Religion as a Diplomatic Argument in Early Modern Afro-European Correspondence

Abstract

Religion as a Diplomatic Argument in Early Modern Afro-European Correspondence
The following essay focuses on letters written by the Christian monarchs Afonso I of Kongo and Dawit II of Ethiopia to Portuguese kings in the early sixteenth century. These letters serve as a foundation for understanding the goals and strategies of the respective African monarchs in relation to their Portuguese allies. As will be shown, both Afonso and Dawit sought to gain various resources from Portugal by using religious argumentation and their allies’ expectations while also attempting to keep their realms independent from an expanding Portuguese field of control.