Kingdoms of Central Africa - Vou-Kpata / Avapata
Vou-Kpata (Clan State) (Africa)The pre-history ofAfricacovers a long and uncertain stretch of unrecorded history. Much of this involves a great deal of uncertainty which can only be understood through. . .
Vou-Kpata (Clan State) (Africa)The pre-history ofAfricacovers a long and uncertain stretch of unrecorded history. Much of this involves a great deal of uncertainty which can only be understood through archaeology. Even the more recent prehistory is shrouded in uncertainty, requiring analysis and archaeology to help define it. Bantu-speakers originated in West Africa before they migrated across sub-Saharan Africa, generally helping to spread theAfrican Neolithicas they went. Bantu languages come from a proto-Bantu language which was spoken in the area of today's Cameroon. Bantu-speakers are part of the Niger-Congo language family which forms the largest branch of the Southern Bantoid group of languages. Central Africa was poorly defined as a region until the creation of colonial-era territories in the eighteenth century. Before that at least parts of it appear to have been virgin territory, with no recent occupation. A collection of sultanates emerged across the area which today is partially covered byCentral African Republic(or CAR), as well asChadto its north and the edges ofSouth Sudanto the east. Prior to that there were almost two centuries of gradual, increasing movement into the area. The people responsible for this gradual inwards migration were generally Adamawa-Ubangi-speaking peoples such as the Banda (orBandia) and theZande-Nzakara (or Azande andNzakara) in eastern CAR, along with Bantu-speaking groups to the west and south, andSudaneseinfluences from the east. More Sudanese joined this melange a little later, driven out by the Shilluk and the Dinka of Bahr-el-Gazal. The initially-dominantVou-Kpata(or Avapata) were related to these two groups. Originally they were from the north-east of modern CAR. Seemingly only newly-arrived along with large numbers of other inwards-migrants, in the eighteenth century they dominated a large part of later Nzakara country, and began to unite the region's disparate populations. Their supreme chief, Koudou, established a capital on the sacred hill of Mbounguia, about twenty kilometres to the east of the later city ofBangassou(in today's CAR), to the north of the River Ubangi. That domination did not last for long, however. By the end of the eighteenth century the Vou-Kpata had been defeated by the Nzakara who had formed their own tribal state. Then the Nzakara went about uniting the region's disparate populations to form their own Nzakara-majority population group in what today is southern-central CAR. Principal author(s):Page created:Page last updated:(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Richard A Bradshaw & Juan Fandos-Rius, by Doctor Jean Kokide (University of Bangui), fromMonographie du Dar-Kouti-Oriental, Edmond A J Boucher (Typescript, 1934, copied and updated from the original by Pierre Claustre), fromDar al-Kuti and the Last Years of the Trans-Saharan Slave Trade, Denis D Cordell (The University of Wisconsin Press, 1985), fromUn ancien royaume Bandia du Haut-Oubangui, Eric de Dampierre (Plon, Paris, 1967), fromCentral African Republic, Pierre Kalck (Praeger Publishers, 1971), fromHistorical Dictionary of the Central African Republic, Pierre Kalck( Third Edition, Scarecrow Press, 2005), fromUn explorateur du centre de l'Afrique, Paul Crampel (1864-1891), Pierre Kalck (L'Harmattan, Paris, 1993), fromThe New Atlas of African History, G S P Freeman-Grenville (Rex Collins, London, 1991), fromTimes Atlas of World History(Maplewood, 1979), and fromExternal Links:Encyclopaedia Britannica, andCentral African Republic(World Statesmen), andAnne Retel-Laurentin et les Nzakara, Jean-Noël Biraben (Cahiers d'Études Africaines, Vol 27, Notebook 105/106,Démographie Historique, 1987, pp 187-197, and available viaJSTOR). )c. 1700Largely freshly-settled territory along the River Ubangi in what today is easternCentral African Republic(CAR) has been occupied during the seventeenth century by theBandiapeople (direct ancestors of theNzakara). Along with the Bandia, the Zande, the Nzakara, the Bati, the Benge, and the Mbudjaare were all producers of small but highly-recognisable wicker shields which carried elaborate handle boardsThese Bandia have been pushed westwards by Nilo-HamiticSudanesepeoples, at least partially of theFunjsultanate which faces its own disruptions. The Bandia form a tribal state by about 1700 along the River Ubangi. c. 1750 - 1780?Bantu-speakers have also been arriving from the west and south. Others, under pressure from the Ngombe, have been arriving from the south-west. MoreSudanesejoin this mix a little later, driven out by the Shilluk and the Dinka of Bahr-el-Gazal. TheVou-Kpataare part of this later group, originally from the north-east and with relations to the Shilluk and Dinka. In the eighteenth century they dominate a large part of laterNzakaracountry, starting off the process of uniting the region's disparate populations. The Vou-Kpata chief, Koudou, establishes his capital on the sacred hill of Mbounguia to the north of the River Ubangi. Bangui lies on the northern banks of the River Ubangi shown here, which serves in part to divide the modern states of Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo, but in the eighteenth century was the home of several clan states? - c. 1800Nzakala KoudouRuler of the Vou-Kpata. Defeated. c. 1780 - 1800The northern areas of Central Africa have recently become increasingly drawn into larger states, mainly sultanates which are influenced bySudanand the sub-Saharan Islamic holdings. The earliest-recordedNzakarahave begun appearing as descendants ofBandiafolk and other admixtures from the recent tribal influxes. The Nzakara settle to the south of the River Ubangi, along the lower Bili and Ouelle rivers where they form states of their own: theNzakara of the Ubangiand the Nzakara of Sinango. Under the leadership of their chief, Ndounga, the Ubangi Nzakara begin to invade Vou-Kpata territory, and Koudou and his allies are seemingly soon defeated. After this the Nzakara begin to settle the region in stages, driving back some tribes, subduing or enslaving others, and expanding into territory which will becomeCentral African Republic. Central Africa in 1897 was a land of uncertain, shifting borders, with small states expanding to incorporate previously stateless tribal societies (click or tap on map to view full sized)