Império, patronato e uma revolta no reino do Kongo = Empire, patronage and a revolt in the kingdom of Kongo

Vos, J. (2017) Império, patronato e uma revolta no reino do Kongo = Empire, patronage and a revolt in the kingdom of Kongo. Cadernos de Estudos Africanos, 33, pp. 157-182. (doi: 10.4000/cea.2225)

Abstract

This article argues that the famous Kongo uprising of 1913 epitomized a breakdown of patron-client relationships between the Portuguese colonial state, the Kongo rulers at São Salvador, and their local constituents. On the one hand, the colonial imposition of contract labor undermined a social contract that held the king of Kongo accountable to senior chiefs and their followers. The subsequent revolt against the incumbent ruler, Manuel Kiditu, is explained in moral economy terms as a collective response to the repudiation of the rules of social reciprocity by Kiditu and his assistants. On the other hand, a breakdown in relations of trust between Kiditu and the leader of the revolt, Álvaro Buta, also played a crucial role in the revolt.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Vos, Dr Jelmer
• Authors: Vos, J.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > History
• Journal Name: Cadernos de Estudos Africanos
• Publisher: Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Estudos Africanos
• ISSN: 1645-3794
• ISSN (Online): 2182-7400
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 Centro de Estudos Internacionais do Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL)
• First Published: First published in Cadernos de Estudos Africanos 33:157-182
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License