Download or read book Democratic Republic of Congo Art and Culture written by Louis Rwagasore and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-07-22 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Art and Culture of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Congo environment. Before experiencing radical transformations in the colonial era, Congolese societies had already experienced major disruptions. From the 15th to the 17th century several important state systems evolved in the southern savanna region. The most important were the Kongo kingdom in the west and the Luba-Lunda states in the east. They developed elaborate political institutions, buttressed by symbolic kingship and military force. Power emanated from the capital to outlying areas through appointed chiefs or local clan heads. Competition for the kingship often led to civil strife, however, and, with the rise of the slave trade, new sources of instability influenced regional politics. The history of the Kongo peoples in the 16th century