HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF N’GABOU / KAABU

HISTORY OF THE KINGDOM OF N’GABOU / KAABU

The Manding Expansion and the Founding of Kaabu

1. KAABU AND TIRAMAGHAN TARAWÉLÉ

According to oral tradition, the Kingdom of N’gabou, commonly known as Kaabu, was founded by General Tiramaghan Tarawélé, one of the principal generals of Sundiata Keita.

In 1235, Tiramaghan Tarawélé is said to have participated in the conquest of the Sosso Kingdom, which, according to the tradition presented here, had previously exercised authority over the Manding. Following the defeat of Sosso, the Manding established the Mali Empire, with Sundiata Keita becoming its Mansa, or emperor.

The political transformation that followed was accompanied by the emergence of a new warrior aristocracy, particularly one based on mounted cavalry.

Tiramaghan Tarawélé was regarded as both a cousin and rival of Sundiata Keita, but tradition maintains that he strongly supported Sundiata during his struggle for power.

He was subsequently entrusted with a military expedition against the Wolof ruler known as Djolofin-Mansa. The conflict reportedly arose following a dispute involving Manding merchants who had been sent by Sundiata to purchase horses.

Tiramaghan Tarawélé is said to have defeated the Wolof ruler decisively and had him executed. He then annexed the conquered territory and returned to Sundiata with enslaved people, horses, and other gifts.

As a reward, or, according to another interpretation, as a form of strategic exile, Sundiata is said to have granted Thiramaghan Traoré the right to conquer territories to the west. This expansion gave the Mali Empire greater access to the Atlantic coast and to important networks of trade, including the valuable salt trade.

■ The Western Expansion

Between approximately 1235 and 1265, Tiramaghan Tarawélé reportedly led a large cavalry force westward. He was followed by tens of thousands of migrants, including farmers, artisans, and other members of Manding society.

According to this tradition, the migration continued to grow as new groups joined the movement. The migrants were protected by two military corps and crossed the Gambia River several times before establishing settlements south of the Wolof kingdoms.

Tiramaghan Tarawélé is said to have divided the conquered territory into six Mansayas, or provinces, which remained connected to the wider political structure of the Mali Empire.

The principal provinces were:

● Sâma
● Patiana
● Djimméra

The three smaller provinces were:

● Manna
● Toumanna
● Kantora

Over the following centuries, these territories expanded, contracted, merged, and changed as a result of conquest, political rivalry, and dynastic competition. At certain periods, the number of Mansayas is said to have reached approximately twenty.

■ Environment and Settlement

According to the account presented here, West Africa experienced a prolonged period of drought lasting approximately two centuries and continuing into the 16th century.

The Manding farmers who followed Tiramaghan Tarawélé, together with later migrants, reportedly encountered forests, savannas, vegetation, and wildlife that reminded them of their homeland in the Manding.

This similarity is presented as one possible explanation for why Tiramaghan Tarawélé concentrated his expansion farther west and south rather than directing his major efforts toward the Wolof kingdoms to the north.

By the 17th century, the western territories had developed into an independent political entity known as Kaabunké, or the Kingdom of Gabou.

Its emergence was facilitated by the gradual weakening of the Mali Empire and the loss of the political connections that had previously linked Kaabu with the continental Manding heartlands.

2. LIFE IN KAABU

Kaabunké society was highly hierarchical.

As in many West African societies, its population was traditionally organized into several broad social categories:

● Foros — free people;
● Castes — hereditary artisan and occupational groups;
● Captives — people held in conditions of servitude.

A particularly distinctive feature of Kaabunké society, however, was the presence of a powerful warrior aristocracy within the free population.

This aristocracy was closely connected to the traditional religious system and exercised considerable political, military, and social authority.

3. POLITICAL AND MILITARY POWER

Kaabunké was divided into several Mansayas, each governed by a Mansa.

Before Kaabu achieved independence, the Farims/Farangs served as governors exercising authority over several Mansas.

According to the tradition presented here, when the Mansa of Proponanké, sometimes identified with Kaabunké itself, declared the territory independent, he also assumed the title of Mansa-Ba, or supreme ruler of Kaabunké.

The other Mansas were expected to recognize his authority.

The Mansa of Sankolé (Sankolanké), formerly a Farim, retained an important administrative responsibility: the collection of taxes throughout the kingdom.

Each Mansaya possessed at least one fortified settlement known as a Tata, together with its own military force.

The Mansa-Ba had the authority to mobilize the armies of the various Mansayas when the kingdom faced major military threats.

The Ruling Dynasties

The traditions concerning Kaabu identify ruling families associated particularly with the:

● Sané
● Mané

The wider ruling traditions are described as reflecting a combination of Malinke, Bainouk, and Felupe/Diola elements.

Once Kaabu became independent, the individual Mansayas remained under the authority of the Mansa-Ba of Kaabu, whose political center was located at Kampala.

The Mansa-Ba was traditionally a Nantio, selected in rotation from among the three original major Mansayas.

3. THE NOBILITY: NANTIO, KORING AND MANSARING

One of the most distinctive institutions of Kaabu was the Nantio aristocracy.

The term Nantioya is traditionally interpreted as meaning “the womb.”

According to this system, only the son of a Nantio woman could become a Nantio.

The Nantio were a hereditary warrior aristocracy renowned for their cavalry. They traditionally rode white horses and were believed to possess exceptional, sometimes supernatural, abilities.

They were also bound by a strict code of honor, which, according to this account, remained influential until the end of the 18th century.

When a Nantio became Mansa of Sâma, Patiana, Djimméra, or another major Mansaya, he generally took the name Sané, although the name Mané could also occur.

■ The Mansaring

The son of a Nantio prince was known as a Mansaring rather than a Nantio.

Because Nantio status was transmitted through the maternal line, a Mansaring could not automatically claim the throne of a Nantio Mansaya.

He could, however, attain an important military position such as Kanta-Mansa, the commander of a fortified Tata.

■ The Koring

The Koring were traditionally regarded as descendants of the former Bainouk aristocracy who had become incorporated into the political system of Kaabu.

Their descent was patrilineal.

Unlike the Nantio, who were associated with white horses, the Koring warrior tradition was associated with black horses.

The rulers of Manna, Toumanna, Kantora, and other Mansayas of a similar status were selected from Koring families as well as from Mansaring lineages. These rulers generally adopted the name Mané.

■ Matrilineal Succession

Nantio women traditionally enjoyed considerable social freedom and could choose husbands from different social categories.

Political succession, however, followed a strongly matrilineal principle.

The successor to a ruling position was generally the son of a sister belonging to one of the ruling families.

Consequently, political power rotated among the recognized ruling lineages.

According to the tradition, this system eventually allowed descendants of former Bainouk and later Felupe/Diola aristocrats to gain access to political power when they were born through Nantio women.

Two secret societies reportedly played an important role in maintaining the political and religious order of Kaabu.

They were responsible for safeguarding rules concerning:

● religion;
● succession;
● political authority;
● the conduct of the ruling aristocracy; and
● the honor code of the Nantio.

4. RELIGION IN KAABU

Kaabunké is described in this tradition as a religious state, in which political authority was closely connected to the traditional religious system known as Dialan.

According to the account, the Dialan religious system was organized and codified for the region by Tiramaghan Tarawélé.

A council of elders associated with the Dialan tradition participated in the selection of a new Mansa-Ba.

The tradition presented here maintains that Sundiata Keita converted to Islam, partly for political and economic reasons, and that sections of the Mali Empire subsequently adopted Islam.

Tiramaghan Tarawélé, however, is said to have carried the traditional religious system of the Manding westward with his army.

Consequently, the rulers of Kaabu were expected to adhere to the Dialan tradition.

A council of elders belonging to this religious system therefore played an important role in selecting the Mansa-Ba.

Muslim marabouts were nevertheless present at the royal court. They were sometimes consulted because of their reputation as religious specialists, diviners, and people possessing particular spiritual knowledge.

The Dyula, or Manding merchants, became increasingly associated with Islam and played an important role in the expansion of Muslim networks throughout the region.

Muslim communities often lived in separate settlements.

According to this account, however, Muslims were largely excluded from the highest political and administrative offices, which remained under the control of the warrior aristocracy associated with the traditional religious system.

5. THE ECONOMY OF KAABU

The economy of Kaabu rested on several interconnected activities, particularly agriculture, cattle herding, warfare, and trade.

■ Agriculture

Agriculture was one of the foundations of Kaabu’s economy.

The kingdom possessed extensive forests, savannas, and fertile lands that supported the cultivation of crops and the settlement of farming communities.

■ Cattle Herding

Fulani pastoralists lived in close proximity to farming communities.

When farmers possessed cattle, they could entrust them to Fulani herders who specialized in livestock management.

In return, farmers obtained milk, while pastoralists acquired or exchanged agricultural products such as rice and millet.

Fulani communities were traditionally established in settlements known as Moracoundas.

As the Fulani population increased, some areas within the Mansayas became increasingly associated with pastoral communities. These territories came to be known as Foulacounda.

The relationship between farmers and pastoralists was initially characterized by cooperation and economic interdependence.

Over time, however, the relationship deteriorated in some areas and contributed to growing tensions and, eventually, Fulani revolts.

■ Warfare

Warfare occupied an important place in Kaabu’s political organization because the ruling aristocracy was fundamentally a warrior class.

Military power was central to the authority of the Mansas and the survival and expansion of the Mansayas.

■ Trade

Trade was conducted primarily through the Dyula, the Manding commercial networks, as well as through European merchants who established trading posts along the coast.

These coastal trading posts were controlled either by local Mansas or by coastal rulers among peoples identified in the sources as Felupe, Brame, and Beafada.

With the expansion of Atlantic commerce, the transatlantic slave trade also became an increasingly important component of the regional economy.

Because the kingdom was governed by a warrior aristocracy, military forces protected farmers, merchants, and, particularly during the earlier periods, Fulani pastoralists.

Apart from conflicts between nobles competing for territory and influence, Kaabu was traditionally regarded as a relatively secure political environment.

Commercial routes were protected, allowing caravans and foreign merchants to travel through the kingdom.

Those who violated the laws of Kaabu were subject to severe punishment.

6. THE SLAVE TRADE AND THE WARRIOR ARISTOCRACY

The slave trade became an important source of wealth for the warrior aristocracy, particularly after Kaabu’s commercial and political connections with the Mali Empire weakened.

According to this description, the political and economic rhythm of Kaabu was strongly influenced by the agricultural seasons.

■ The Dry Season

During the dry season, Nantio and Koring warriors conducted military campaigns, particularly toward the west, where captives could be taken and sold through established commercial networks.

The Dyula, or Manding merchants, played an important role in the trade.

■ The Rainy Season

During the rainy season, farming communities returned their primary attention to agriculture.

The Mansas also maintained military forces to protect Manding populations and neighboring coastal kingdoms with which Kaabu maintained commercial relations.

These included territories associated with the Felupe/Diola, Balanta, and Manjaque.

At the same time, military campaigns were reportedly conducted toward Fulani territories to the east, from which many captives were obtained.

Because Fulani pastoralists also lived within Kaabu, these practices gradually contributed to their marginalization, resentment, and eventual opposition to the ruling aristocracy.

7. KAABU’S RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBORING KINGDOMS

Kaabu maintained important relations with several neighboring political communities.

■ Relations with Sine-Saloum

The Kingdom of Gabou traditionally maintained good relations with the Serer kingdoms of Sine and Saloum.

According to the tradition presented here, part of the Guelwar aristocracy of Sine and Saloum emerged from unions between Serer populations and Manding migrants from Kaabu who maintained ancestral connections with the rulers of Gabou.

■ Relations with the Wolof

Kaabu also maintained generally favorable relations with several Wolof kingdoms.

It likewise maintained connections with the smaller Maninka states of Niani and Wouli.

■ Relations with Fouta Djallon

Relations with Fouta Djallon, which had initially been relatively friendly, eventually deteriorated.

By the middle of the 19th century, tensions had developed into open conflict, particularly involving Alpha Bakary Mballo and the Almamys of Fouta Djallon, including Alpha Ibrahima and Alpha Bokar Birame.

The Fulani communities living within Kaabu had increasingly become dissatisfied with what they perceived as the despotism, humiliation, and exploitation of the Mansas.

They therefore appealed to Alpha Bakary Mballo.

With support from Fouta Djallon, he organized a revolt against the rulers of Kaabu.

According to this account, the uprising contributed decisively to the eventual collapse of Kaabu.

The resulting wars caused heavy casualties among the Fulani as well as among the forces of Kaabu.

Following the collapse of the ruling order associated with Dianké Waly Sané, new Fuladu kingdoms emerged, and Alpha Bakary Mballo became ruler of Kaabu.

The Fulani also took advantage of conflicts between rival dynasties within Kaabu. These internal divisions weakened the kingdom and created further opportunities for rebellion and political transformation.

8. RELIGIOUS CHANGE AND THE END OF KAABU

Despite the growing presence of Islam, Gabou remained strongly attached to its traditional religious institutions for much of its history.

Islam, however, had been present in the region from the early stages of the kingdom’s development, particularly through Manding merchants and Muslim scholars.

Small Christian communities also existed around certain European trading posts along the coast.

The history of Kaabu therefore reflects a complex interaction between traditional religion, Islam, political authority, commerce, migration, warfare, and cultural exchange.

Its history cannot be reduced to a single migration or dynasty. Rather, the formation and transformation of Kaabu involved the interaction of Manding, Bainouk, Felupe/Diola, Fulani, Serer, Wolof, and other populations over several centuries.

SOURCES

• Nouha Cissé, La fin du Kaabu et les débuts du royaume du Fuladu, Dakar, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 1978, 90 pp. Master’s thesis.
• Henry Gravrand, La Civilisation Sereer — Pangool, Vol. 2, Les Nouvelles Éditions Africaines du Sénégal, 1990, p. 10. ISBN 2-7236-1055-1.
• Jean Girard, L’Or du Bambouk : du royaume de Gabou à la Casamance, une dynamique de civilisation ouest-africaine, Geneva, Georg, 1992, 347 pp.
• Daouda Mané, La question de l’émergence de l’État du Kaabu, Dakar, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 1998, 78 pp. Master’s thesis.
• Daouda Mané, Traite négrière et esclavage au Kaabu du XVIe au XIXe siècle, Dakar, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 2000, 51 pp. DEA thesis.
• Mamadou Mané, Contribution à l’histoire du Kaabu des origines au XIXe siècle, Dakar, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, 1975, 109 pp. Master’s thesis.
• Djibril Tamsir Niane, Histoire des Mandingues de l’Ouest : le royaume du Gabou, Karthala, Association ARSAN, Paris, 1989, 221 pp. ISBN 2865372367.

■ A HISTORICAL NOTE

The history of Kaabu survives through a combination of oral traditions, genealogies, chronicles, historical studies, and other forms of evidence.

Different traditions do not always agree on dates, dynasties, migration routes, political institutions, or the origins of particular ruling families. Such differences should therefore be recognized rather than hidden.

The account presented above preserves the traditions and interpretations contained in the source material. Claims based primarily on oral tradition should be understood as historical traditions rather than automatically as settled academic conclusions.

At the same time, oral traditions remain important sources for reconstructing African history, particularly when they are examined alongside written records, archaeology, linguistics, genealogy, and other historical evidence.

The history of Kaabu is ultimately a history of migration, state formation, warfare, commerce, cultural exchange, religious transformation, and the interaction of different West African societies.

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