Lunda is a former African territory empire headed by an emperor or empress designated by the pseudonym Numi and Mwant Yav. The empire was established in the area corresponding to the current territories of Katanga in the Congo, north-eastern Angola and north-eastern Zambia.
Birth of the Lunda Kingdom
Oral tradition traces the birth of this empire in the 1600s. A small population from the Luba kingdom headed by Ilunga Tshibinda took up residence in the south-west of Katanga, in the Ba Lunda region. The territory at the time was a confederation with King Konde as its leader. Ilunga married Queen Lueji, daughter of Konde. From this union, was born Yao Nawedji who calls himself Mwant Yav. Some historians believe that Lueji was unable to give birth, and that Yao Nawedji was the fruit of the relationship between Ilunga and Kamonga, a woman from the kingdom. Yao Nawedji undertook the extension of the confederation in newly conquered territories by appointing governors there. These territories are what became the kingdom of Lunda.
Unhappy, Queen Lueji’s brothers founded other independent groups within the confederation. One of them, Shinguli, created his own kingdom and named it Imbangala. With no interaction with the kingdom of Lunda.
Heyday of Lunda
The evolution of the kingdom was expeditious. Thanks to a powerful army, the Lunda will multiply military expeditions. The annexed surrounding territories had the right to retain their autonomy through the payment of a tax to the kingdom. Unlike several other kingdoms of its time, succession was not by family descent. The new king was chosen based on his ability to rule. The choice was made by the council of nobles and sages. The successor nonetheless, was to bear the name of his predecessor.
The other strong point of the kingdom was trade. Through its expansion to Angola, the empire obtained copper, ivory and salt. It established commercial relations with Portugal in 1650 and managed to control trade on the east coast and the Arabian peninsula. To these commodities must be added slaves. In exchange, Portugal offered fabrics and weapons. The kingdom reached its total peak in the middle of the 19th century.
Decline of the Kingdom
The Chokwe tribe were the first to initiate the fall of the Lunda kingdom. Indeed, this tribe took control of the empire in the 1880s. But it was the Europeans who delivered the final blow. The Portuguese were the first to enter the kingdom via Angola in 1884. Then, during the Berlin Conference, the kingdom was dissected into pieces. Angola was entrusted under to Portuguese administration, and Congo was entrusted to the Belgians. Despite the few pockets of resistance, the Europeans effectively imposed their control, thus ending the Lunda kingdom. The Lundas still live in Katanga, eastern Angola and northern Zambia. The descendants living in Kazembe are called “Eastern Lundas”.
