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The Christian King Who Fought the Slave Trade: Kongo's Afonso I
In the early 16th century, the Kingdom of Kongo in Central Africa became one of the first African states to embrace Christianity. But its king, Afonso I, soon found himself trapped between faith and the relentless demands of the Portuguese slave trade. In a series of remarkable letters to King Manuel I of Portugal, Afonso pleaded for control over the trade that was ravaging his kingdom — and threatened to sever ties if his pleas went unheard. This episode explores the rise of Kongo under Afonso, its diplomatic struggle with Portugal, and the tragic irony of a Christian monarch who fought to…
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