Jaga Invasions

Question 1

What does Jaga mean?

Answer 1

In the 17th and 18th centuries “jaga” became a generic term to refer to violent, rebellious peoples outside the sphere of Portugese influence

Question 2

1568 Jaga invasions

Answer 2

• Javas invaded Mbanza Kongo, seizing power and forcing the manikongo, mwissikongo and Alvaro I to flee the city and take refuge on an island in the Kongo River

Question 3

Why did the Jaga invasions happen?

Answer 3

• Historians agree the rebellion was not led by an ‘ethnicity of Jagas’ but rather a coalition of Kongo people unhappy at the changes in the kingdom, and perhaps also at the accession of the new manikongo of Alvaro I, who took power potentially illegitimately in 1568.
• Alvaro I was the stepson of the previous manikongo, Henrique, and was therefore seen as illegitimate by some.
• Many of these jagas may have come from the Kwango River valley which historians suggest has been targets for salve raids by the Mwissikongo so another reason for invasion may have been due to injustices surrounding slave trading.

Question 4

Portugese and Alvaro

Answer 4

• After he fled, Alvaro asked the Portugese for assistance, and 600 troops were sent from São Tomé ( a Portuguese controlled island off the coast of Kongo where slaves had been taken to farm sugar plantations)

Question 5

Mbanza Kongo recaptured in 1570, after 2 years.

Answer 5

• With help of the Portugese, but this places the manikongo in debt to the São Tomé traders, some of the most greedy Portuguese slave traders in the kingdom

Question 6

Portugese & Luanda

Answer 6

• Lovvied to establish a trading outpost at Luanda, near the kingdom of Ndongo, where they had been trading illegally for stages already for several decades
• Luanda was where the Kongolese currency, the Nzimbu shell, was mainly produced, Portugese control over this area was dangerously for Kongo as they had most power over economy

Question 7

Debt from Kongo to Portugese

Answer 7

• Portugese advisors, usually priests were also given a seat on the electoral council or the manikongo, meaning they could sway elections in favor of the Portugese