Background
He was a son of Álvaro III and took possession of the throne at age thirteen.
He was a son of Álvaro III and took possession of the throne at age thirteen.
The king was last of the House of Kwilu monarchs which had ruled the kingdom with only one intermission since 1567. He came to power during a time of great strife in the kingdom, and if not for the intervention of future kings Álvaro VI and Garcia II, his reign might have been much shorter. The king fled with his protectors where they fought a pitched battle against da Silva"s forces at a swamp.
The king"s forces under the leadership of Lukeni family brothers Álvaro and Garcia were victorious, and Álvaro IV was placed back on the throne.
In 1636, the king died of poison and Álvaro V, a cousin of the Lukeni brothers, took the throne for the House of Kimpanzu.