Manuel II orManuel II Mpanzu a Nimi (???-1743) was ruler of theKingdom of Kongo (1718–1743). He ruled in a period of "rotating lineages" as planned by his predecessor and was of theKimpanzu.[1] He had once fought against Pedro during the recapture ofSão Salvador.[2]
Manuel was the brother ofDaniel I, and when he was killed in the Sack of São Salvador, became the mainKimpanzu claimant to the Kongo throne. He retreated to Mbamba Lovata, where he established himself as the Awenekongo which became one of three main post-civil war states, the other two held by separateKinlaza claimants to the throne of Kongo. In 1680,King Pedro III was ruling the rival kingdom of Lemba, where he claimed the Kongo throne in opposition to theHouse of Kimpanzu partisans residing in Soyo's southern province of Luvota.[3] Manuel had sworn vengeance and orchestrated a plot to kill Pedro III. Under the auspice of a truce, treacherously negotiated by the Prince of Soyo, Pedro III was lured into a trap expecting to make peace through marriage to a Kimpanzu noble. Instead, Manuel emerged from the Soyo wedding train dressed as a bride and shot Pedro III to death before escaping.[3] The particular episode in Kongo's history would become one of the sticking points keeping the nobility from finding lasting peace.
After the assassination ofPedro III, Manuel fought to establish his claim over Kongo, which eventually culminated in a Battle for São Salvador, where he allied with Pedro Constantinho da Silva and his partisans who were once subordinates ofPedro IV. The forces of Pedro and Manuel clashed, but eventually, Pedro was victorious, leaving him in control of the capital and therefore de facto Manikongo of Kongo. Manuel did not give up his claim for 6 years and continued to rule a rival administration in Mbamba Lovata until an agreement between Pedro and Manuel in 1715 led to the re-establishment of the throne alternating between the Kinlaza and Kimpanzu houses.[2]
When Pedro died in 1718, the agreement between the houses was honored, and Manuel was crowned as Manuel II of Kongo, moving his royal house to the city. He ruled until his death in 1743, when the throne passed toGarcia IV, who was of theHouse of Kinlaza.
| Preceded by | Manikongo 1718–1743 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Daniel I (As Manikongo) | Awenekongo of Mbamba Lovata 1678-1715 | Succeeded by N/A |
.svg) | This biography of a member of an African royal house is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |