“Political organization was the main factor in the rise and expansion of the Kingdom of Kongo.” Discuss.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the statement that political organization was the main factor in the rise and expansion of the Kingdom of Kongo. Reasons may predate the timeframe but they must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may discuss the organization that linked the central power of the king, the Manikongo, to provincial and village powers, and the tax collection system that was the kingdom’s main source of income. Candidates may also refer to the limits of the kingdom’s centralized power, faced with provincial governors who could not always be easily controlled. Candidates may discuss other factors in the rise and expansion of the Kingdom, such as the importance of internal and external trade, the expansion of agriculture, the influence of Catholicism, and successful diplomacy, but with a focus on the issue raised in the question. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.