The History of the Congo

In the early 1870's the peoples of the Eastern Congo lived in a land dominated by the Arab-Swahili traders.  In search of Ivory these traders had traveled hundreds of miles inland from the Indian Ocean.  These traders settled in and established settlements where they loved in great comfort.  This was in great contrast to the subdued peoples who had inhabited these lands for hundreds of years.   But the curiosity of the American and European public was focused on this region. In 1873 The Daily Telegraph of London and the New York Herald sponsored the Victorian explorer, Henry Morton Stanley, to travel to East Africa to find the legendary source of the River Nile.  This voyage of explorations sent shockwaves through time to the present day ...

In this Episode we see Tippu Tip and the Arab traders, after exhausting the Elephant herds in today's Tanzania,  journey West across Lake Tanganyika into the Eastern Congo.   Ever in need of more ivory they were drawn all the way to the Lualaba River.    They met the the Tabwe, the Lunda, the Warua, the Bemba and perhaps documented the first ever written description of the Luba heartland.  These peoples were connected by pan-continental trade routes at the end of the 19th Century.    Through trickery, alliances and ultimately firepower however they became subdued by Tip and his forces.  The Arab traders became the rulers of vast swathes of land, with little interest beyond resources.  But still the odd European travelers kept coming ...

In this episode we cover the mid 16th to early 19th century to relay the first meetings between the Arab-Swahili traders and the peoples living in today's Eastern Congo.   These traders travelled thousands of kilometres inland from the coast, and the languages and cultures began to fuse.  Some trade was conducted but without established norms of relations hostility could always emerge from misunderstandings.       At the end of the episode we meet some new peculiarities.  Amidst the turmoil the first European explorers and missionaries, including David Livingstone, precariously wandered the lands...

In this episode we depart from the West and the Kingdom of the Kongo to todays Eastern provinces of the DRC. We see the unique topography here and enjoy a more detailed introduction to two further great African peoples and empires - the Luba and the Lunda.   These peoples lived and live in a geologically dynamic land with mountains, lakes and active Volcanoes. This area was the cradle of humanity, and in the 16th centuries they sat amidst a trading system that spanned from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic.

In this episode we see how the Kingdom of the Kongo survived in the ebbs of flows of international and domestic conflicts, as well as some of the horrific effects of slavery.   We see the Kingdom flex its power on the international stage but ultimately wither as a defeat allows an opportunity for others to take its power and resources.  But in this adversity a voice of hope emerges which was to provide strength to the oppressed in their time of need.  This voice resonates through the ages today.

In this episode the Kingdom of the Kongo welcomes the Portuguese Empire, and the nobility embraces a new Religion.  But it also meets the Dutch, the Vatican and continues to fight for it's place in Africa, whilst keeping the Kingdom together.  Soon the Europeans settle, with an agenda much evolved from spreading Christianity....This results in alliances, betrayals and an international battle in 17th century Central Africa. As an international player the Kingdom of the Kongo has much to fight for.

In this Episode we focus on the Western Congo in the 13th Century where we meet one of the most famous precolonial Kingdoms - the Kingdom of the Kongo.  We see how the Kingdom formed and take a look at the capital - MBanza Kongo - as well as a look at some of the social structures in place.  We wrap up just as new visitors arrive at the Kingdom ...

In this episode we look at the Democratic Republic of the Congo today, and then go back in time.  We start with prehistoric artefacts and the great Bantu migration, which pushed the Pygmies to the South and East of todays country.  We are introduced to the topography of the Country, The River Congo, the central navigable plateau, and the Mountains of the East.  We wrap up focusing at the Atlantic coast where we first meet one of the most famous precolonial African Empires - The Kingdom of the Kongo.