Garcia II, King of the Kongo, Receives Dutch Embassy, 1642

Garcia II Nkanga a Lukeni a Nzenze a Ntumba (Garcia Afonso) ruled the Kingdom of Kongo from 1641-61. He is considered one of Kongo's greatest kings for his religious piety and his near expulsion of the Portuguese from Angola. In 1642 he received an embassy from the Dutch and signed an alliance and agreement, only refusing to permit them to send him a Calvinist preacher, insisting that he was a Catholic and would not permit it. The Dutch were not as willing to press their attack and allowed the Portuguese to continue to possess their inland territories. In the years following the Dutch war, Garcia sought to make amends with the Portuguese and settle relations. A treaty was presented in 1649, but neither side signed it, and Garcia was made to pay an indemnity. Capuchin missionaries, who arrived in 1645 assisted in providing more clergy for the Church, and Garcia welcomed them to his country. in 1652 he accused them of plotting against him, and imprisoned DoCna Leonor, an aged and well respected queen for her involvement in an alleged plot. She died in prison and Garcia lost considerable public confidence as a result. He died in 1660, leaving his second son AntCunio I of Kongo to succeed him

Picture No

12696906

Media ID

47682135

Size

4350px x 3260px (2.8MB)

Credit

NYPL/Science Source/Mary Evans