▁r ul ers ▁of ▁K ongo . ▁Gon ç alo ▁de ▁S ous a ▁was ▁dispatch ed ▁on ▁a ▁formal ▁emb ass y ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 1 ; ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁mission aries ▁entered ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁his ▁train . ▁King ▁N zing a ▁N ku w u ▁of ▁K ongo ▁was ▁bapt ized ▁at ▁this ▁time , ▁taking ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁João ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁the ▁king ▁of ▁Portugal . ▁ ▁The ▁K ongo ▁adopted ▁Catholic ism . ▁Other ▁states ▁existing ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁included ▁K ongo ▁dia ▁N la za ▁and ▁N z iko ▁located ▁to ▁K ongo ' s ▁east , ▁N d ongo , ▁in ▁the ▁high lands ▁between ▁the ▁K w anza ▁and ▁L uk ala ▁R ivers , ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Beng uela , ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁front ▁range ▁of ▁the ▁Bi he ▁Pl ate au , ▁and ▁S ongo ▁located ▁south ▁of ▁N d ongo . ▁▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁King ▁Af onso ▁M v emb a ▁N zing a , ▁son ▁of ▁King ▁N zing a ▁N ku w u , ▁established ▁Christian ity ▁as ▁the ▁national ▁religion ▁by ▁ 1 5 2 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 5 9 5 , ▁the ▁Pope ▁declared ▁K ongo ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁epis cop al ▁see . ▁ ▁The ▁ ▁principal ▁church , ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 8 ▁and ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁Sav ior ▁( S ão ▁Salvador ), ▁was ▁named ▁as ▁c athedral , ▁whose ▁juris diction ▁included ▁both ▁K ongo