Afonso I na Kongo

**Mvemba a Nzinga**, **Nzinga Mbemba**, **Funsu Nzinga Mvemba** ko **Dom Alfonso** (  - 1542 ko 1543),  kuma aka sani da **Sarki Afonso I**, shine sarki na shida na Masarautar Kongo daga daular Lukeni kanda kuma ya yi mulki a farkon rabin karni na 16. Ya yi sarauta a kan daular Kongo daga 1509 zuwa ƙarshen 1542 ko 1543.

An haife shi a cikin gidan mulkin Gidan Kilukeni, Afonso ɗan Nzinga a Nkuwu ne (wanda aka kirista a matsayin João I), sarkin Kongo. An ba shi ikon siyasa tun yana ƙarami, Afonso ya mallaki lardin Nsundi a lokacin mulkin mahaifinsa. A zamanin karuwar dangantaka da Masarautar Portugal, Afonso ya zama mai tuba zuwa Katolika kuma ya nemi ya rungumi cibiyoyin Portugal a ƙasashensa. Bayan rasuwar mahaifinsa a shekara ta 1506, Afonso ya yi nasara a cikin ɗan gajeren yakin basasa da ɗan'uwansa, ya zama sarki na shida na Kongo.

A matsayinsa na sarki, Afonso ya kafa ikon gwamnati a babban birninsa a Mbanza Kongo, ya rage ikon manyan mutanen Kongo, kuma ya fadada iyakokin masarautar ta hanyar yaki. Ba kamar sarakunan Kongo na baya ba, ya kasance Katolika a duk rayuwarsa, kuma ya yi aiki sosai don canza mulkinsa zuwa Kiristanci. Sarautarsa ta ga karuwar musayar al'adu, tattalin arziki, da addini tsakanin Kongo da Portugal, gami da fadada Cinikin bayi na Atlantic. Afonso ya kara yin taka tsantsan game da tasirin Portuguese a cikin mulkinsa na baya, amma dangantakar da ke tsakanin Kongo da Portugal ta kasance kusa, tare da masarautun biyu suna aiki tare a yaƙi da kasuwanci. Da yake sha'awar diflomasiyya, Afonso ya aika da ofisoshin jakadancin Kongo zuwa Lisbon, Roma, kuma ya rubuta wasiƙa tare da shugabannin siyasa da na addini a Turai. Ɗansa, Pedro I, ya gaje shi a cikin ko dai 1542 ko 1543.

Ana tunawa da Afonso saboda kara karfin mulkin mallaka na Kongo, kokarinsa na juyar da Kongo zuwa Kiristanci, da fadada tattalin arziki da soja na masarautar.

## Tarihin rayuwa

### Kafin mulkin mallaka
An haife shi a kusa da 1456 a matsayin Mvemba a Nzinga, shi ne ɗan Manikongo (Mwene Kongo) (sarki) Nzinga a Nkuwu, sarki na biyar na Daular Kongo.

A shekara ta 1491, Mvemba a Nzinga yana cikin shekaru talatin kuma shine mai mulkin lardin Nsundi a yankin arewa maso gabashin masarautar. Mvemba a Nzinga ya yi gasa don ikon siyasa da kudaden shiga na kasuwanci tare da 'yan uwansa masu daraja, gami da danginsa, tare da mutane da yawa suna ganinsa a matsayin babban dan takara don zama sarki na gaba.

1491 ya ga isowar Portuguese na farko zuwa Masarautar babban birnin Kongo a M'banza-Kongo . Mvemba ya yi saurin sha'awar Kiristanci, ya ɗauki sabon sunan Afonso, kuma an yi masa baftisma bayan mahaifinsa ya yanke shawarar juyawa zuwa Kiristanci. Ya yi karatu tare da firistoci da masu ba da shawara na Portugal na tsawon shekaru goma a babban birnin masarautar. Wasiƙu da firistoci suka rubuta wa sarkin Portugal sun zana Afonso a matsayin mai ƙwazo da masanin da ya tuba zuwa Kiristanci. A kusa da shekara ta 1495, mahaifinsa ya yi tir da Kiristanci kuma ya kori firistoci daga babban birnin sarauta, amma Afonso bai yarda da mahaifinsa ba kuma ya maraba da firistoci a babban birnin lardin Nsundi. Ga rashin jin daɗin mutane da yawa a cikin mulkin, ya ba da umarnin lalata kayan fasaha na gargajiya waɗanda zasu iya ɓata hankalin Portuguese rai.

### Samun iko

A cikin 1506 Sarki João I na Kongo (sunan Nzinga a Nakuru ya ɗauka a lokacin da ya tuba) ya mutu, kuma masu iya da'awar (ciki har da Afonso) sun tashi don karɓar mulkin. Kongo ta kasance zaɓaɓɓen maimakon mulkin mallaka na gado, don haka ba a tabbatar da kursiyin Afonso ba. Mahaifiyarsa ta taimaka wa Afonso a yunkurinsa na zama sarki, wanda ya ɓoye labarin mutuwar João kuma ya shirya Afonso ya koma babban birnin Mbanza Kongo don tara mabiyansa. Lokacin da aka sanar da mutuwar sarki, Afonso ya riga ya kasance a babban birnin kuma a shirye ya karɓi mulki.

Hamayya mafi karfi ga ikirarin Afonso ya fito ne daga ɗan'uwansa Mpanzu a Kitima (ko Mpanzu a Nzinga). Mpanzu ya yi tawaye da ɗan'uwansa, ya tara sojoji a larduna, kuma ya shirya tafiya a kan Mbanza Kongo. A cikin yakin da ya biyo baya na Mbanza Kongo, an ba da lada ga bin addinin Katolika; nasararsa ta kasance ga mu'ujiza da marubucin tarihi Paiva Manso ya bayyana, wanda ya ce sojojin Mpanzu a Kitima, duk da cewa sun fi na Afonso, sun gudu cikin tsoro a bayyanar Saint James the Great da mahayan dawakai biyar masu makamai a sama a sama. Labarin, wanda aka fara ba da labari a cikin wata wasika da Afonso da kansa bai tsira ba,  yana buɗewa ga fassarori da yawa, kuma yana iya kasancewa almara da aka yi amfani da ita don wakiltar juyin mulkin da Afonso ya ƙaddamar don fitar da masu adawa da Katolika a cikin gidan sarauta. 

An kashe Mpanzu a Kitima a lokacin yakin, ko dai ta hanyar fadawa cikin wani nau'i na punji a lokacin da sojojinsa suka ci nasara, ko kuma bayan an kama shi sannan aka kashe shi. Ba a ambaci Portuguese a matsayin shiga cikin yakin ko dai ta mishaneri da ke cikin masarautar ko kuma ta Afonso a cikin wasiƙunsa ga sarkin Portugal ba. Afonso ya yi amfani da nasarar da ya samu a kan ɗan'uwansa mai bin al'ada; Kristanci ya zama bangaskiyar sarauta daga wannan lokacin, kuma "mu'ujiza" da ta haifar da nasarar Afonso a Mbanza Kongo ba ta mutu a cikin makamai na masarautar ba. An yi amfani da makamai a Kongo har zuwa akalla 1860.

### Sarauta

#### Mayar da Kongo zuwa Kiristanci
Afonso ya fi shahara da ƙoƙarinsa na mayar da Kongo zuwa ƙasar Katolika, ta hanyar kafa Cocin Katolika na Roma a Kongo, samar da kuɗaɗen sa daga haraji, da kuma ƙirƙirar makarantu. A shekara ta 1516, akwai fiye da ɗalibai 1000 a makarantar sarauta, kuma wasu makarantu suna cikin larduna, wanda a ƙarshe ya haifar da haɓaka cikakken matakin masu ilimi na sarakuna (ba a gina makarantu ga talakawa ba). Afonso ya kuma nemi haɓaka tauhidin da ya dace don haɗa al'adun addininsa na ƙasarsa da na Kiristanci. Ya yi nazarin littattafan tauhidi, yana barci a kansu, a cewar Rui de Aguiar (limamin sarautar Portugal da aka aika don taimaka masa). Don taimakawa a wannan aikin, Afonso ya aika da yawancin ’ya’yansa da manyan mutane zuwa Turai don yin karatu, ciki har da ɗansa Henrique Kinu a Mvemba, wanda aka ɗaukaka zuwa matsayin bishop a shekara ta 1518. An ba shi bishop na Utica (a Arewacin Afirka) daga Vatican, amma a zahiri ya yi aiki a Kongo tun lokacin da ya dawo can a farkon shekarun 1520 har zuwa mutuwarsa a shekara ta 1531.

Ƙoƙarin Afonso na gabatar da al'adun Portugal zuwa Kongo ya bayyana ta hanyoyi da yawa. Sarakunan Kongo sun karɓi sunayen Portugal, lakabi, tambarin garkuwa, da salon tufafi. An tura matasa daga manyan iyalai zuwa Turai don ilimi. Manyan mutanen Kongo sun saka hannun jari a yankin Portugal na São Tomé, inda mulkin Kongo ya nada wakilai. Christian festivals were observed, churches were erected, and craftsmen made Christian artifacts that were found by missionaries in the 19th century. Significantly, religious brotherhoods (organizations) were founded in imitation of Portuguese practices. The ranks of brotherhoods would be called by different European titles, with the elected leader of each brotherhood having the title "king." To celebrate Pentecost, these brotherhoods organized processions that had the multiple motives of celebrating Saints, the brotherhoods themselves, and allowed the brotherhoods an opportunity to collect money. These celebrations lived on in slave communities in Albany, NY as Pinkster.

### Mutuwa
A ƙarshen rayuwarsa, ’ya’yan Afonso da jikokinsa sun fara zage-zage don maye gurbinsa, kuma a cikin 1540 maƙiyan da suka haɗa da mazauna Portuguese a cikin ƙasar sun yi ƙoƙari na rashin nasara a rayuwarsa.  Ya mutu a ƙarshen 1542 ko wataƙila a farkon 1543, ya bar ɗansa Pedro ya gaje shi.  Ko da yake ba da daɗewa ba jikansa Diogo (a shekara ta 1545) ya kifar da dansa kuma ya sami mafaka a coci, jikoki da kuma zuriyar ’ya’yansa mata uku sun ba da sarakuna da yawa daga baya.

## Binciken Tarihi

A matsayinsa na mai mulkin Kongo a lokacin canji da kawo cikas na tarihin Kongose, mulkin Afonso ya kasance fannin nazarin tarihi.

Kusan duk abin da aka sani game da Kongo a lokacin mulkin Afonso an san shi ne daga dogon jerin wasiƙunsa, waɗanda aka rubuta cikin Fotigal, musamman ga sarakuna Manuel I da João III na Portugal.  Wasiƙun galibi suna da tsayi sosai kuma suna ba da cikakkun bayanai game da yadda ake gudanar da ƙasar.  Wasiƙu da yawa sun koka game da halayen jami'an Portugal da yawa, kuma waɗannan wasiƙun sun haifar da fassarar mulkin Afonso a matsayin wanda muradun Portuguese suka murƙushe burin Afonso.

A cikin littafin Adam Hochschild na 1998 na King Leopold's Ghost, Hochschild ya siffanta Afonso a matsayin "zaɓi na zamani" saboda ya yi maraba da Turai sabuwar fasahar kimiyya da coci amma ya ƙi amincewa da tsarin shari'ar Portugal kuma ya sayar da ƙasa ga masu sa ido."  A gaskiya ma, Afonso ya yi wa Ordenações Manuelinas ba’a (sabuwar dokar Portuguese) sa’ad da ya karanta ta a shekara ta 1516, inda ya tambayi wakilin Portuguese de Castro, “Mene ne hukuncin, Castro, na sanya ƙafafu a ƙasa?”  Babu wani rikodin zamani da ya ambaci wani abu game da siyar da filaye, hakika ba a taɓa sayar da filaye a Kongo ga kowa ba.

Ba a san takamaiman dalilin da ya sa Afonso ya yi kamfen na tuba ba.  "Malamai suna ci gaba da jayayya game da sahihancin bangaskiyar Kiristanci na Kongo da kuma matakin da tsarin siyasa da tattalin arziki ya motsa sabon imani."

## Manazarta

## Bibiyar Tarihi
* Afonso's letters are all published, along with most of the documents relating to his reign in:
** António Brásio, *Monumenta Missionaria Africana* (1st series, 15 volumes, Lisbon: Agência Geral do Ultramar, 1952–88), vols. 1, 2 and 4.
** While a separate publication of just his letters and allied documents (in French translation) is in Louis Jadin and Mirelle Dicorati, *La correspondence du roi Afonso I de Congo* (Brussels, 1978).
* McKnight, Kathryn Joy, and Leo J. Garofalo. "Afro-Latino Voices: Narratives from the Early Modern Ibero-Atlantic World, 1550-1812."