Kanda (lineage)

Kanda (lineage)

Kanda (plural makanda, before 1700 the singular was dikanda or likanda) In Kikongo any social or analytical group, but often applied to lineages or groups of associated people who form a faction, band or other group. In Kongo documents written in Portuguese, or in older Portuguese accounts of Kongo it often is translated by "geração" (family or lineage in Portuguese). In older times, before about 1850 the term probably referred to elite lineages or descent groups (and their clients and slaves) who ruled the country. In modern Kikongo usage, for example in clan histories, or publications such as "Nkutama a mvila za makanda" (Tumba 1934, 4th edition, Matadi, 1972) it refers to a matrilineal descent group. In this literature, the kanda is often associated with a "mvila" or clan motto, which is in the form of a boast or other statement of identity, as well as a "kinkulu", a history of the clan's migrations.

Ruling Kandas of Kongo

Throughout its history the royal family has had branching factions that often fought each other over succession to the kingdom. Although these branches were probably called kanda, they were not strictly speaking descent groups, since they sometimes formed around two brothers. In the sixteenth century and later, the kingdom's kandas were referred to as "Houses", thus; the Nlaza or Kinlaza kanda was also known as the House of Kinlaza.

The ruling kandas were fairly short lived and unstable before the late seventeenth century, though there were houses noted, such as the Nsaku, who ruled Mbata, or the Houses of Kwilu and Nsundi (both geographical rather than kin group names). In the early to mid seventeenth century, however, the ruling kandas gradually hardened into permanent divisions. Three were recognized by tradition of the early eighteenth century, these being the Kinlaza, Kimpanzu and Kikanga a Mvika. While the Kikanga a Mvika was destroyed when its members sought to overthrow Garcia II (of the Kinlaza) in 1656-57, the other two became permanent contestants over the throne, being constantly named in documents throughout the eighteenth centuries. In a few places the identification with these kandas continued in tradition into the twentieth century, but for the most part in the nineteenth century they splintered into many more groups.

Other potential kandas (though the term was not used for them) include a certain number of families who bore Portuguese surnames and passed their names on patrilinearly. For example, the da Silvas, de Castros and combinations of these two ruled in Mbamba and then in Soyo from the early seventeenth century, while the Agua Rosadas emerged in the late seventeenth century from descendents of the Kimpanzu and Kinlasa (Pedro IV and his brothers were the first representatives of this kanda). Eighteenth century sources indicated that de Leão, a kin group founded by Queen Ana Afonso de Leão and her nephews continued as a permanent group as did later emerging groups such as Romano Leite. It is unclear how these named groups worked in the system of kinship and descent defined by kandas, which were, it seems larger and more flexible.

ee also

*Kingdom of Kongo
*Soyo
*Kinlaza
*Kimpanzu
*Kinkanga


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Kanda — can mean: *Kanda, Tokyo, a place in Japan. *Kanda, Fukuoka, a place in Japan. *Kanda Shrine, a landmark in Tokyo *Kanda Matsuri, a Japanese festival that takes place in Kanda, Tokyo. *IAST|Kāṇḍa, a Sanskrit word meaning chapter , used in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Kingdom of Kongo — For other uses, see Congo (disambiguation). Kingdom of Kongo Wene wa Kongo or Kongo dya Ntotila →   …   Wikipedia

  • List of rulers of Kongo — This is a list of the rulers of the Kingdom of Kongo known commonly as the Manikongos (KiKongo: Mwenekongo). In the KiKongo language, provinces were known as wene . The lords of these wene were known as Mwene (plural: Awene). The lord of Kongo… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Dhangar clans in India — The following is the list of Dhangar clans/Kulas of surnames of all sub castes from India. [Dhangar Samaj Prachin Eitihas va Kul Gotra, Ganpatrao Kolekar, 1992.(Marathi)] [Dhangar samajachi gotre, Ganpatrao Kolekar, 1981 (Marathi)] [ Hamara Samaj …   Wikipedia

  • Migration of Kambojas — References to Kambojas abound in ancient literature, and this may have been just the expansion of an Indo Iranian tribe with both Indic and Persian affinities from their homeland in the present day Afghanistan Pakistan region along the foothills… …   Wikipedia

  • Masato Onodera — Ring name(s) YAMATO[1] Yamato Onodera[2] Masato Onodera …   Wikipedia

  • Kambojas and Cambodia — Cambodia or Kambodia is the English transliteration of the French name Kambodge , which name stands for Sanskrit Kamboja (Persian Kambujiya or Kambaujiya ). In Chinese historical accounts, the land was known as Chenla. The ancient inscriptions of …   Wikipedia

  • Kwilu — Kwilu, also known as the House of Kwilu (Portuguese: Coulo ), was a kanda or royal lineage of the Kingdom of Kongo. OriginsPrior to the rise fo the Kwilu kanda, the Lukeni kanda or House of Lukeni had ruled Kongo since its inception around the… …   Wikipedia

  • History of the Punjab — The first known use of the word Punjab is in the book Tarikh e Sher Shah Suri (1580), which mentions the construction of a fort by Sher Khan of Punjab . The first mentioning of the Sanskrit equivalent of Punjab , however, occurs in the great epic …   Wikipedia

  • Ancient India and Central Asia — have long traditions of social cultural, religious, political and economic contact since remote antiquity [ Alberuni s India, 2001, p 19 21, Edward C. Sachau History; Dates of the Buddha, 1987, p 126, Shriram Sathe; Foundations of Indian Culture …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”