Jakhanke people
Encyclopedia
The Jakhanke people are a Manding
-speaking ethnic group in the Senegambia region, often classified as a subgroup of the larger Soninke. The Jakhanke have historically constituted a specialized caste of professional Muslim
clerics (ulema
) and educators. Today they form a defined ethnic group within Soninke society, who number approximately 13,000 people in four nations. They are centered on one larger group in Guinea, with smaller populations in the Gambia, Senegal, and in Mali (near the Guinean border). They speak a Manding language called Jahanke, very similar to Western Malinke
. Although technically considered members of the Soninke ethnic group (a Mandé
people descending from the Bafour
), the Jakhanke prefer to be called Serakulle or Sarakolé, a variation of the Soninke name. Since the fifteenth century the Jakhanke clerical communities have constituted an integral part of region and have exercised a high level of economic and religious influence upon Soninke as well as related Manding speaking communities such as the (Dyula and Mandinka
) in what is now Mali
, Guinea
, Senegal
, and The Gambia
. While grown out of a religious caste of the Sarakolé, the Jahanke are equally famed as merchants, operating trade routes, especially dealing in coastal rice, from the Guinea and Gambian coasts to the interior from at least the 17th century. In this way they are often compared with the Dyula, who formed a trade diaspora from the heartlands of the Mali Empire
to the coast of what is today Côte d'Ivoire
. Today Jakhanke are as likely to be farmers as merchants or scholars.
(along the Senegal River in present-day Senegal) embraced Islam, being among the earliest sub-Saharan ethnic groups to follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
In Senegambia, the Jakhanke inhabited scattered towns and villages in Futa Jallon, Bundu
, Dentilia, Bambuk, and other places. By 1725, at least fifteen Jakhanke villages were located in what would become Bundu. They claim to originate in Ja on the Niger River and Jahaba on the Bafing River, from which they moved to Bundu, Futa Jallon and Gambia. The Jakhanke were not primarily merchants, but agriculturists supported by slave labor. The various Jakhanke villages were independent of each other and of the local chiefs. The Jakhanke were committed to peaceful coexistence and refused to become engaged in politics or war. When threatened, they simply relocated their villages into safer territory. Often their villages enjoyed the privileges of sanctuary, judicial independence, and freedom from military service.
(d. 1525), a Muslim scholar who lived in the late fifteenth century. They adhere to Maliki
fiqh
, although they have been tolerant of customary practices. Primary importance was stressed on obedience to the murshid
, or Sufi master, and of stages of initiation into the teachings of the community. Schooled in the bāṭin
(secret) sciences, Jakhanke clerics interpreted dreams and gave amulets for protection, which continue to be highly prized items. They celebrate the mawlid an-nabī
(birthday of the Prophet) and the ‘īdu l-fiṭr
(عيد الفطر) feasts at the end of Ramadan
and other Muslim holidays.
The critical role played by commerce
and long-distance trade is of particular importance. Indeed, the overall theme of trade is inextricably interwoven into the fabric of West African Islam. Most Jakhanke tribesmen were also professional Islamic scholars (ulema
or marabouts), and their business as traders and their professions as scholars and judges were intertwined. Indeed, this connection between trade and religion was so intimate that both contemporary witnesses and modern scholars have debated whether they were principally religious scholars who took up commerce on the side, or traders who, upon conversion to Islam, became devoted to scholarship.
West Africa's pre-Islamic trading networks grew rapidly during the early phases of Muslim development. In a relatively short time, professional merchants could be found in every part of Atlantic Africa. They often formed self-governing communities in towns which were linked to business networks that Philip Curtin dubbed a "trading Diaspora." One good example of such a trading diaspora is the Jakhanke tribe from the Upper Guinea
. According to Jakhanke historians, these traders began in the city of Jakha (on the Bafing River, a tributary of the Senegal) and, following their businesses, expanded into other locations. New Jakhanke towns were founded, under the auspices of local rulers who often permitted self-governance and autonomy. Sixteenth century Europeans met Jakhanke traders at coastal points as far afield as Gambia and the Gold Coast
; hence, they imagined the city called "Jaga" (Jakha) was a great metropolis controlling trade in all West Africa. Trading groups like the Dyula
and Jakhanke did indeed dominate commerce of Upper Guinea, becoming involved not just in moving merchandise, but also in production of goods on plantations worked by their slaves.
order upon which it was founded. The Soninke social hierarchy organizes individuals into groups according to three inherited levels. The top level is held by hooro (free men), which included tunkalemmu (princes), leaders designated to exercise authority. They are followed by mangu (princely advisors), a group linked to a kuralemme (warrior) class who acted as defenders and mediators. The final hooro level is occupied by modinu (priests), representing Islam's influence on Soninke society. Highly-respected for their religious knowledge, modinu are responsible for establishing justice, providing Islamic education and protecting the population with prayers. The second level is naxamala (dependent men). Tago (blacksmiths) top the naxamala post. Next are sakko (carpenters), men considered masters of devils. They are followed by jaroo (praise-singers), the most famous naxamala, acting as societal orators. Last on naxamala hierarchy are garanko (cobblers). The third level after horoo (free-men) and naxamala (dependent men) are the komo (slaves).
program offered for Islamic sciences begins by incorporating a formal introduction into the rules governing recitation (tajweed) and memorization of the Qur'an. Recitation should be done according to rules of pronunciation, intonation, and caesuras established by the Prophet Muhammad, though first recorded in the 8th century. There are seven schools of tajwid, the most popular being the school of Hafs on the authority of ‘asim.
This is followed by an in-depth inquiry into the classical studies of Ulum al-hadith
(Science of Hadith), Usul al-fiqh
(Islamic Jurisprudence), Nahw arabī or Qawāidu 'l-luġati 'l'Arabiyyah (Standard Arabic Grammar): and language acquisition
, which studies the learners processes of acquiring language. The program is concluded following advanced level courses on the science of Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir
). A total of 28 books must be mastered before a student is eligible to receive the cijaza or sanad (license to teach) from the University. In order to graduate, students are required to completely copy these 28 individual books by hand. If approved by their sheikh, the student is officially awarded permission to begin Islamic instruction at their own Karanta (school).
Manding
Manding may refer to:* Manding languages, a group of dialects in West Africa* Mandinka** Mandinka language, one of the Manding languages** Mandinka people, a West African ethnic group...
-speaking ethnic group in the Senegambia region, often classified as a subgroup of the larger Soninke. The Jakhanke have historically constituted a specialized caste of professional Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
clerics (ulema
Ulema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
) and educators. Today they form a defined ethnic group within Soninke society, who number approximately 13,000 people in four nations. They are centered on one larger group in Guinea, with smaller populations in the Gambia, Senegal, and in Mali (near the Guinean border). They speak a Manding language called Jahanke, very similar to Western Malinke
Manding languages
The Manding languages are a fairly mutually intelligible group of dialects or languages in West Africa, belonging to the Mande languages. Their best-known members are Bambara, the most widely spoken language in Mali; Mandinka, the main language of Gambia; Maninka or Malinké, a major language of...
. Although technically considered members of the Soninke ethnic group (a Mandé
Mandé
Mandé or Manden is a large group of related ethnic groups in West Africa who speak any of the many Mande languages spread throughout the region. Various Mandé groups are found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger,...
people descending from the Bafour
Bafour
The Bafours were the original inhabitants of Mauritania, and the ancestors of the Imraguen and Soninke peoples of western Africa. They were primarily agriculturalist and agro-pastoralists, and were relatively stationary. At the time they lived in Mauritania, it was far more fertile than it is...
), the Jakhanke prefer to be called Serakulle or Sarakolé, a variation of the Soninke name. Since the fifteenth century the Jakhanke clerical communities have constituted an integral part of region and have exercised a high level of economic and religious influence upon Soninke as well as related Manding speaking communities such as the (Dyula and Mandinka
Mandinka people
The Mandinka, Malinke are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa with an estimated population of eleven million ....
) in what is now Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, and The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
. While grown out of a religious caste of the Sarakolé, the Jahanke are equally famed as merchants, operating trade routes, especially dealing in coastal rice, from the Guinea and Gambian coasts to the interior from at least the 17th century. In this way they are often compared with the Dyula, who formed a trade diaspora from the heartlands of the Mali Empire
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I...
to the coast of what is today Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. Today Jakhanke are as likely to be farmers as merchants or scholars.
Historical background
The Jakhanke cultural ethos is best characterized by a staunch dedication to Islam, historical accuracy, rejection of jihad, non-involvement in political affairs and the religious instruction of young people. Formation of their regional Islamic identity began shortly after contact with Muslim Almoravid traders from North Africa in 1065, when Soninke nobles in TakrurTakrur
Takrur, Tekrur, or Tekrour was an ancient state of West Africa, which flourished roughly parallel to the Ghana Empire.-Origin:Takrur was the the name of the capital of the state which flourished on the lower Senegal River...
(along the Senegal River in present-day Senegal) embraced Islam, being among the earliest sub-Saharan ethnic groups to follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.
In Senegambia, the Jakhanke inhabited scattered towns and villages in Futa Jallon, Bundu
Bundu
Bundu is a town, a notified area, in Ranchi district in the state of Jharkhand, India.-Geography:Bundu is located at . It has an average elevation of 337 metres . It is located on National Highway-33 between Ranchi and Jamshedpur and blessed with all the natural beauties. It is surrounded...
, Dentilia, Bambuk, and other places. By 1725, at least fifteen Jakhanke villages were located in what would become Bundu. They claim to originate in Ja on the Niger River and Jahaba on the Bafing River, from which they moved to Bundu, Futa Jallon and Gambia. The Jakhanke were not primarily merchants, but agriculturists supported by slave labor. The various Jakhanke villages were independent of each other and of the local chiefs. The Jakhanke were committed to peaceful coexistence and refused to become engaged in politics or war. When threatened, they simply relocated their villages into safer territory. Often their villages enjoyed the privileges of sanctuary, judicial independence, and freedom from military service.
Islamic Practice
The Jakhanke have a reputation for exceptional learning. They trace their spiritual ancestry to Shiekh Al-Hajj Salim SuwariAl-Hajj Salim Suwari
Sheikh Al-Hajj Salim Suwari was a late 15th-century West African Soninke karamogo who focused on the responsibilities of Muslims minorities residing in a non-Muslim society...
(d. 1525), a Muslim scholar who lived in the late fifteenth century. They adhere to Maliki
Maliki
The ' madhhab is one of the schools of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam. It is the second-largest of the four schools, followed by approximately 25% of Muslims, mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia...
fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, although they have been tolerant of customary practices. Primary importance was stressed on obedience to the murshid
Murshid
Murshid is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher". Particularly in Sufism it refers to a Sufi teacher. The term is used by other branches of Islam as well, e.g. by the Nizaris, the main school of Ismā‘īlī Shiites....
, or Sufi master, and of stages of initiation into the teachings of the community. Schooled in the bāṭin
Batin (Islam)
Batin is defined as the interior or hidden meaning of the Quran. This is in contrast to the Quran's exterior or apparent meaning . Some Muslim groups believe that the Batin can only be fully understood and interpreted by a figure with esoteric knowledge, who for Shi'a Muslims is the Imam of the...
(secret) sciences, Jakhanke clerics interpreted dreams and gave amulets for protection, which continue to be highly prized items. They celebrate the mawlid an-nabī
Mawlid
Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,...
(birthday of the Prophet) and the ‘īdu l-fiṭr
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
(عيد الفطر) feasts at the end of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
and other Muslim holidays.
Commerce and the Spread of Islam
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
and long-distance trade is of particular importance. Indeed, the overall theme of trade is inextricably interwoven into the fabric of West African Islam. Most Jakhanke tribesmen were also professional Islamic scholars (ulema
Ulema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
or marabouts), and their business as traders and their professions as scholars and judges were intertwined. Indeed, this connection between trade and religion was so intimate that both contemporary witnesses and modern scholars have debated whether they were principally religious scholars who took up commerce on the side, or traders who, upon conversion to Islam, became devoted to scholarship.
West Africa's pre-Islamic trading networks grew rapidly during the early phases of Muslim development. In a relatively short time, professional merchants could be found in every part of Atlantic Africa. They often formed self-governing communities in towns which were linked to business networks that Philip Curtin dubbed a "trading Diaspora." One good example of such a trading diaspora is the Jakhanke tribe from the Upper Guinea
Upper Guinea
Upper Guinea or la Haute-Guinée is a large plain covering eastern Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and extending into north western Côte d'Ivoire. Mostly forming the upper watershed of the River Niger, it is sparsely populated and is home to the Haut Niger National Park.Upper Guinea can also refer to...
. According to Jakhanke historians, these traders began in the city of Jakha (on the Bafing River, a tributary of the Senegal) and, following their businesses, expanded into other locations. New Jakhanke towns were founded, under the auspices of local rulers who often permitted self-governance and autonomy. Sixteenth century Europeans met Jakhanke traders at coastal points as far afield as Gambia and the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (region)
The Gold Coast was the region of West Africa which is now the nation of Ghana. Early uses of the term refer literally to the coast and not the interior. It was not until the 19th century that the term came to refer to areas that are far from the coast...
; hence, they imagined the city called "Jaga" (Jakha) was a great metropolis controlling trade in all West Africa. Trading groups like the Dyula
Dyula
The Dyula are a Mande ethnic group inhabiting several West African countries, including the Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau....
and Jakhanke did indeed dominate commerce of Upper Guinea, becoming involved not just in moving merchandise, but also in production of goods on plantations worked by their slaves.
Caste and Educational System
The Jakhanke education system spread rapidly throughout West Africa, accomplished by the individual transmission of their unique clerical tradition from master to student. Understanding how this tradition influenced regional Islam requires examination of the Soninke casteCaste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
order upon which it was founded. The Soninke social hierarchy organizes individuals into groups according to three inherited levels. The top level is held by hooro (free men), which included tunkalemmu (princes), leaders designated to exercise authority. They are followed by mangu (princely advisors), a group linked to a kuralemme (warrior) class who acted as defenders and mediators. The final hooro level is occupied by modinu (priests), representing Islam's influence on Soninke society. Highly-respected for their religious knowledge, modinu are responsible for establishing justice, providing Islamic education and protecting the population with prayers. The second level is naxamala (dependent men). Tago (blacksmiths) top the naxamala post. Next are sakko (carpenters), men considered masters of devils. They are followed by jaroo (praise-singers), the most famous naxamala, acting as societal orators. Last on naxamala hierarchy are garanko (cobblers). The third level after horoo (free-men) and naxamala (dependent men) are the komo (slaves).
Jakhanke Curriculum
The Jakhanke clerical tradition is respected throughout the Muslim world for producing erudite and distinguished Islamic scholars. Their curriculum vitae are considered an excellent quality, nurturing the young with Muslim values while simultaneously encouraging intellectual pursuits in their natural environment. The standard madrasahMadrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
program offered for Islamic sciences begins by incorporating a formal introduction into the rules governing recitation (tajweed) and memorization of the Qur'an. Recitation should be done according to rules of pronunciation, intonation, and caesuras established by the Prophet Muhammad, though first recorded in the 8th century. There are seven schools of tajwid, the most popular being the school of Hafs on the authority of ‘asim.
This is followed by an in-depth inquiry into the classical studies of Ulum al-hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
(Science of Hadith), Usul al-fiqh
Usul al-fiqh
Uṣūl al-fiqh is the study of the origins, sources, and principles upon which Islamic jurisprudence is based. In the narrow sense, it simply refers to the question of what are the sources of Islamic law...
(Islamic Jurisprudence), Nahw arabī or Qawāidu 'l-luġati 'l'Arabiyyah (Standard Arabic Grammar): and language acquisition
Language acquisition
Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive, produce and use words to understand and communicate. This capacity involves the picking up of diverse capacities including syntax, phonetics, and an extensive vocabulary. This language might be vocal as with...
, which studies the learners processes of acquiring language. The program is concluded following advanced level courses on the science of Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
). A total of 28 books must be mastered before a student is eligible to receive the cijaza or sanad (license to teach) from the University. In order to graduate, students are required to completely copy these 28 individual books by hand. If approved by their sheikh, the student is officially awarded permission to begin Islamic instruction at their own Karanta (school).
Notable members
- Imam Fode Drame
- Sidya ToureSidya TouréSidya Touré is a Guinean politician. He was Prime Minister of Guinea from 1996 to 1999 and is currently the President of the Union of Republican Forces , an opposition party.-Prime minister:...
(Guinean politician and 2010 Presidential candidate)
Further reading
- PANOS Institute, Guinée. Symbiose ethnique : les Diakhankés, ces cousins des Peuls. Panos Infos. Vol.1 Les réfugiés en Afrique de l'Ouest, 2002
- Lamin Ousman Sanneh, The History of the Jakhanke People of Senegambia. A Study of a Clerical Tradition in West African Islam, London, SOAS, 1974, 474 p. (Doctoral Thesis)
- Lamin Ousman Sanneh, "The Jahanke", The International Journal of African Historical Studies, vol. 14, no 4, 1981, p. 738-741
- Pierre Smith, "Les Diakanké. Histoire d'une dispersion", Cahiers du Centre de recherches anthropologiques, no 4, 1965, p. 231-262
- Pierre Smith, "Notes sur l'organisation sociale des Diakanké. Aspects particuliers à la région de Kédougou", Cahiers du Centre de recherches anthropologiques, no 4, 1965, p. 263-302
- Pierre Smith, "Le réseau des villages diakhanké", Objets et mondes, Vol XII, issue 4, Winter 1972, p. 411-414