| Mbwila Rebellion (1691–1693) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Map of the Kingdom of Kongo | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
.svg) Kingdom of Portugal | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Unnamed commander † Pascoal Rodrigues | Sebastião Afonso ofMbwila | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 800 gunmen 40,000 archers | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
TheMbwila Rebellion of 1691–1693 was a conflict between theNdembu forces ofMbwila, led by Sebastião Afonso, and Portuguese colonial authorities from 1691 to 1693 inAngola. The rebellion saw early Ndembu successes before being suppressed by a Portuguese counteroffensive, which devastated the region and reasserted Portuguese control.
In the late 17th century, theKingdom of Kongo was weakening due to internal divisions and the growing influence of Portuguese colonial power inAngola.Mbwila, a province within Kongo, was traditionally a vassal of the Portuguese, but tensions began to rise as Portuguese expansionism clashed with the independence movements in the region.[1]
By 1691, Sebastião Afonso, the ruler ofMbwila, declared his allegiance to Congo and Queen Njinga ofMatamba, distancing himself from Portuguese rule. Sebastião expelled the Portuguese captain-major and chaplain, who had been stationed in Mbwila, he burned a church and blocked trading routes.[2][3][4]
The Portuguese organized a campaign to crush the rebellion. A force of 800 gunmen and 40,000 archers, composed of Portuguese soldiers and their African allies, invadedMbwila.[3] They sacked local villages and attempted to subdue the region.[3] However, the rebels survived, and despite the initial strength of the Portuguese force, heavy rains and the outbreak of tropical diseases weakened the Portuguese, suffering significant losses, along with the commander while they were camped in Camolemba.[3][5]
By 1692/1693, the Portuguese regrouped and launched a counteroffensive under Pascoal Rodrigues.[5] The Portuguese attacked with overwhelming force, devastating the region.By 1693, the Portuguese had defeated the rebellion, forcingMbwila back into submission and reestablishing its vassalage to Portugal.[2]
The Portuguese forces, after crushing the Mbwila rebellion, forced the Ndembu to renew their vassalage to Portugal.[2]
