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Kwilu

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Kwilu, also known as the House of Kwilu (Portuguese: Coulo), was a kanda

Kanda (lineage)

Kanda In Kikongo any social or analytical group, but often applied to lineages or groups of associated people who form a faction, band or other group. In Kongo documents written in Portuguese, or in older Portuguese accounts of Kongo it often is translated by "geração"...

or royal lineage of the Kingdom of Kongo

Kingdom of Kongo

The Kingdom of Kongo was an African kingdom located in west central Africa in what are now northern Angola, Cabinda, the Republic of the Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

.

Origins

Prior to the rise fo the Kwilu kanda, the Kilukeni

Kilukeni

The Kilukeni were members of the Lukeni kanda or House of Kilukeni, the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Kongo from its inception in the late 14th century until the 1567 with the rise of the House of Kwilu...

kanda or House of Lukeni had ruled Kongo since its inception around the end of the 14th century. After the death of King Henrique I

Henrique I of Kongo

Henrique I Nerika a Mpudi was ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo from 1567 to 1568. Like his predecessor, Henrique would also die while on campaign at the frontiers of the kingdom. He was killed while fighting the BaTeke of the Anziku Kingdom.-See also:...

, power passed into the hands of Álvaro I

Álvaro I of Kongo

Álvaro I Nimi a Lukeni lua Mvemba was a Manikongo , or king of Kongo, from 1568 to 1587.-Biography:Álvaro's father was an unknown Kongo nobleman who died, leaving his mother to remarry to King Henrique I. When Henrique I died fighting on the eastern frontier, he had left Álvaro as his regent...

. Álvaro I was Henrique I's stepson, which probably explains why a new kanda was formed when he managed to inherit the throne. He came to power in 1567 and named his royal house for the small district in which he was born north of the capital.

Reign

With the exception of the Jaga

Jaga

Jaga may refer to several different things:* Jaga in present-day Africa, also known as Kasanje, whose people were the Imbangala and often confused with the Yaka further north....

invasion during the first years of Álvaro I's reign, the House of Kwilu ruled the kingdom without interruption until 4 May 1622. It was then that that Álvaro III

Álvaro III of Kongo

Álvaro III Nimi a Mpanzu, also known as Álvaro III Mbiki a Mpanzu, ruled as king or manikongo of the Kingdom of Kongo from August of 1615 to May 4, 1622. Prior to becoming king, he had served as Duke of Mbamba. Like his predecessor, Bernardo II he was a son of King Álvaro II. King Álvaro III was...

died leaving a son that was too old to be elected. The Kinkanga

Kinkanga

The Kinkanga, usually known as the Kinkanga a Mvika or House of Nsundi, was a royal kanda formed by King Pedro II, which ruled the Kingdom of Kongo from 1622 to 1631...

kanda took over from then but was ousted and replaced with Ambrósio I

Ambrósio I of Kongo

Ambrósio I Nimi a Nkanga was a mwenekongo of the Kingdom of Kongo who ruled from March 1626 to March 7, 1631.-Rise to Power:Ambrósio I was the nephew of Álvaro III and as such was a member of the royal House of Kwilu. When Alvaro III died on May 4 of 1622, he had only a young son to leave as heir...

putting the Kwilu kanda back in power. King Ambrósio was killed during a massive revolt and succeeded by the child Álvaro IV, the last king from the House of Kwilu. No members of the Kwilu gained the throne after 1636, and Kongo was dominated by warring houses claiming descent from Afonso I

Afonso I of Kongo

Mvemba a Nzinga or Nzinga Mbemba , also known as King Afonso I, was a ruler of the Kingdom of Kongo in the first half of the 16th century. He reigned over the Kongo Empire from 1509 to late 1542 or 1543.-Pre-reign career:...

or his relatives.