Mpalang’a-Maruv Liévain Mwangal, Musumb and its emperors (17th-21st century). Laboratory History of cities in Central Africa

Mwangal's thesis focuses on Musumb, a pre-colonial city and capital of the former Lunda Empire in Central Africa. It seeks to understand in a specific way, the past of the city of Musumb through the reigns of different emperors who succeeded to the throne during the pre-colonial, colonial and postcolonial period. During the pre-colonial era, Musumb is the capital of the Lunda state, a trading hub and nomadic city. It became fixed during the colonial period but was reduced to the rank of a simple chief town of a traditional chieftainry recognized by the Leopoldian and colonial administration. During the postcolonial period, Musumb is still fixed and becomes again the center, the reference cradle of identity and the capital of ethno-cultural decisions and customary administrative functions of the Lunda of Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.