The Manikongo was the title of the ruler of the 14th century - 17th century Kingdom of Kongo, a large area consisting of land in present-day Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. The Manikongo ruled from the capital Mbanza-Kongo , which is present day Sao Salvador . The Manikongo appointed the governors of the six provinces of the Kingdom of Kongo and received tribute from some other subject areas. The kingdom came increasingly under the control of its Portuguese trading partners, and the power of the Manikongo waned especially in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The army of the Kongo was defeated by the Portugese at the battle of Mbwila in 1665 and the Portugese decapitated the Manikongo, essentially ending the office and the kingdom.