Mangbetu

History

originated from the northeas, probably from modern day Sudan. As they moved southward they encountered Bantu migrations moving northward. they finally settled in the 19th century in land that was occupied by the Mbuti.The Mangbetu intermarried with and subsumed many of the Bantu and pygmy populations they encountered. In the 19th century the Mangbetu Kingdom was established under Nabiembale and became the dominant political force in the region until 1880, when Sudanic and Islamic slavers entered the region, fragmenting the kingdom into sultanates controlled by Moslem leaders.