Pre Colonial period As evidenced by remains found in Luanda, Congo and the Namibe desert, the area currently known, as Angola has been inhabited since pre-historic times. However, it was only until thousands of years later, at the beginning of recorded history, that more developed societies arrived in the area. The first to settle were the Bushmen, who were known to be great hunters. Physically they were similar to the pygmies in size and had light brown complexions. At the beginning of the sixth century AD, a darker complexioned, more technologically advanced people began one of the greatest migrations in history. They were the Bantu, and they came from the north, probably from somewhere near the present-day Republic of Cameroon. The Bantu had mastered metal working technology. When they reached what is now Angola they encountered the Bushmen and other ethnic groups considerably less advanced than them. The quickly dominated these groups with their superior knowledge of metalworking, ceramics and agriculture. Over the course of centuries the Bantu established them in the region and gave rise to a number of different groups, who over time took on different ethnic characteristics, some of which persist to this day. The first large political entity in the area, known as the Kingdom of Congo, appeared in the thirteenth century and stretched from Gabon in the north to the river Kwanza in the South, and from the Atlantic in the West to the river Cuango in the East. Their wealth came mainly from agriculture. Power was in the hands of the "Mani," aristocrats who occupied key positions in the Kingdom and who answered only to the all-powerful King of the Congo. Mbanza was the name given to a territorial and ruled by a Mani; Mbanza Congo, the capital, had a population of over fifty thousand in the sixteenth century. The Kingdom of Congo was divided into six provinces and included some dependent kingdoms, such as Ndongo to the South. Trade, based on highly productive agriculture and increasing exploitation of mineral wealth, was the main economic activity of the region. In 1482, Portuguese caravans commanded by Diogo Cao arrived in the Congo. Other expeditions followed and close relations were soon established between the two states. The Portuguese brought firearms and an interesting religion; in the return, the King of the Congo could offer slaves, ivory, and minerals. The King of the Congo was soon converted to Christianity, and adopted a similar political structure to the Europeans; he became a well-known figure in Europe, to the point of receiving missives from the Pope. To the south of the Kingdom of the Congo, around the river Cuanza, there were various important states, of which the Kingdom of Ndongo, ruled by the Ngola (King), was the most significant. At the time of the arrival of the Portuguese, Ngola Kiluange was in Power, and by maintaining a policy of alliance with neighbouring states, managed to hold out against the foreigners for several decades. Eventually he was beheaded in Luanda. Years later, the Ndongo rose to prominence again when Jinga Mbandi, Known as Queen Jinga, took power. A wily politician, she kept the Portuguese in check with carefully prepared agreements. After undertaking various journeys she succeeded in 1635 in forming a grand coalition with the states of Matamba and Ndongo, Congo, Kassanje Dembos and Kissamas. At the head of this formidable alliance, she forced the Portuguese to retreat. Meanwhile, Portugal had been occupied by Spain, and their overseas territories had taken second place to their internal affairs. The Dutch took advantage of this situation and occupied Luanda in 1641. Jinga entered into an alliance with the Dutch, thereby strengthening her coalition and confining the Portuguese to Massangano, which they fortified strongly, sallying forth on occasion to capture slaves in Kuata Kuata wars. Slaves from Angola were essential to the development of the colony of Brazil, but the traffic had been interrupted by these events. In 1648 a large force from Brazil under the command of Salvador Correia de Sa re-took Luanda, leading to the return of the Portuguese in large numbers. Jinga's coalition began to fall apart; the absence of the Dutch allies with their firearms, and the strong position of Carreia de Sa, delivered a deadly blow to morale of the indigenous forces to an attempt to capture the island of Luanda, occupied by Correia de Sa, but they were defeated and lost their independence. The Kingdom of Ndongo likewise submitted to the Portuguese Crown in 1671. Early Colonial Period: When Portuguese mariner Diego Cao landed at the mouth of the Congo River in 1483, two distinct African Kingdoms ruled the region. The Kingdom of the Bakongo reigned in the north. The Quinbundos Kingdom, also known ad Ndongo, dominated in the western and central areas. The land of the Quimbundos was called "Ngola". The land, taking its name from the King, became Angola. Portugal's initial interest was limited to establishing a coastal base to provide provisions for its ships sailing around Africa to the Far East. At first, the Portuguese had friendly relations with the Bakongo rulers. Catholic missionaries began arriving and the Bakongo King soon converted to Christianity. At the same time, however, the Portuguese began buying slaves from African chiefs to work on sugar plantations in Sao Tome Prince and Brazil. As the transatlantic slave trade grew, so did tension between the Portuguese and both the Bakongo and Ndongo Kingdoms. In 1526,the Bakongo King wrote to the Portuguese King to tell him the slave trade must end. The Portuguese refused. For the following 140 years African resisted Portuguese rule. It was not until after the Portuguese defeated the Dutch, their main rivals, in 1648 that Lisbon began seriously consolidating its colonies. The Portuguese finally conquered the Bakongo in the Battle of Ambuila in 1665. Portugal, however, did not manage to extend complete administrative control throughout Angola until the beginning of the 20th Century.