuguese. Thus began the decline of the coalition. The absence of the Dutch allies and their firearms and the forceful position of Correia de Sá dealt a powerful blow to the morale of the native forces. N’Zinga died in 1663. Two years later the King of the Congo exerted all his forces in order to retake the island of Luanda, from Correia de Sá, only to be defeated and lose his independence. The kingdom of Ndongo would likewise be subjected to the Portuguese Crown in 1771.
The Portuguese colony in Angola was formed in 1575 with the arrival of Paulo Dias de Novais with 100 families of colonizers and 400 soldiers.
Novais founded "Sao Paulo de Loanda", today Luanda, which became the first city of the colony in 1605. Commerce was essentially carried out with Brazil. The Brazilian ships were the most numerous in the ports of Luanda and Benguela. The Portuguese colony of Angola was in fact a colony of Brazil, paradoxically, another Portuguese colony. The strong Brazilian influence was also exercised by the Jesuits in religion and education.
The philosophy of war was gradually replaced by a philosophy of farming for export.
The large commercial routes and subsequent agreements helped in transforming the few remaining independent states from warrior states into agricultural societies.
From the plateau emerged the states of Bié and Bailundo which became important farming regions. The latter would become known for its production of foodstuffs and of rubber.
In the meantime, the colonial ruler that had grown richer and more powerful, did not tolerate the development of these states and subjugated them one by one, gaining total control of the territory by the beginning of the twentieth century.
After 1764, Angola went from a being a slave-centered society to gradually becoming a subsistence-centered economy. In 1836 the slave trade was finally abolished, and in 1844 the Angolan ports were opened to foreign ships.
In 1850, Luanda was already a large city full of commercial firms. Luanda and Benguela jointly exported palm and peanut oil, wax, rubber, glue, wood, ivory, cotton, coffee and cocoa, among other products. Corn, tobacco, dried beef and manioc flour likewise began to be produced locally. The Angolan bourgeoisie was about to emerge.
With the Berlin Conference (1884-85), Portugal was compelled to immediately carry out the occupation of its territorial colony. The territory of Cabinda, located north of the Zaire River, would likewise be conferred to Portugal, owing to the legitimacy of the Protectorate Treaty of Simulambuko, signed by the Kings of Portugal and of Cabinda in 1885. After a slow and complicated introduction, the end of the nineteenth century would mark the organization of a colonial administration in direct relation with the territory and the people to be governed.
In economic terms, the colonial strategy was based on agriculture and the exportation of raw materials. The rubber and ivory industry, which was fueled by the revenue collected from taxes imposed on the people, rendered great profits for Lisbon.
Portugal’s policies towards Angola would change, in the beginning of the twentieth century, with the implementation of new political rules.
The end of the monarchy in Portugal coupled with a favorable international situation forced new reforms at the administrative, agricultural and educational levels. With the Portuguese State now extended to the colonies, in 1951 Angola became yet another province of Portugal (an overseas province) to be ruled by a general governor.
The existing situation was apparently calm. In the second half of the twentieth century, this calmness would stir with the appearance of the first nationalist groups. In the 1950s more political organizations began to be formed. They clamoured for Angola's independence in diplomatic campaigns they promoted throughout the world. The colonialist rulers did not concede to the demands of the nationalist forces which caused uprising and armed confrontations - the so called, “War for Independence”.
Parties that stood out from the “War for Independence” were the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) founded in 1956, the FNLA (National Front for the Liberation of Angola) founded in 1961, and UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) founded in 1966.
After 14 long years of war for independence, the country achieved it on November 11, 1975. The independence was declared by MPLA and Dr. António Agostinho Neto became the first president of Angola.
Shortly after the proclamation of independence, with only a few days of relative peace, the country was immersed in a bloody civil war because of power struggles between the different political organizations - MPLA, FNLA and UNITA. Within a couple of years after independence, the importance of FNLA declined rapidly as UNITA established itself as the main anti-MPLA opposition movement.
In 2002 a peace agreement was reached between MPLA and UNITA. After 22 years of war, Angola finally has enduring peace.
Source: Angola - A Fabulous Country. Luís Palanque. LPE Internacional.
