Final answer:
Alfonso I, also known as Afonso I of Kongo, confiscated Portuguese firearms to limit their influence and maintain his kingdom's autonomy amidst the destabilizing effects of slave trade
Step-by-step explanation:
King Afonso I of Kongo, popularly known as Alfonso I, confiscated Portuguese firearms. This action was part of his efforts to mitigate Portuguese influence and maintain control within his kingdom.
By seizing these weapons, King Afonso sought to limit the Portuguese power and protect his authority, especially in the context of the increasing slave trade and other exploitative practices brought by the Portuguese in the African region.
King Afonso's measures represented his attempt to balance Kongo's relationship with Portugal. He sought to develop Kongo as a Christian state and was concerned about retaining the social order, which was being disrupted by the slave trade that the Portuguese were heavily involved in.
The Kongo Kingdom, converted to Christianity, attempted to negotiate as an equal with Portugal, but the issue of slave trade persisted as a sore point in their relations, with the Portuguese continuing to take individuals of high social status as slaves, against the established norms of trading only criminals and war captives.