Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof
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Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof (many variations as well as spellings: "Maad" or "Maat Siin Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof"; "Mad a Sinig" ; "Maat Sine Coumba Ndoffène Fa mak Diouf" ; "Maat Sin Coumba Ndoffène Fa mak Diouf"; also "Buur Siin Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof"; "Bur Siin Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof"; "Bour Sine Koumba Ndoffène Famak Diouf" , "Coumba N'Doffène Diouf" or "Coumba N'Doffène Diouf I") (c.
1810 – 23 August 1871.was the King of the Serer
Kingdom of Sine
in modern day Senegal
. "Maat Sine" or "Buur Sine" or "Mad a Sinig" means King of Sine. He ruled from 1853 until his death on 23 of August 1871. He was the son of Buur Souka Ndella Joof and Lingeer Gnilane Jogoy Joof. His father "Souka Ndella" came from the Royal House of Buur Semou Njekeh Joof who was the founder of the third and last Royal House of The Joof Paternal Dynasty of Sine and Saloum in the 18th century.His paternal family ruled three Kingdoms: Sine, Saloum and previously Baol
– they were the descendants of Buur Ndaah Njemeh Joof the 13th century King of Lâ in Baol
l'epopee De Sanmoon Fay. "La famille Juuf". Ethiopiques n°54 revue semestrielle de culture négro-africaine Nouvelle série volume 7 2e semestre 1991.
His mother Gnilane Jogoy Joof, came from the Maternal Dynasty of Guelowar
. The Geulowars had ruled two Senegambian Kingdoms: Sine and Saloum. They had also provided two Kings of Jolof and heirs to the thrones of Cayor
and Baol
. They originated from the royal family of Kaabu in the 14th century who were granted asylum by the Serer nobility of Sine following the Battle of Turubang (1335) in Kaabu
.The name "Famak" (also "Fa mak") means "the elder" in the Serer language. He should not be confused with his successor Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Fandeb Joof (also known as "Coumba N'Doffène Diouf II") who reigned from 1897 to 1924. The name "Fandeb" (also "Fa ndeb") means "the younger" in the Serer-Sine language.
Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof's succession was a surprise to everyone. The reason being, he was a quiet man and was not "brutal" compared to Sanou Moon FayeLooks can be deceiving. His succession to the throne went unchallenged during the 19th century. Although Sanou Moon Faye and Kumba Ndoffene Famak shared the same date of birth—according to tradition, Kumba Ndoffene's birth was reported first to the Grand Jaraff (head of the noble Council of Electors responsible for electing the Kings from the Royal Family—according to custom, though there were exceptions). As a result, Kumba Ndoffene was declared Buumi (heir apparent
) of Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof (reigned: 1847 to 1853), "first come first serve" (though there were exceptions see the coronation) (Klein p. 46).
of the reigning King of Ama Joof and in September 1853 after taking the sacred bathing, Kumba Ndoffene's moment came to be crowned as King of Sine. In the presence of the Government of Sine made up of notables from various parts of Sine, the people and his paternal and maternal family, the Great Jaraff presided over the sacred ceremony.
After the religious rituals, prayers and oath, The Crown was placed on his head and the Jaraff greeted the Monarch with the words "Dali" (Your Majesty). He was Crowned King Kumba Ndoffene Joof from The Royal House of Semou Njekeh. The Jaraff made his usual speech directed to the Monarch: "From today, you are King… We greet you with hundred…" (in order words, for the King's reign to last for one hundred years).
The King then turned to his paternal family and made the usual proclamation: "Now I am the King. Get off your horses and give them to me." He then turned to his maternal family and made a similar proclamation.
The paternal family gave gifts and several horses to the overseers of the Ceremony including the Jaraff. The maternal family gave gifts and slightly less horses. The King then crowned his sister (Nadi Joof) as "Lingeer" (Queen). Had his mother been alive, she would have been Crowned "Lingeer" (Queen or Queen Mother in her case) and not Nadi Joof the King's sister.
—under Lingeer Ndateh Yaala Mbooj. Second, by Tafsir
Amat Jahu Bah (more commonly known as Maba Diakhou Bâ
or "Maba", "Mahaba" etc) who wanted to Islamize
the Animist Serer people
and waged jihad
against the Serer Kingdoms of Sine
and Saloum in his desire to form an empire of his own. When he was elected and crowned King of Sine in 1853, the French thought there was bound to be a power struggle and the French Catholic missionary-Father Luiset predicted that, "the Buumi ("heir apparent" to Kumba Ndoffene Famak)—Sanou Moon Faye (member of The Faye Paternal Dynasty of Sine-Saloum) would defeat Kumba Ndoffene Famak." Personally, he had no preference; he despised both of them and saw them as nothing more than two pagan nobles who hated everything Christianity stood for. (Klein p. 46)
faced constant harassments designed to force their departure. The people were not only ordered not to sell anything to the Mission
, but also not to send their children to Christian schools—in fear that, these foreigners would corrupt the minds of the young. When Father Lamoise and Kobes (both French men) went to Sine in 1856, accompanied by French officers, they presented their complains to Kumba Ndoffene about the constant harassments which began during the reign of Ama Joof. Kumba Ndoffene was rather dismissive to these men in particular to Father Lamoise whom he view with contempt and not honourable enough to present his own case but needing the French guards to accompany him. Having listened to the French complaints, he responded with comments like "Why haven't you spoke up earlier?" As the King said that to the men before him, his Farba (head of the army), interjected by asking the French "why haven't you come earlier to congratulate Kumba Ndoffene on his accession or to offer condolences on the death of his relative?" Although that had nothing to do with the issue at hand, some missionaries in Senegambia did congratulate a new Kings and in some cases offer condolences of the King's death relatives as in the death of the warlord of Sine – the Sandigui N'Diob Niokhobai Joof in 1851 (father of Kumba Ndoffene Famak's predecessor) (Klein p. 53). However, the likelihood of the French congratulating Kumba Ndoffene on his accession was nil. The French administration hated him for fighting against them in battle when he was a mere prince and the church hated him because of his "pagan" roots whose family made their job in Senegambia extremely difficult. The main point of the French's visit apart from addressing the constant harassments was to seek permission to build a brick chapel. That was forbidden in the heart of Serer Animist Country. The King therefore refused to grant them that wish. The more persistent the two French men (Lamoise and Kobes) became, the more the nobility (his entourage) saw their suspicions about the missionaries confirmed (secret agents). That meeting actually stopped the Christian missionaries from achieving their objectives in the heart of Serer Country. That was made worst when Lamoise, the most vocal of the French threatened to build without permission. The King's response was:
The King was interested in the teachings of Catholicism not to convert, because he remained a devout follower of the Serer Religion
throughout his life, but as a matter of curiosity. He even invited the French to visit again, but there is a line that they will not cross and the King made in absolutely clear in that meeting.
(a province of another Serer Kingdom called The (Kingdom of Saloum) and promised to restore order and commerce there. He failed miserably. He himself was not willing to live or stay there but he wanted the natives to go back to a war zone, continued trading and lined the pockets of the French with their heavy taxes in that province. Needless to say that, the King of Sine was not willing to persuade his people to settle in a war zone (Klein p. 87). Laprade's motives may have been of good intention, but judging by his previous actions when he fought in the side of the Muslim Marabouts led by Maba against the Serers of Saloum; his letter to France in 1863 (see below) which shows his true alliance with the Muslims against the Serers and his actions to come, that is doubtful (Klein p. 79). He wrote a letter to Kumba Ndoffene Famak begging him to do something. The following is a direct quote of that letter:
This letter goes against everything Laprade had previously accused Kumba Ndoffene of as well as the Serer people
and all animists for that matter. Both Pinet Laprade and Faidherbe
(his predecessor as Governors preferred the Muslims to the Serer people
and fought alongside or assisted them with weapons in order to defeat the Serer Animist Kingdoms. Even when the Muslims led by Maba were pillaging villages, they did absolutely nothing as evident with Governor Jauréguibéry, successor of Faidherbe from December 1861 – July 1863 (Klein p. 79). However, when the Serers launched revenge wars against the Muslim Marabouts, the French allied themselves with the Muslims and described the Serers as " thieves and violent drunkards" as evident in the following letter Laprade sent to Paris
in 1863:
Laprade's previous letter to Kumba Ndoffene Famak talked about "thieves"—referring to the Muslim Marabouts. It is this same Laprade who wrote the above letter to Paris describing the Serers and all Animists as thieves, drunkards and violent. This duplicity is beyond one's comprehension. "A change of tact perhaps". In any case, the province of Kaolack fells under the jurisdiction of Fakha Boya Faal the King of Saloum. Kumba Ndoffene Famak has no jurisdiction in Saloum or its provinces. The only thing he could do was to assist his cousin Fakha Boya—but Fakha must request this first before Kumba Ndoffene goes "barging in" like an invader. Indeed, when Kumba Ndoffene Famak tried to offer help to the King of Saloum, Fakha Boya turned him down and did not want to listen to him.
It was also this same Laprade who initially begged Fakha Boya to leave the Kaolack post for a short time so that trade could resume with the Marabouts—that was after he tried and failed to conquer Serer Saloum. When Fakha Boya granted him that wish, he straight away informed Maba Diakhou Bâ
in July 1864 that Fakha Boya had left Kaolack and he can come back. Now things are worst than he had ever anticipated, he wanted somebody else to solve the mess he had created. It is true that Fakha Boya was a weak leader compared to his brother Samba Laobe Latsouka Faal or his cousin Kumba Ndoffene Famak, but the down fall of Kaolack was the creation of the French and not his. The only thing Fakha Boya can be accused of was his inability or unwillingness to resolve the matter in Kaolack (his own province) that was ransacked, looted and ravaged by the Muslims jihadists led by Maba and his men and assisted by the French.
Few months later after his previous letter to Kumba Ndoffene Famak, Laprade will write another letter to the King of Sine
begging him to do something—in which he talked about:
"Saloum can only become rich through agriculture... It is necessary to make the farmers cultivate peanuts."
The Serer people
are great farmers and have an ancient tradition of farming and are well known for their exceptional farming skills.They certainly do not need Laprade telling them what they can grow and when. Besides, peanut
cultivation in Serer Country was a controversial issue. For years when the Serer cultivated it, it was mainly in smaller plots. The reason for that was, because of their religion (Serer Religion
) which required them to preserve the ecosystem. That is, not to grow certain products or to grow them in small amounts so that they do not damage the ecosystem, thereby passing on the land to their descendants in a healthy state as it was passed down to them by their ancestors.Failure to abide by this religious doctrine, the Serers believed that the ancient "Pangool" (plural: ancestral spirits and ancient Serer Saints) will take revenge on them; introduce locust and drought. This is a strongly held believe by the Serers.
Laprade it seems was unwilling or reluctant to commit his own forces to the Kaolack
crisis and wanted somebody else to do the job for him. When he acted against the Marabouts, his actions were so ineffective they hardly shook the Marabout Movement. Instead of trying to destroy Maba or if he is unable to do that, at least talk to him (since he had done that before), he simply tied Muslims to posts (most of whom by the way were junior members of the Marabout Movement and controlled limited areas) and carried out raids (Klein p. 88). Needless to say these ineffective acts had no effect on Maba's power. Maba therefore, continued with his mission:—pillaging lands and announcing how humble he was to the Lamtoro (leader) of Futa Toro whom he beg for military support but received nothing (Klein p. 85–85). He will meet his match—Kumba Ndoffene Famak, but not now. Kumba Ndoffene Famak had been aware of Maba Diakhou Bâ
and his activities for a long time but just kept waiting. Maba's time will come. Kumba Ndoffene will not be the aggressor, but will fight "nail and tooth" to defend his Kingdom and his people—he was well known for that He was one of few Senegambian Kings in the 19th century who valued and respected his subjects, not only through words but also by action. For now, he had more pressing issues to concern himself with—the French.
as an excuse, directing his aggression to the Serer people of Sine.
That was a huge surprise to everyone and in particular, the French. The British administration (in The Gambia
) were also interested. They have both tried to get rid of Maba when he was no longer any use to them but failed miserably. Can the Kingdom of Sine do the unthinkable? They both fixed their eyes at Sine observing the developments as they unfold.
It should be noted that, both the French in Senegal
and the British in The Gambia
were more sympathetic to the Muslim course against the Animist and supported them when it suited them. In fact, not only was Governor Darcy (the British governor in Gambia) arming Maba and the Muslim forces with British weapons (Klein p. 87–88), he planned and executed his invasion of the Animist Mandinka
State of Baddibu in The Gambia in revenge for the attack against the British traders by the Animists of Baddibu. Darcey planned his invasion to coincide with the French's unsuccessful invasion of Animist Serer Saloum in 1861. Although the French and the British were engaged in constant wars on African soil, there were instances when they worked together to defeat the Animist States. The incident at Baddibu was one of them, where a number of French officers were sent to The Gambia to help the British defeat the Royal Family of Baddibu. During this operation, Maba Diakhou Bâ
jumped on the boat of the British governor (governor Darcy) and agreed to accompany the expedition if he speared his village. The governor agreed. The elderly king of Baddibu (Jere Ba Marong) stood no chance. He was defeated but not killed. Maba put himself forward to negotiate peace terms after what he had done. He would be the last person one would expected to be a peace negotiator after his actions. The elderly king of Baddibu astonished by the arrogance of the man (Maba), sent his timid son Maath Jakere Bassin to assassinate Maba. Maath was not only timid, he was also a drunkard. The night before the mission, he was heavily drunk and he started talking about his mission. That was not only witnessed by the British whose camp he frequented, but also a group of Muslim native who were sympathetic to Maba's course. What happened next was inevitable. Maba found out about the plot and instead of Maath killing Maba, Maath was killed himself. This is how the Revolt of Baddibu began. What followed next was the Muslims' zealous massacre of the Mandinka natives. Led by Maba, they swept through Baddibu and burned down villages, pillaging land after land and taking slaves. In June 1862 when Bathurst (now Banjul
– the capital of The Gambia) heard rumors that Saloum had invaded Baddibu, Maba retreated. King Buntu Gamey (the king of Nuimi) in The Gambia, whom Maba had tried but failed to killed returned to his ravaged Kingdom to pick up the pieces. Eight months later (February 1863), Nuimi was granted independence as a Pagan State—a treaty signed by the British and Maba himself. (Klein p. 71).
Indeed, when the Muslim forces under Amer Fall under the command of Maba attacked Nuimi in 1866, then tried to invade the Ceded Mile (a British stronghold), the British retaliated by burning Muslim
villages and then summoned Maba and told him never to do it again to which he gave his promise it will never happen again. He depended on British weapons as noted by Klein and was quick to give his promise .
As for Kumba Ndoffene Famak, as everyone's eyes were fixed at him when the Muslims attempted their jihads in his strongly Animist Kingdom (Sine). Can the Royal Family of Sine whom Maba had avoided for six years do the unthinkable? Everyone's eyes were fixed at Sine. The French, the British as well as the Senegambian Animist States especially the States in The Gambia whom Maba had ravaged, destroyed and enslaved
all stood to gain from the death of Maba.
Almost a week after Maba's supposed "victory" in Kaolack (see Maba Diakhou Bâ
and his talk page), a large group of his disciples entered Sine (the heart of Serer Animist Country). Maba himself did not enter Sine. His disciples were defeated by the Serer army of Sine and those that survived retreated heading towards Saloum. As they headed towards Saloum, the Serer army of Saloum led by Fakha Boya Faal destroyed them. Whether Maba was aware of what his disciples were doing, is not known. Maybe he was aware of it, maybe he wasn't, or maybe he was trying to test or provoke the King of Sine. However historians like Alioune Sarr and Martin A. Klein, believe that it was highly unlikely that he was not aware of what his followers were doing. As a Marabout
and the leader of his sect, command always came from him. This is evident throughout his jihads (see Sarr). If he was aware of it, he did nothing to stop it. His followers were totally in his command and they would not have dared go against the orders of Maba. That leaves two possibilities: he was either trying to test Kumba Ndoffene Famak whom he had avoided for years or trying to provoke him into battle (something he was very good at).
Wassaly Sene, to perform the ancient ritual of the ancestors – and predict the outcome. "In the name of "Rog" (the Supreme Deity of the Serer people
), Wassaly Sene raised his spear to the Gods of the heavens and struck it to the ground. He then cried out "Victory!"
The two men Maba Diakhou Bâ
and Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof are now face to face. Maba recited the Shahada
) (Islamic declaration of faith) from the Quran as he had always done during his jihads.
The Serer army charged in. Since they asked for it, they must finished it. As Martin Klein puts it, "in one of the most decisive battles in what was then the Western Sudan, Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof defeated the marabouts", their army and their leader—Maba Diakhou Bâ
was killed. Having killed Maba, Kumba Ndoffene Famak cut his head off and dismembered his limbs then sent the head and an a arm to the French at Gorée
to announce his victory and challenged anyone else who wishes to annihilate the Animist Serers to come down to Sine and meet the full force of Sine. Also evident in a letter he would later send to the French governor where he listed the names of Maba's men whose blood was spilt on the land of Sine. That letter is considered by some historians such Sarr, Jange and Becker to be a threat to the French.
The rest of Maba's body parts were sent to different areas and some scattered throughout the country. In a letter marked 31 July 1867, the French asked: "what do you want us to do with his parts?" To which he replied "give him to the Muslims to bury him in a Muslim cemetery."
At the Battle, Lat Jorr and his men realising that "the cause was lost", retreated. (Klein p. 91). As Cheickh Diouf puts it:
As regards to Maba's brother—Abdoulaye Wuli Bâ, (also known as "Abdou Ba"—not to be confused with "Abdou Boury Bâ" the historian and grandson of Mamour Nderi Bâ—brother of Maba) he was castrated but not killed even though the King of Sine had ample opportunity to kill him. To appreciate why Kumba Ndoffene Famak did not kill Abdou Bâ, one must refer back to the surprise attack at Mbin o Ngoor (Kerr Ngoor). After the Muslims captured members of the royal family in their surprise attack including the daughter of the King – Lingeer Selbeh Ndoffene Joof, Biran Ceesay, one of Maba's men, wanted to marry her but Maba refused and insisted she should be married off to his own brother Abdoulaye Wuli Bâ. They forcefully "married" the Princess to Abdou and she was raped a rape which resulted in a pregnancy.
Kumba Ndoffene Famak wanted to humiliate Abdou Bâ for not only daring to part take in the kidnapping of his own daughter or having the nerve to forcefully "marry" his own daughter behind his back, but also for what he had done to his daughter. By only mutilating him and not killing him when he had ample opportunity to do so, it was to send a message that he (Abdou Bâ) would never again be able to exercise his duties as a husband to any woman.
This is the reason why only one offspring resulted from that forced "marriage"—Maram Selbeh Bâ , who was the product of a rape and her mother Lingeer Selbeh Ndoffene was a victim of rape. The Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal
would not dare utter this. Instead, they try to pretend as if it was a marriage. There was no marriage. Although they are forced to admit that Abdou was castrated in the battled, due to the fact that, if they didn't reveal that part of history, people would ask how come only one child (Maram Selbe) resulted from that marriage? Kumba Ndoffene Famak's revenge for his daughter, after he had captured Abdou, in a way did ensure that, they would never be able to conceal that part of history as they have tried to do since the death of Maba.
The events at Fandane-Thiouthioune will send a terrifying shock wave not just to the Muslim Marabouts but also to the French who immediately sent a message to the British governor in The Gambia, that Maba is death. (Klein p. 46, 79). Maba the jihadist, whom they at several occasions assisted when it was in their interest and tried to get rid of unsuccessfully when it suited them would be killed by the "Pegan" people they despised in the land of Animist Sine. As for the Muslim Marabouts, it showed that Maba was not invisible. As the historian Pathé Diagné puts it:
At the end of the Battle of Fandane-Tioutiougne, commonly known as the Battle of Somb, the victorious King of Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof nursed his injuries and led his brave warrior army back home. The griots of Sine beat the war drums (Jung-Jung
), whose job as it has been for generations beyond memory—was to preserve and relay history. The following is the victorious anthem of Sine against the Muslim Jihadists (see also explanations):
few years earlier. Thus, Maba's jihads directed the King's focus away from the French. However after the Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune (Somb) and the death of Maba, Kumba Ndoffene "rekindled" old relationships with his greatest foes (the French).
Six years after Kumba Ndoffene's succession to the throne (May 1859), Faidherbe of France thought that they should no longer dance to the tunes of the Kings of Sine and decided that, all the treaties they previously had signed with the King and abided by which required them to pay taxes to the Crown just like anybody else, will be declared null and void and request a renegotiation of terms. (Klein p. 55 and C. Joof). In years to come, this policy laid by Faidherbe will be used by certain Kings against them.
In that year, having arrived in Gorée
with 200 tirailleurs (sharpshooters) and marines, he then invited the people of Gorée to join his cause. At Dakar
, he gathered the Lebou people whom he told that they:
After his arrest of the Damel of Cayor's (King of Cayor) representative in Rufisque
, he gathered the population of Rufisque
as well to help him fight his wars. When he finally arrived in Joal, in Sine, as the French were setting up their camp, the French patrol ran into the "Buumi" (heir apparent ) of Kumba Ndoffene Famak (Sanou Moon Faye) and some of his entourage. They defeated them. The French managed to hold two prisoners and sent one of them to the King of Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak to deliver to the King that, the French army would be in Fatick
in three days time and they would make peace or war with the King depending on whether or not the King granted them the reparation and concessions demanded.
On 18 March 1859, the French army finally arrived in Fatick. The King and his army, whom have been mobilised by the sounds of the "Jung-Jung" (War Drum), stood guard at Logandème. In a bitter battle against the French, the King and his army were defeated and the Sine Calvary retreated but only to come back and attempt two more charges. However, they couldn't destroy the French ranks and were ultimately defeated. (Klein p. 57, C. Diouf). Under the orders of Faidherbe, Fatick was burned to the ground.
Forced into an unfair treaty which included guaranteeing freedom of French commerce, allowing the French a monopoly of trade and giving the French traders the right to buy land and build in masonry (a strategic move to minimise the effects of revenge burning and demolition); the only tax would be a 3 percent export duty and French subjects to be tried in French courts (Klein p. 57, and C. Diouf). When the French government in Paris
had found out what Faidherbe had done, he was criticised for making a military campaign. To cover his back, he fabricated the facts and claimed that, he only:
That was not the truth. The Kingdom of Sine and its provinces never belonged to France. As noted by Klein:
Kumba Ndoffene Famak was not yet ready to relinquish his country to the French. The sovereignty of the Kingdom of Sine
has been preserved by his predecessors and more so by father of his predecessor the warlord Sandigui N'Diob Niokhobai Joof. On 8 July 1860, he wrote a letter to the Commandant of Gorée
in the following terms:
In his desire to take back these villages and provinces, and continued to collect taxes from these areas, he stopped the herds of cattle that headed to Dakar, destroyed the peanut fields (a major income generator for the French) and destroyed the transportation infrastructure, before sending his sakh-sakh – ("tax collector" also a representative in a particular village) to collect taxes. The King of Saloum, whom have also gone through a similar event by the French, inspired by Kumba Ndoffene Famak's antics, did they same. By October 1863, he was still trying to get back these villages and particularly the province of Joal which was extremely important to Kumba Ndoffene Famak, because Joal was a major commercial centre as testified to by David Boilat in "Esquisses Sénégalaises".Thus not only did Joal contributed immensely in the country's revenue, it was also the gateway to the British in The Gambia
, whom the King was hoping he can purchase arms from in order to defend his Kingdom.
As such, before Maba started his jihads in the Kingdom of Sine
, the King was preoccupied with more urgent and important matters than Maba. However, the Muslim Marabouts were getting to close and they needed stopped.
After The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune, Kumba Ndoffene tried to raise more taxes in order to rebuild Diakhao
his capital—following Maba's men previous surprise attack at Mbin o Ngoor (Kerr Ngoor). Kumba Ndoffene applied his tax raising policy equally to all the provinces of Sine—and Joal was no exception. In fact, he had more problems in Joal than virtually any were else.
A "sakh-sakh" (tax collector) was set up in Fadial who was responsible for collecting taxes in the surrounding areas. The French subjects frightened, paid taxes twice: one to the Crown and the other to the French, and kept out of the wars.
Before Kumba Ndoffene decided to go to Joal to deal with the issue personally, he wrote several letters to the French administration re-emphasising his sovereignty over Joal. The following is a quote from one of his letters addressed to both the French administration in Gorée
and "Ndar" (Saint Louis):
Although the French did not directly express to him a refusal to come to Joal, they did not want him there. Instead, they wanted him to go to Nioro du Rip
, a former territory of Maba. After the battle of Fandane-Thioutioune (Somb), the French congratulated him on several occasions on his victory—hence "when you are raising me above all the Negro Kings". The province of Rip was under the control of the Marabouts—it was a predominantly Muslim area. The French with their dealings with the Marabouts—since the days of Maba have now totally destroyed any sense of decency left in that area. As a result, they lost control completely and were not willing to use their own forces there, but they wanted somebody else to do the job for them. Although the Rip problem was originally created by the French, Kumba Ndoffene offered to assist the French in that area (motivated by revenge), but this time, he wanted them to commit some forces in order to supplement the Sine forces instead of "staying on the sideline and watch". The French promised to do so. Again, not a single member of the French force was sent.
The following is quote from a letter from Governor François Xavier Valiére (9 May 1870) to the King emphasising the French's desire for the Sine army to enter Rip:
Kumba Ndoffene was getting inpatient about the French's unwillingness to resolve the Joal issue to his satisfaction. Indeed, this was testing his authority. Some of the qualities of a true Serer king are his ability to maintain stability and economic prosperity in his Kingdom but also to show strong leadership if the independence of his the Kingdom is threatened. As Klein puts it:
On 23 August 1871, Kumba Ndoffene Famak entered Joal to deal with the problem personally. It was a Wednesday. Wednesday was the day taxes were collected. He was assassinated by the French.
According to the French administration, they claimed they didn't do it. They lay the blame on a French trader called "Beccaria" whom they say has a "reputation as a troublemaker". According to them, it was Beccaria who "shot the Bur (King) and wounded him fatally".
It should be noted that, this account by the French administration, refers to a letter by the Commandant of Gorée
to the Governor of Senegal, marked: 24 August 1871 (ARS, 4 B, 48). Further it is alleged that, the successor of Kumba Ndoffene Famak (Maat Sine Sanou Moon Faye), who was indeed pursued by his nephew the future King of Sine Maat Sine Semou Mak Joof as well as the nobility of Sine especially led by Farba Mbar (who was the commander of his army), sought assistance from the French and is alleged to have paid out damages to the French to recompense French traders that were "terrorised and looted" including this so called "Beccaria" – the person the French administration claimed "killed Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof". This account refers to a letter the Governor of Senegal allegedly sent to the new King of Sine (Sanou Moon Faye) who succeeded Kumba Ndoffene Famak Marked: 27 October 1871 (ARS, 13, G 318); and Sanou Moon Faye's payments are documented in Bur Sine to Commandant of Goréé, received on 26 October 1871 (ARS, unclassified). (See Klein p. 106 and 249).
There does not appear to be any notable previous record of this so called "Beccaria" whom the French administration claimed has a "reputation as a troublemaker".
It is a general consensus held by the historians that, "Kumba Ndoffene entered Joal in order to demonstrate to the French –
Therefore, his assassination was more likely to have been an order from the top of the French administration.
of Senegambia. In certain cases, he was forced to fight both enemies who had formed an alliance against his Animist Kingdom. Yet, guided by his strong belief in the Serer Religion
and his strong believe in upholding the tradition of his ancestors as in the case of Fandane-Thiouthioune, he responded to the threats the only way he knew how – with courage and military brilliance.
He was a democratic ruler who always listened to the voice of his people.
He rarely made decisions without consulting his Jaraff—Wassaly Sene and the gathering of the people of Sine to the "Xoy" (Divinination Cerermony) where they voiced their opinions after the Saltigue
(Diviners) consulted the supernatural world and predicted the possible outcomes in keeping with Serer
tradition.
He was a hospitable and generous man. When he gave an audience to the Muslim leader Tafsir Alhaji Omar Taal (also spelt: "El Hadj Umar Tall" ), Taal was so touched by the generosity of the King and the people of Sine that he ordered Maba Diakhou Bâ
to:
Even in 1848, five years before the reign of Kumba Ndoffene Famak, he made another statement to his disciples in which he said:
Although Alhaji Omar Taal was a fanatical Islamic jihadist himself, who practically destroyed the Animist Bambara
Kingdoms of Kaarta
and Ségou
, he never directly attacked the Serer people or their Kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Sine
or Kingdom of Saloum. Maba however was in no mood for gentle persuasion. He wanted total Islamisation, wealth and power and he wanted it then and there. The victory of Kumba Ndoffene Famak at Fandane-Thioutioune was to ensure that Maba would never achieve his wish.
Maba was more interested in power and wealth than peacefully Islamizing people. Just like Taal, they had their own desire to amass wealth and build their own powerful empire and used Islam to do it. If Maba was a true martyr of Islam and was more interested in Islamisation of people than power and greed, Maba would not have signed the Nuimi Treaty with the British in The Gambia granting the people of Nuimi the right to a "Pagan" State. He did that for two reasons: he was encroaching on British territory and he could not afford to offend the British who provided him with arms. Further, the Kingdom of Saloum was very rich at the time (See David Boilat) compared to Nuimi. As such, not only did he not want to offend the British in The Gambia
, Saloum was more economically viable than Nuimi.
Even on the day when Maba and his men including Lat Jorr attacked Sine at Mbin o Ngoor, although the Laprade was not in Senegal but in Paris negotiating for more White troops, because the French government in Paris refused to send more troops – (they were dying from the wars also from disease), when he got back and was informed what just happened in Sine, his first reaction was:
As a result, he wanted to form a fresh start with Kumba Ndoffene Famak by promising to use his limited soldiers to help him defeat Maba. Kumba Ndoffene Famak of course didn't take him seriously. Laprade always wanted somebody else to do the job for him as in the case of Kaolack (see above). Besides, Laprade's hope of a White army from France was not forthcoming. The French Government in Paris was preoccupied with the political crisis going on in Europe and was not willing to fund troops to Senegal neither was it willing to fund weapons. As such, Paris wrote to him instructing him to "carefully avoid new complications" and to "remain on the defensive". At The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune 1867, he sat and watched and not a single member of his army joined the army of Sine. Neither the French
nor the British
armed the Kingdom of Sine
. Sine's victory was a victory created by the blood and sweet of the warrior
s of Sine and their King
. In their desire to reduce the humiliation inflicted on them by the Warriors of Sine, certain Muslims claim that "the French armed the Sine". How could the French have armed the Sine, when they didn't even have enough for themselves and Paris was not willing to provide them supplies? In fact, after the battle, when Laprade came to offer his congratulations, Kumba Ndoffene Famak remarked:
Laprade's reaction that Maba would win if he goes to war against Kumba Ndoffene Famak was based on Sine's policy against Maba. As noted by Klein, for six years, Maba had avoided Kumba Ndoffene Famak and Kumba Ndoffene had not attacked Maba. Kumba Ndoffene also refused to be used as a pawn by the French against Maba. Had he allowed himself to be used by the French against Maba, Maba would have been killed long ago. Laprade mistook this for cowardice and assumed that, the King of Sine would not be able to defend his subjects against the Marabouts. That was a big mistake.
According to historians, Kumba Ndoffene Famak's policy towards Maba "was influenced by a combination of discretion and the strongly held believe that, the French were the greater enemy"(Klein p. 80). As such, most of his efforts were directed towards the French colonialists than to Maba or the Muslims. Where he took actions against the Muslim Marabouts, it was always to defend his Kingdom and his people from assault and Islamic Jihadism
. The same cannot be said for Maba and the Muslim Marabouts whose actions in the Mandinka
Animist States of The Gambia
resulted in slave raiding
, burning of villages and looting. As Klein puts it:
The King of Sine cannot be accused of such antics. He was far superior to Maba himself as demonstrated after the death Maba. When the French asked him what should we do with the body parts? He felt some sympathy for him and told them to give him to the Muslims so that they can bury him in a Muslim Cemetery.
The Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal
who have tried for years to conceal the facts of history have also fabricated another account regarding the Battle of Fandane-Thioutioune.
They claim that, Maba was praying when he was killed. This is the kind of information they want to pass on in their attempt conceal the facts of history. In their attempt to make Maba a martyr, they kept fabricating the facts. Although there are various accounts deposited in the ARS (Archives de la République du Sénégal, Formerly the archives of the French West African Federation), this is the one that is revealed, quoted and requote.
Not only did Kumba Ndoffene Famak granted asylum to his relative—the King of Baol – Taign Chai Yassin Faal, who was driven out of Baol
after The Battle of Pouri 1857. The Faal family and the Jobe family (to which Lat Jorr belonged) are blood relatives. They are also relatives of the royal family of Sine
, Saloum, Waalo
and Jolof. One can therefore understand why the King of Sine would grant asylum to the King of Baol. Nonetheless, the young Damel-Taign Lat Jorr Ngoneh Latir Jobe who always referred to Kumba Ndoffene Famak as uncle will betray him as well as the Kingdom of Sine after what he had done at Kerr Ngoor as well as The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune
. Just as Kumba Ndoffene Famak and the people of Sine honoured El Hadj Umar Tall when he made a visit, Lat Jorr was given a special welcome at Diakhao
after his defeat and exile at Loro by the French.
Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof was an honourable man who always favoured nonviolence but can result to war if necessary. He always preached good dialogue for the sake of peace. Even in 1864 he signed a treaty with Faidherbe (of France), the Kings of Cayor, Boal, Saoloum, and Jolof prohibiting the use of war to deal with litigations.
Under his reign, the Kingdom of Sine was well structured—economically, socially, politically and legally.
In fact, it was during his reign that the Kingdom of Sine
became the first Senegambian Kingdom to have a proper:
National Anthem
"Fañ na NGORO Roga deb no kholoum O Fañ-in Fan-Fan ta tathiatia" (No one can do anything against his neighbour without the will of The Divine.)
Moto
Dial—fi—mayou to tiin (To serve and produce selflessly)
Flag
A white flag which not only represent peace, but in Serer mythology it is also the symbol of purity – (a pure heart and how you have lived your live in the living world). Those who lived a pure life in their life time are the ones who are immortalised as "Pangool" and venerated.
If one looks closely at all these, one sees the true qualities of Kumba Ndoffene Famak:
Although the Serer Kingdom of Sine
and its sister Serer Kingdom (the Kingdom of Saloum) were two of few pre-colonial African Kingdoms that actually survived to the 20th century (1969) with their authority intact, it came at price.
Kumba Ndoffene Famak is still admired by the Serer people of Sine, Saloum and beyond. The Serer Griots still sings the Anthem of Fandane-Thioutioune (Somb) in his honour.
The conquest of Senegambia in the 19th century was mostly the doing of the Muslim Marabouts led by Maba Diakhou Bâ
himself. He was far more willing to deal with the foreign invaders than the Animist States. Whilst Animist States tried to put up a resistance against the foreign invaders, instead of working with the Animists he rather worked with the invaders and tried to kill "pagans". It is true that some Animist kings were not honourable but Kumba Ndoffene Famak was not one of them. As I.D Thiam and C. Diouf puts it:
Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof died in the land of his ancestors. Not only did he managed to deal with the French in a way that ensures the safety of his people,but fought extremely hard in order to achieve that from the day of his coronation right up to his death. In a way, he managed to preserve the sovereignty of his Kingdom and the ancient Religion of Serer people
, eradicating all "the germs of decay" that the French and Muslim Marabouts have planted in Holy Sine. He fought tirelessly to ensure the survival and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Sine. He respected custom and Serer Religion
and used it to fight his enemies for the betterment of his people. It was after his death that the Kings of Sine succeeded each other one by one at an astounding rate. Indeed "he was a valiant warrior"and "a strong leader" whose succession to the throne went unchallenged during the 19th century.
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1810 – 23 August 1871.was the King of the Serer
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
Kingdom of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
in modern day 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...
. "Maat Sine" or "Buur Sine" or "Mad a Sinig" means King of Sine. He ruled from 1853 until his death on 23 of August 1871. He was the son of Buur Souka Ndella Joof and Lingeer Gnilane Jogoy Joof. His father "Souka Ndella" came from the Royal House of Buur Semou Njekeh Joof who was the founder of the third and last Royal House of The Joof Paternal Dynasty of Sine and Saloum in the 18th century.His paternal family ruled three Kingdoms: Sine, Saloum and previously Baol
Baol
The Kingdom of Baol or Bawol in central Senegal was one of the ancient kingdoms of the Serer people pre-the Jolof Empire, an Empire it would later join voluntarily just like the other States. However it gained prominence after the split-up of the Empire in 1555...
– they were the descendants of Buur Ndaah Njemeh Joof the 13th century King of Lâ in Baol
Baol
The Kingdom of Baol or Bawol in central Senegal was one of the ancient kingdoms of the Serer people pre-the Jolof Empire, an Empire it would later join voluntarily just like the other States. However it gained prominence after the split-up of the Empire in 1555...
l'epopee De Sanmoon Fay. "La famille Juuf". Ethiopiques n°54 revue semestrielle de culture négro-africaine Nouvelle série volume 7 2e semestre 1991.
His mother Gnilane Jogoy Joof, came from the Maternal Dynasty of Guelowar
Guelowar
The Guelowar was a Serer and Mandinka dynasty between 1350 to 1969. The dynasty was formed through marriage between the Serer paternal dynasties such as Joof or Diouf, Faye and Ndiaye and the Mandinka maternal Guelowar dynasty of Kaabu in modern day Guinea Bissau who escaped the Battle of...
. The Geulowars had ruled two Senegambian Kingdoms: Sine and Saloum. They had also provided two Kings of Jolof and heirs to the thrones of Cayor
Cayor
The Kingdom of Cayor was the largest and most powerful kingdom that split off from the Empire of Jolof , in what is now Senegal. Cayor was located in north and central Senegal, southeast of Waalo, west of the kingdom of Jolof and north of Baol and the Kingdom of Sine.In 1549, the king, or...
and Baol
Baol
The Kingdom of Baol or Bawol in central Senegal was one of the ancient kingdoms of the Serer people pre-the Jolof Empire, an Empire it would later join voluntarily just like the other States. However it gained prominence after the split-up of the Empire in 1555...
. They originated from the royal family of Kaabu in the 14th century who were granted asylum by the Serer nobility of Sine following the Battle of Turubang (1335) in Kaabu
Kaabu
The Kaabu Empire was a Mandinka Kingdom of Senegambia that rose to prominence in the region thanks to its origins as a former province of the Mali Empire...
.The name "Famak" (also "Fa mak") means "the elder" in the Serer language. He should not be confused with his successor Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Fandeb Joof (also known as "Coumba N'Doffène Diouf II") who reigned from 1897 to 1924. The name "Fandeb" (also "Fa ndeb") means "the younger" in the Serer-Sine language.
Succession to the throne
Kumba Ndoffene Famak came to the throne in 1853 following the early death of the young King of Sine Maat Sine Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof – one of the most charismatic Kings of Senegambia. Highly fluent in several languages, he also lived a very colourful life and was immortalised in a portrait by L'abbé David Boillat in 1850, three years before his death.Kumba Ndoffene Famak therefore, had a very tough act to follow when he succeeded his cousin in 1853.Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof's succession was a surprise to everyone. The reason being, he was a quiet man and was not "brutal" compared to Sanou Moon FayeLooks can be deceiving. His succession to the throne went unchallenged during the 19th century. Although Sanou Moon Faye and Kumba Ndoffene Famak shared the same date of birth—according to tradition, Kumba Ndoffene's birth was reported first to the Grand Jaraff (head of the noble Council of Electors responsible for electing the Kings from the Royal Family—according to custom, though there were exceptions). As a result, Kumba Ndoffene was declared Buumi (heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
) of Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof (reigned: 1847 to 1853), "first come first serve" (though there were exceptions see the coronation) (Klein p. 46).
The coronation
Kumba Ndoffene Famak's family along with Sanou Moon Faye's family lodge their applications before the Jaraff for their respective sons to inherit the throne. The Jaraff decided that it was Kumba Ndoffene's family that lodged his application first but after examining the family status and welfare of each candidate, made his choice having consulted the Members of The Council of nobles. Kumba Ndoffene was declared heir apparentHeir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
of the reigning King of Ama Joof and in September 1853 after taking the sacred bathing, Kumba Ndoffene's moment came to be crowned as King of Sine. In the presence of the Government of Sine made up of notables from various parts of Sine, the people and his paternal and maternal family, the Great Jaraff presided over the sacred ceremony.
After the religious rituals, prayers and oath, The Crown was placed on his head and the Jaraff greeted the Monarch with the words "Dali" (Your Majesty). He was Crowned King Kumba Ndoffene Joof from The Royal House of Semou Njekeh. The Jaraff made his usual speech directed to the Monarch: "From today, you are King… We greet you with hundred…" (in order words, for the King's reign to last for one hundred years).
The King then turned to his paternal family and made the usual proclamation: "Now I am the King. Get off your horses and give them to me." He then turned to his maternal family and made a similar proclamation.
The paternal family gave gifts and several horses to the overseers of the Ceremony including the Jaraff. The maternal family gave gifts and slightly less horses. The King then crowned his sister (Nadi Joof) as "Lingeer" (Queen). Had his mother been alive, she would have been Crowned "Lingeer" (Queen or Queen Mother in her case) and not Nadi Joof the King's sister.
External threats
The reign of Kumba Ndoffene Famak was in constant threat by two external forces. First, by the French who wanted to extend their authority in his Kingdom following the defeat of WaaloWaalo
The Kingdom of Waalo was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in West Africa, in what are now Senegal and Mauritania. It included parts of the valley proper and areas north and south, extending to the Atlantic Ocean...
—under Lingeer Ndateh Yaala Mbooj. Second, by 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 :...
Amat Jahu Bah (more commonly known as Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
or "Maba", "Mahaba" etc) who wanted to Islamize
Islamization
Islamization or Islamification has been used to describe the process of a society's conversion to the religion of Islam...
the Animist Serer people
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
and waged jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
against the Serer Kingdoms of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
and Saloum in his desire to form an empire of his own. When he was elected and crowned King of Sine in 1853, the French thought there was bound to be a power struggle and the French Catholic missionary-Father Luiset predicted that, "the Buumi ("heir apparent" to Kumba Ndoffene Famak)—Sanou Moon Faye (member of The Faye Paternal Dynasty of Sine-Saloum) would defeat Kumba Ndoffene Famak." Personally, he had no preference; he despised both of them and saw them as nothing more than two pagan nobles who hated everything Christianity stood for. (Klein p. 46)
Leadership style
Kumba Ndoffene Famak was a "very strong leader" whose word was generally accepted by the French. However, as noted by Klein (p. 46) at times, he had his reasons for giving very limited protection to the French merchants and even less protection to the French Christian missionaries, whom he viewed as nothing more than secret agents for the French administration in Senegal. This rumour was first circulated by his predecessor—the late Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof, (Klein p. 51) who stopped the French from building any bricked chapel or church in his Kingdom. During the first few years of Kumba Ndoffene Famak's reign, the Mission at N'GasobilNgazobil
Ngazobil is a village in Senegal, located on the Petite Côte, south of Dakar.-History:Since the 19th century, Ngazobil has housed a Catholic mission, one of the oldest in Senegal, established by François Libermann of Saverne, founder of the Congregation of The Holy Spirit.Louis-Philippe Walter...
faced constant harassments designed to force their departure. The people were not only ordered not to sell anything to the Mission
Mission
Mission may refer to:* Mission , variety of grape* Mission , base of missionary practice* Mission statement, a formal short written statement of an organization's value proposition...
, but also not to send their children to Christian schools—in fear that, these foreigners would corrupt the minds of the young. When Father Lamoise and Kobes (both French men) went to Sine in 1856, accompanied by French officers, they presented their complains to Kumba Ndoffene about the constant harassments which began during the reign of Ama Joof. Kumba Ndoffene was rather dismissive to these men in particular to Father Lamoise whom he view with contempt and not honourable enough to present his own case but needing the French guards to accompany him. Having listened to the French complaints, he responded with comments like "Why haven't you spoke up earlier?" As the King said that to the men before him, his Farba (head of the army), interjected by asking the French "why haven't you come earlier to congratulate Kumba Ndoffene on his accession or to offer condolences on the death of his relative?" Although that had nothing to do with the issue at hand, some missionaries in Senegambia did congratulate a new Kings and in some cases offer condolences of the King's death relatives as in the death of the warlord of Sine – the Sandigui N'Diob Niokhobai Joof in 1851 (father of Kumba Ndoffene Famak's predecessor) (Klein p. 53). However, the likelihood of the French congratulating Kumba Ndoffene on his accession was nil. The French administration hated him for fighting against them in battle when he was a mere prince and the church hated him because of his "pagan" roots whose family made their job in Senegambia extremely difficult. The main point of the French's visit apart from addressing the constant harassments was to seek permission to build a brick chapel. That was forbidden in the heart of Serer Animist Country. The King therefore refused to grant them that wish. The more persistent the two French men (Lamoise and Kobes) became, the more the nobility (his entourage) saw their suspicions about the missionaries confirmed (secret agents). That meeting actually stopped the Christian missionaries from achieving their objectives in the heart of Serer Country. That was made worst when Lamoise, the most vocal of the French threatened to build without permission. The King's response was:
- "You would be killed if you do so."
The King was interested in the teachings of Catholicism not to convert, because he remained a devout follower of the Serer Religion
Serer religion
The Serer religion, Fat Rog is the original religious beliefs, practices and teachings of the Serer people. The Serer people believe in a universal Supreme Deity called "Rog. "The Serer people are found throughout the Senegambia Region...
throughout his life, but as a matter of curiosity. He even invited the French to visit again, but there is a line that they will not cross and the King made in absolutely clear in that meeting.
After the siege of Kaolack by the Muslim jihadist
In 1866, Pinet Laprade (of France) tried to encourage resettlement around KaolackKaolack
Kaolack is a town of 172,305 people on the north bank of the Saloum River and the N1 road in Senegal. It is the capital of the Kaolack Region, which borders The Gambia to the south. Kaolack is an important regional market town and is Senegal's main peanut trading and processing center...
(a province of another Serer Kingdom called The (Kingdom of Saloum) and promised to restore order and commerce there. He failed miserably. He himself was not willing to live or stay there but he wanted the natives to go back to a war zone, continued trading and lined the pockets of the French with their heavy taxes in that province. Needless to say that, the King of Sine was not willing to persuade his people to settle in a war zone (Klein p. 87). Laprade's motives may have been of good intention, but judging by his previous actions when he fought in the side of the Muslim Marabouts led by Maba against the Serers of Saloum; his letter to France in 1863 (see below) which shows his true alliance with the Muslims against the Serers and his actions to come, that is doubtful (Klein p. 79). He wrote a letter to Kumba Ndoffene Famak begging him to do something. The following is a direct quote of that letter:
- "Our long friendship has made me think of you to restore order in this ancient Serer Kingdom (Kingdom of Saloum). I authorise you to enter this country (Saloum) with your army, to expel from it the several thieves who are to be found there, and to found villages at your convenience. You will be wise to give Fakha Faal (Maat Saloum Fakha Boya Latsouka Faal – the reigning King of Saloum) a command" (Klein p. 87).
This letter goes against everything Laprade had previously accused Kumba Ndoffene of as well as the Serer people
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
and all animists for that matter. Both Pinet Laprade and Faidherbe
Faidherbe
Faidherbe may refer to:* Henri Brosselard-Faidherbe , a French military officer and explorer, the stepson of General Louis Faidherbe* Louis Faidherbe , a French general and Governor of Senegal* ST Faidherbe, a Senegalese tugboat...
(his predecessor as Governors preferred the Muslims to the Serer people
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
and fought alongside or assisted them with weapons in order to defeat the Serer Animist Kingdoms. Even when the Muslims led by Maba were pillaging villages, they did absolutely nothing as evident with Governor Jauréguibéry, successor of Faidherbe from December 1861 – July 1863 (Klein p. 79). However, when the Serers launched revenge wars against the Muslim Marabouts, the French allied themselves with the Muslims and described the Serers as " thieves and violent drunkards" as evident in the following letter Laprade sent to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1863:
- "The marabouts (the Muslims) – faithful observers of the Koran (Quran), who are tired of the violence inflicted on them by bands of drunkards like the "Tyeddo" ("Cheddo" actually means Animists it is also extended to mean the Royal Army who were "Cheddo" just like the Animist Kings were "Cheddo" – "Animists") of CayorCayorThe Kingdom of Cayor was the largest and most powerful kingdom that split off from the Empire of Jolof , in what is now Senegal. Cayor was located in north and central Senegal, southeast of Waalo, west of the kingdom of Jolof and north of Baol and the Kingdom of Sine.In 1549, the king, or...
, BaolBaolThe Kingdom of Baol or Bawol in central Senegal was one of the ancient kingdoms of the Serer people pre-the Jolof Empire, an Empire it would later join voluntarily just like the other States. However it gained prominence after the split-up of the Empire in 1555...
, SineKingdom of SineThe Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
, and Saloum, who live only by thievery – resolved about a year ago to convert or destroy this brutalized and useless race." (Klein p. 79).
Laprade's previous letter to Kumba Ndoffene Famak talked about "thieves"—referring to the Muslim Marabouts. It is this same Laprade who wrote the above letter to Paris describing the Serers and all Animists as thieves, drunkards and violent. This duplicity is beyond one's comprehension. "A change of tact perhaps". In any case, the province of Kaolack fells under the jurisdiction of Fakha Boya Faal the King of Saloum. Kumba Ndoffene Famak has no jurisdiction in Saloum or its provinces. The only thing he could do was to assist his cousin Fakha Boya—but Fakha must request this first before Kumba Ndoffene goes "barging in" like an invader. Indeed, when Kumba Ndoffene Famak tried to offer help to the King of Saloum, Fakha Boya turned him down and did not want to listen to him.
It was also this same Laprade who initially begged Fakha Boya to leave the Kaolack post for a short time so that trade could resume with the Marabouts—that was after he tried and failed to conquer Serer Saloum. When Fakha Boya granted him that wish, he straight away informed Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
in July 1864 that Fakha Boya had left Kaolack and he can come back. Now things are worst than he had ever anticipated, he wanted somebody else to solve the mess he had created. It is true that Fakha Boya was a weak leader compared to his brother Samba Laobe Latsouka Faal or his cousin Kumba Ndoffene Famak, but the down fall of Kaolack was the creation of the French and not his. The only thing Fakha Boya can be accused of was his inability or unwillingness to resolve the matter in Kaolack (his own province) that was ransacked, looted and ravaged by the Muslims jihadists led by Maba and his men and assisted by the French.
Few months later after his previous letter to Kumba Ndoffene Famak, Laprade will write another letter to the King of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
begging him to do something—in which he talked about:
"Saloum can only become rich through agriculture... It is necessary to make the farmers cultivate peanuts."
The Serer people
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
are great farmers and have an ancient tradition of farming and are well known for their exceptional farming skills.They certainly do not need Laprade telling them what they can grow and when. Besides, peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
cultivation in Serer Country was a controversial issue. For years when the Serer cultivated it, it was mainly in smaller plots. The reason for that was, because of their religion (Serer Religion
Serer religion
The Serer religion, Fat Rog is the original religious beliefs, practices and teachings of the Serer people. The Serer people believe in a universal Supreme Deity called "Rog. "The Serer people are found throughout the Senegambia Region...
) which required them to preserve the ecosystem. That is, not to grow certain products or to grow them in small amounts so that they do not damage the ecosystem, thereby passing on the land to their descendants in a healthy state as it was passed down to them by their ancestors.Failure to abide by this religious doctrine, the Serers believed that the ancient "Pangool" (plural: ancestral spirits and ancient Serer Saints) will take revenge on them; introduce locust and drought. This is a strongly held believe by the Serers.
Laprade it seems was unwilling or reluctant to commit his own forces to the Kaolack
Kaolack
Kaolack is a town of 172,305 people on the north bank of the Saloum River and the N1 road in Senegal. It is the capital of the Kaolack Region, which borders The Gambia to the south. Kaolack is an important regional market town and is Senegal's main peanut trading and processing center...
crisis and wanted somebody else to do the job for him. When he acted against the Marabouts, his actions were so ineffective they hardly shook the Marabout Movement. Instead of trying to destroy Maba or if he is unable to do that, at least talk to him (since he had done that before), he simply tied Muslims to posts (most of whom by the way were junior members of the Marabout Movement and controlled limited areas) and carried out raids (Klein p. 88). Needless to say these ineffective acts had no effect on Maba's power. Maba therefore, continued with his mission:—pillaging lands and announcing how humble he was to the Lamtoro (leader) of Futa Toro whom he beg for military support but received nothing (Klein p. 85–85). He will meet his match—Kumba Ndoffene Famak, but not now. Kumba Ndoffene Famak had been aware of Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
and his activities for a long time but just kept waiting. Maba's time will come. Kumba Ndoffene will not be the aggressor, but will fight "nail and tooth" to defend his Kingdom and his people—he was well known for that He was one of few Senegambian Kings in the 19th century who valued and respected his subjects, not only through words but also by action. For now, he had more pressing issues to concern himself with—the French.
Kumba Ndoffene Famak vs. Muslims
Kumba Ndoffene strongly resisted against French expansionism, as well as the French's strategy to use him against Maba. Had he agreed to the French's terms and strategy, Maba would have been killed right back in the 1850s. Indeed Pinet-Laprade mistook this for cowardice which was further from the truth.That was one of Kumba Ndoffene's strengths, his ability to stop the French from using him as a pawn to serve their own purpose. However, in 1867, Maba decided to rid himself of what he viewed as "the threat of the pagan Serers" and used jihadJihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
as an excuse, directing his aggression to the Serer people of Sine.
That was a huge surprise to everyone and in particular, the French. The British administration (in 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....
) were also interested. They have both tried to get rid of Maba when he was no longer any use to them but failed miserably. Can the Kingdom of Sine do the unthinkable? They both fixed their eyes at Sine observing the developments as they unfold.
It should be noted that, both the French in 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 British in 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....
were more sympathetic to the Muslim course against the Animist and supported them when it suited them. In fact, not only was Governor Darcy (the British governor in Gambia) arming Maba and the Muslim forces with British weapons (Klein p. 87–88), he planned and executed his invasion of the Animist Mandinka
Mandinka
Mandinka, Mandika or Mandingo may refer to:*the Mandinka people of West Africa*the Mandinka language*Mandingo , a bestselling novel originally published in 1957*Mandingo , a 1975 film based on the novel of the same name...
State of Baddibu in The Gambia in revenge for the attack against the British traders by the Animists of Baddibu. Darcey planned his invasion to coincide with the French's unsuccessful invasion of Animist Serer Saloum in 1861. Although the French and the British were engaged in constant wars on African soil, there were instances when they worked together to defeat the Animist States. The incident at Baddibu was one of them, where a number of French officers were sent to The Gambia to help the British defeat the Royal Family of Baddibu. During this operation, Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
jumped on the boat of the British governor (governor Darcy) and agreed to accompany the expedition if he speared his village. The governor agreed. The elderly king of Baddibu (Jere Ba Marong) stood no chance. He was defeated but not killed. Maba put himself forward to negotiate peace terms after what he had done. He would be the last person one would expected to be a peace negotiator after his actions. The elderly king of Baddibu astonished by the arrogance of the man (Maba), sent his timid son Maath Jakere Bassin to assassinate Maba. Maath was not only timid, he was also a drunkard. The night before the mission, he was heavily drunk and he started talking about his mission. That was not only witnessed by the British whose camp he frequented, but also a group of Muslim native who were sympathetic to Maba's course. What happened next was inevitable. Maba found out about the plot and instead of Maath killing Maba, Maath was killed himself. This is how the Revolt of Baddibu began. What followed next was the Muslims' zealous massacre of the Mandinka natives. Led by Maba, they swept through Baddibu and burned down villages, pillaging land after land and taking slaves. In June 1862 when Bathurst (now Banjul
Banjul
-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
– the capital of The Gambia) heard rumors that Saloum had invaded Baddibu, Maba retreated. King Buntu Gamey (the king of Nuimi) in The Gambia, whom Maba had tried but failed to killed returned to his ravaged Kingdom to pick up the pieces. Eight months later (February 1863), Nuimi was granted independence as a Pagan State—a treaty signed by the British and Maba himself. (Klein p. 71).
Indeed, when the Muslim forces under Amer Fall under the command of Maba attacked Nuimi in 1866, then tried to invade the Ceded Mile (a British stronghold), the British retaliated by burning 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...
villages and then summoned Maba and told him never to do it again to which he gave his promise it will never happen again. He depended on British weapons as noted by Klein and was quick to give his promise .
As for Kumba Ndoffene Famak, as everyone's eyes were fixed at him when the Muslims attempted their jihads in his strongly Animist Kingdom (Sine). Can the Royal Family of Sine whom Maba had avoided for six years do the unthinkable? Everyone's eyes were fixed at Sine. The French, the British as well as the Senegambian Animist States especially the States in The Gambia whom Maba had ravaged, destroyed and enslaved
Enslaved
Enslaved may refer to:* Slavery, the socio-economic condition of being owned and worked by and for someone else* Bottom , people playing the 'slave' part in BDSM* Enslaved , a progressive black metal band from Haugesund, Norway...
all stood to gain from the death of Maba.
Almost a week after Maba's supposed "victory" in Kaolack (see Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
and his talk page), a large group of his disciples entered Sine (the heart of Serer Animist Country). Maba himself did not enter Sine. His disciples were defeated by the Serer army of Sine and those that survived retreated heading towards Saloum. As they headed towards Saloum, the Serer army of Saloum led by Fakha Boya Faal destroyed them. Whether Maba was aware of what his disciples were doing, is not known. Maybe he was aware of it, maybe he wasn't, or maybe he was trying to test or provoke the King of Sine. However historians like Alioune Sarr and Martin A. Klein, believe that it was highly unlikely that he was not aware of what his followers were doing. As a Marabout
Marabout
A marabout is a Muslim religious leader and teacher in West Africa, and in the Maghreb. The marabout is often a scholar of the Qur'an, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi Murshids , or leaders of religious communities...
and the leader of his sect, command always came from him. This is evident throughout his jihads (see Sarr). If he was aware of it, he did nothing to stop it. His followers were totally in his command and they would not have dared go against the orders of Maba. That leaves two possibilities: he was either trying to test Kumba Ndoffene Famak whom he had avoided for years or trying to provoke him into battle (something he was very good at).
The Battle of Fandane Thiouthioune (Somb)
After Kumba Ndoffene Famak's invitation to Maba for an open battle following the surprised attack at Mbin o Ngoor, Maba and his men came back having acquired arms and ammunitions in British Gambia (A. Sarr; Klein p. 73, 87–88). On 18 July 1867, the Watchers notified the King of Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak that the Rip army is approaching Sine.The Rituals
Before the King gathered his warrior army, he summoned the elders (his Councillors) to perform the ancient rituals of their forefathers. He then commanded his Jaraff (head of the noble Council) also a SaltigueSaltigue
Saltigue are Serer High Priests and Priestesses who precide over the religious ceremonies and affairs of the Serer people. They usually come from ancient Serer paternal families. Such a title is usually inheritted by birth right.- Sources:Louis Diene Faye,...
Wassaly Sene, to perform the ancient ritual of the ancestors – and predict the outcome. "In the name of "Rog" (the Supreme Deity of the Serer people
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
), Wassaly Sene raised his spear to the Gods of the heavens and struck it to the ground. He then cried out "Victory!"
The Battle
After the necessary rituals, King of Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof gathered his warrior army and led them straight to "Somb" (in Sine) the battlefield. It should be noted that although Somb was the starting point of the battle, it did not end there; it ended in Fandane-Thioutioune where the outcome was decided. This is the reason why the griots get angry when they hear those words "The Battle of Somb". They accused the French archivist and academic historians (both Africans and Europeans) of using the short cut and condensing the facts. For them it is 'the battle of "Tioutiougne" or "Fandane-Tioutiougne"—were the outcome was decided and not "Somb"' which was only the starting place.The two men Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
and Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof are now face to face. Maba recited the Shahada
Shahada
The Shahada , means "to know and believe without suspicion, as if witnessed"/testification; it is the name of the Islamic creed. The shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as God's prophet...
) (Islamic declaration of faith) from the Quran as he had always done during his jihads.
The Serer army charged in. Since they asked for it, they must finished it. As Martin Klein puts it, "in one of the most decisive battles in what was then the Western Sudan, Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof defeated the marabouts", their army and their leader—Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
was killed. Having killed Maba, Kumba Ndoffene Famak cut his head off and dismembered his limbs then sent the head and an a arm to the French at Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
to announce his victory and challenged anyone else who wishes to annihilate the Animist Serers to come down to Sine and meet the full force of Sine. Also evident in a letter he would later send to the French governor where he listed the names of Maba's men whose blood was spilt on the land of Sine. That letter is considered by some historians such Sarr, Jange and Becker to be a threat to the French.
The rest of Maba's body parts were sent to different areas and some scattered throughout the country. In a letter marked 31 July 1867, the French asked: "what do you want us to do with his parts?" To which he replied "give him to the Muslims to bury him in a Muslim cemetery."
At the Battle, Lat Jorr and his men realising that "the cause was lost", retreated. (Klein p. 91). As Cheickh Diouf puts it:
- "The Sine had mobilized all its fighting forces and terrorized the enemy. Sensing the danger, Lat-Dior fled, … the sun of victory pointed in horizon of the warriors of Sine." (C. Diouf)
As regards to Maba's brother—Abdoulaye Wuli Bâ, (also known as "Abdou Ba"—not to be confused with "Abdou Boury Bâ" the historian and grandson of Mamour Nderi Bâ—brother of Maba) he was castrated but not killed even though the King of Sine had ample opportunity to kill him. To appreciate why Kumba Ndoffene Famak did not kill Abdou Bâ, one must refer back to the surprise attack at Mbin o Ngoor (Kerr Ngoor). After the Muslims captured members of the royal family in their surprise attack including the daughter of the King – Lingeer Selbeh Ndoffene Joof, Biran Ceesay, one of Maba's men, wanted to marry her but Maba refused and insisted she should be married off to his own brother Abdoulaye Wuli Bâ. They forcefully "married" the Princess to Abdou and she was raped a rape which resulted in a pregnancy.
Kumba Ndoffene Famak wanted to humiliate Abdou Bâ for not only daring to part take in the kidnapping of his own daughter or having the nerve to forcefully "marry" his own daughter behind his back, but also for what he had done to his daughter. By only mutilating him and not killing him when he had ample opportunity to do so, it was to send a message that he (Abdou Bâ) would never again be able to exercise his duties as a husband to any woman.
This is the reason why only one offspring resulted from that forced "marriage"—Maram Selbeh Bâ , who was the product of a rape and her mother Lingeer Selbeh Ndoffene was a victim of rape. The Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal
Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal
This is a list of Muslim groups in Senegal . They are active Muslim organizations that can also be found in many other parts of Africa and the Islamic world.The three largest are:...
would not dare utter this. Instead, they try to pretend as if it was a marriage. There was no marriage. Although they are forced to admit that Abdou was castrated in the battled, due to the fact that, if they didn't reveal that part of history, people would ask how come only one child (Maram Selbe) resulted from that marriage? Kumba Ndoffene Famak's revenge for his daughter, after he had captured Abdou, in a way did ensure that, they would never be able to conceal that part of history as they have tried to do since the death of Maba.
The events at Fandane-Thiouthioune will send a terrifying shock wave not just to the Muslim Marabouts but also to the French who immediately sent a message to the British governor in The Gambia, that Maba is death. (Klein p. 46, 79). Maba the jihadist, whom they at several occasions assisted when it was in their interest and tried to get rid of unsuccessfully when it suited them would be killed by the "Pegan" people they despised in the land of Animist Sine. As for the Muslim Marabouts, it showed that Maba was not invisible. As the historian Pathé Diagné puts it:
- "Coumba Ndoffene crushed their rebellion. Maba DiakhouMaba Diakhou BâMaba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
, leader of the insurgent will be wiped out with his troops and buried without pomp in the heart of SineKingdom of SineThe Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
."
At the end of the Battle of Fandane-Tioutiougne, commonly known as the Battle of Somb, the victorious King of Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof nursed his injuries and led his brave warrior army back home. The griots of Sine beat the war drums (Jung-Jung
Jung-Jung
Jung-Jung is the name for the royal war drum of the Serer people in Senegal and Gambia. It was played on the way to battle as well as on special State occations.-See also :*Serer people...
), whose job as it has been for generations beyond memory—was to preserve and relay history. The following is the victorious anthem of Sine against the Muslim Jihadists (see also explanations):
| In Serer-Sine Language | In English |
|---|---|
Fap Hamad Joof Tandeh fo Kae O or Oleh hat Fandane Dala Ngot Bo fud es a buta Mbai a varan'am Sun ne'n Jahu Ye de bgara Me Somb a ndefu Yerer a Tutun Mbai Souka Ndella A raha O ndonga'nga Mbel Fandane eh Talaba a naga pitit pasar Ma Samba a humna Jahu dang O lol O ndongo sima Ya eh! Tig eh fuhuna Han O dal in eh Roog a taha Mbai, O Kor Nadi Vara ndongo yo! Yacine O! Mbombeh O! Kumba Ndoffene a var Maba O kor of eh Hoh um Tugal O! O bai um oleh Sedu Taf um Tangeget Sun neh na Jahu Dob Tonkater o mad. |
Father Hamad Joof, (A) Tandeh and Kaet, the devastation they left at Fandane and went to camp in Ngot. To calm and settle my stomach let Mbaye kill him. This bull of Jahu. (B) Coming back, he passed by Somb, he did not even have time to drink at Tioutiougne. Mbaye, son of Souka Ndella,(C) he pushed away the little talibeh (D) At the stream of Fandane, he! the drums beated loud Masamba is sealed, Jahu begins to cry The talibeh (E) leaves us in peace. He! My mother! There is no time for anger. But to laugh. It is Roog's will that "Mbaye", brother of Nadi, had killed the Marabou. He Yassin! He Mbombeh! Kumba Ndoffene has killed Maba Your husband! His head is in Europe! his hands at Sedhiou! Sédhiou Sédhiou is a town of Senegal, in Casamance area, nearby the Casamance river.-History:The main historical culture of Sédhiou came from the Mandinka people, but many population is localisate on the area nowadays.-Geography:... (F) His feet at Tëngéej (Rufisque Rufisque Rufisque is a city in the Dakar region of western Senegal, at the base of the Cap-Vert Peninsula. It has a population of 179,797 . In the past it was an important port city in its own right, but is now a suburb of Dakar.... )! The bull of Jahu Dob (G) Will never offend the King. |
Against the French
Maba Diakhou was the last thing on Kumba Ndoffene Famak's mind. He never was an enemy of Maba but in fact saw the French as the greater threat than Maba himself. Thus he directed all his efforts against the French until Maba started his jihads, which were encroaching on his Kingdom. It was then that Kumba Ndoffene Famak decided it was absolutely necessary to deal with the Islamic threat that had ravaged SaloumSaloum
The Kingdom of Saloum in Senegal is a traditional kingdom which was renamed Saloum in the late 15th century by the son of a Serer and a Guelowar from the kingdom of Kaabu to the south. The ancient and present capital of the Kingdom of Saloum is the city of Kahone. Previous to that, it was known...
few years earlier. Thus, Maba's jihads directed the King's focus away from the French. However after the Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune (Somb) and the death of Maba, Kumba Ndoffene "rekindled" old relationships with his greatest foes (the French).
Six years after Kumba Ndoffene's succession to the throne (May 1859), Faidherbe of France thought that they should no longer dance to the tunes of the Kings of Sine and decided that, all the treaties they previously had signed with the King and abided by which required them to pay taxes to the Crown just like anybody else, will be declared null and void and request a renegotiation of terms. (Klein p. 55 and C. Joof). In years to come, this policy laid by Faidherbe will be used by certain Kings against them.
In that year, having arrived in Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
with 200 tirailleurs (sharpshooters) and marines, he then invited the people of Gorée to join his cause. At Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, he gathered the Lebou people whom he told that they:
- "...were French, and that for this reason they had to take arms to join us and had to participate in the expedition that we were going to make against their neighbours to obtain reparation for wrongs those people had done to us."
After his arrest of the Damel of Cayor's (King of Cayor) representative in Rufisque
Rufisque
Rufisque is a city in the Dakar region of western Senegal, at the base of the Cap-Vert Peninsula. It has a population of 179,797 . In the past it was an important port city in its own right, but is now a suburb of Dakar....
, he gathered the population of Rufisque
Rufisque
Rufisque is a city in the Dakar region of western Senegal, at the base of the Cap-Vert Peninsula. It has a population of 179,797 . In the past it was an important port city in its own right, but is now a suburb of Dakar....
as well to help him fight his wars. When he finally arrived in Joal, in Sine, as the French were setting up their camp, the French patrol ran into the "Buumi" (heir apparent ) of Kumba Ndoffene Famak (Sanou Moon Faye) and some of his entourage. They defeated them. The French managed to hold two prisoners and sent one of them to the King of Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak to deliver to the King that, the French army would be in Fatick
Fatick
Fatick is a city in Senegal, located between M'bour and Kaolack. Its 2005 population was estimated at 24,243. It is the capital of Fatick Region....
in three days time and they would make peace or war with the King depending on whether or not the King granted them the reparation and concessions demanded.
On 18 March 1859, the French army finally arrived in Fatick. The King and his army, whom have been mobilised by the sounds of the "Jung-Jung" (War Drum), stood guard at Logandème. In a bitter battle against the French, the King and his army were defeated and the Sine Calvary retreated but only to come back and attempt two more charges. However, they couldn't destroy the French ranks and were ultimately defeated. (Klein p. 57, C. Diouf). Under the orders of Faidherbe, Fatick was burned to the ground.
Forced into an unfair treaty which included guaranteeing freedom of French commerce, allowing the French a monopoly of trade and giving the French traders the right to buy land and build in masonry (a strategic move to minimise the effects of revenge burning and demolition); the only tax would be a 3 percent export duty and French subjects to be tried in French courts (Klein p. 57, and C. Diouf). When the French government in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
had found out what Faidherbe had done, he was criticised for making a military campaign. To cover his back, he fabricated the facts and claimed that, he only:
- "occupied an area that belonged to France since 1669"
That was not the truth. The Kingdom of Sine and its provinces never belonged to France. As noted by Klein:
- "The invasion had clearly been planned to force a conflict that could be resolved on Faidherbe's terms. It resulted in the occupation of an area never ruled by the French."
Kumba Ndoffene Famak was not yet ready to relinquish his country to the French. The sovereignty of the Kingdom of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
has been preserved by his predecessors and more so by father of his predecessor the warlord Sandigui N'Diob Niokhobai Joof. On 8 July 1860, he wrote a letter to the Commandant of Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
in the following terms:
- "You want to take Fadioudj , Mbourdiam and Ndiouk by force! If you prevent me from having these three villages, we will kill all the Whites who come to our country…. If you take Diavalo (Joal), Fadioudj and Ndiouk, there will be a big war between us...."
In his desire to take back these villages and provinces, and continued to collect taxes from these areas, he stopped the herds of cattle that headed to Dakar, destroyed the peanut fields (a major income generator for the French) and destroyed the transportation infrastructure, before sending his sakh-sakh – ("tax collector" also a representative in a particular village) to collect taxes. The King of Saloum, whom have also gone through a similar event by the French, inspired by Kumba Ndoffene Famak's antics, did they same. By October 1863, he was still trying to get back these villages and particularly the province of Joal which was extremely important to Kumba Ndoffene Famak, because Joal was a major commercial centre as testified to by David Boilat in "Esquisses Sénégalaises".Thus not only did Joal contributed immensely in the country's revenue, it was also the gateway to the British in 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....
, whom the King was hoping he can purchase arms from in order to defend his Kingdom.
As such, before Maba started his jihads in the Kingdom of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
, the King was preoccupied with more urgent and important matters than Maba. However, the Muslim Marabouts were getting to close and they needed stopped.
After The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune, Kumba Ndoffene tried to raise more taxes in order to rebuild Diakhao
Diakhao Arrondissement
Diakhao Arrondissement is an arrondissement of the Fatick Department in the Fatick Region of Senegal.-Subdivisions:The arrondissement is divided administratively into rural communities and in turn into villages....
his capital—following Maba's men previous surprise attack at Mbin o Ngoor (Kerr Ngoor). Kumba Ndoffene applied his tax raising policy equally to all the provinces of Sine—and Joal was no exception. In fact, he had more problems in Joal than virtually any were else.
A "sakh-sakh" (tax collector) was set up in Fadial who was responsible for collecting taxes in the surrounding areas. The French subjects frightened, paid taxes twice: one to the Crown and the other to the French, and kept out of the wars.
Before Kumba Ndoffene decided to go to Joal to deal with the issue personally, he wrote several letters to the French administration re-emphasising his sovereignty over Joal. The following is a quote from one of his letters addressed to both the French administration in Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
and "Ndar" (Saint Louis):
- "The inhabitants, as you well know, are my subjects, as are the people of Joal. At a time when you were raising me above all of the Negro Kings, I plead with you to return these villages to me. I will name the chiefs myself." (Klein p. 105).
Although the French did not directly express to him a refusal to come to Joal, they did not want him there. Instead, they wanted him to go to Nioro du Rip
Nioro du Rip
Nioro du Rip is a city in the south-west of Sénégal, situated about to the south-west of Kaolack and is from the border with The Gambia.-History:...
, a former territory of Maba. After the battle of Fandane-Thioutioune (Somb), the French congratulated him on several occasions on his victory—hence "when you are raising me above all the Negro Kings". The province of Rip was under the control of the Marabouts—it was a predominantly Muslim area. The French with their dealings with the Marabouts—since the days of Maba have now totally destroyed any sense of decency left in that area. As a result, they lost control completely and were not willing to use their own forces there, but they wanted somebody else to do the job for them. Although the Rip problem was originally created by the French, Kumba Ndoffene offered to assist the French in that area (motivated by revenge), but this time, he wanted them to commit some forces in order to supplement the Sine forces instead of "staying on the sideline and watch". The French promised to do so. Again, not a single member of the French force was sent.
The following is quote from a letter from Governor François Xavier Valiére (9 May 1870) to the King emphasising the French's desire for the Sine army to enter Rip:
- I am in no way opposed to you entering Rip... everything that you can do against Rip would be good, and I will be pleased if you take booty and captives there. For me, the moment has not yet come to act in this country (Rip).
Assassination
The French were required to pay their taxes to the Crown albeit they tried to get out of it since the days of Faidherbe. French traders had to pay the "coubeul" (income tax paid by foreign traders) to the Crown. Kumba Ndoffene was willing to maintain a good but cautious relationship with the French. However, there is a line that the French will not cross:—"the independence of Sine and control over commercial activities within the King's borders" (Klein p. 106). The King re-emphasised that to the French on several occasions since the date of his accession to the throne.Kumba Ndoffene was getting inpatient about the French's unwillingness to resolve the Joal issue to his satisfaction. Indeed, this was testing his authority. Some of the qualities of a true Serer king are his ability to maintain stability and economic prosperity in his Kingdom but also to show strong leadership if the independence of his the Kingdom is threatened. As Klein puts it:
- "...a stability based partly on the leadership of a strong Bur (King)"
On 23 August 1871, Kumba Ndoffene Famak entered Joal to deal with the problem personally. It was a Wednesday. Wednesday was the day taxes were collected. He was assassinated by the French.
According to the French administration, they claimed they didn't do it. They lay the blame on a French trader called "Beccaria" whom they say has a "reputation as a troublemaker". According to them, it was Beccaria who "shot the Bur (King) and wounded him fatally".
It should be noted that, this account by the French administration, refers to a letter by the Commandant of Gorée
Gorée
Île de Gorée Île de Gorée Île de Gorée (i.e. "Gorée Island"; is one of the 19 communes d'arrondissement (i.e. "commune of arrondissement") of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is a island located at sea from the main harbor of Dakar ....
to the Governor of Senegal, marked: 24 August 1871 (ARS, 4 B, 48). Further it is alleged that, the successor of Kumba Ndoffene Famak (Maat Sine Sanou Moon Faye), who was indeed pursued by his nephew the future King of Sine Maat Sine Semou Mak Joof as well as the nobility of Sine especially led by Farba Mbar (who was the commander of his army), sought assistance from the French and is alleged to have paid out damages to the French to recompense French traders that were "terrorised and looted" including this so called "Beccaria" – the person the French administration claimed "killed Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof". This account refers to a letter the Governor of Senegal allegedly sent to the new King of Sine (Sanou Moon Faye) who succeeded Kumba Ndoffene Famak Marked: 27 October 1871 (ARS, 13, G 318); and Sanou Moon Faye's payments are documented in Bur Sine to Commandant of Goréé, received on 26 October 1871 (ARS, unclassified). (See Klein p. 106 and 249).
There does not appear to be any notable previous record of this so called "Beccaria" whom the French administration claimed has a "reputation as a troublemaker".
It is a general consensus held by the historians that, "Kumba Ndoffene entered Joal in order to demonstrate to the French –
- "he could be a valuable friend or a potent enemy" if the French threatens the sovereignty of his Kingdom.
Therefore, his assassination was more likely to have been an order from the top of the French administration.
The legacy of Kumba Ndoffene Famak
Kumba Ndoffene Famak defended the sovereignty of his Kingdom and the honour of his people in an era where he was forced to fight two external forces: the French and the Muslim Marabout MovementMarabout
A marabout is a Muslim religious leader and teacher in West Africa, and in the Maghreb. The marabout is often a scholar of the Qur'an, or religious teacher. Others may be wandering holy men who survive on alms, Sufi Murshids , or leaders of religious communities...
of Senegambia. In certain cases, he was forced to fight both enemies who had formed an alliance against his Animist Kingdom. Yet, guided by his strong belief in the Serer Religion
Serer religion
The Serer religion, Fat Rog is the original religious beliefs, practices and teachings of the Serer people. The Serer people believe in a universal Supreme Deity called "Rog. "The Serer people are found throughout the Senegambia Region...
and his strong believe in upholding the tradition of his ancestors as in the case of Fandane-Thiouthioune, he responded to the threats the only way he knew how – with courage and military brilliance.
He was a democratic ruler who always listened to the voice of his people.
He rarely made decisions without consulting his Jaraff—Wassaly Sene and the gathering of the people of Sine to the "Xoy" (Divinination Cerermony) where they voiced their opinions after the Saltigue
Saltigue
Saltigue are Serer High Priests and Priestesses who precide over the religious ceremonies and affairs of the Serer people. They usually come from ancient Serer paternal families. Such a title is usually inheritted by birth right.- Sources:Louis Diene Faye,...
(Diviners) consulted the supernatural world and predicted the possible outcomes in keeping with Serer
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
tradition.
He was a hospitable and generous man. When he gave an audience to the Muslim leader Tafsir Alhaji Omar Taal (also spelt: "El Hadj Umar Tall" ), Taal was so touched by the generosity of the King and the people of Sine that he ordered Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
to:
- "respect the ancient rites of the Serers and leave them to their Pangool (ancestral spirits and ancient Serer Saints). If they want to convert to Islam, he said, they will convert when they are ready."
Even in 1848, five years before the reign of Kumba Ndoffene Famak, he made another statement to his disciples in which he said:
- "the noble qualities are found in the Serer Countries, though they only lack Islam."
Although Alhaji Omar Taal was a fanatical Islamic jihadist himself, who practically destroyed the Animist Bambara
Bambara
The Bambara are a Mandé people living in west Africa, primarily in Mali but also in Guinea, Burkina Faso and Senegal. They are considered to be amongst the largest Mandé ethnic groups, and are the dominant Mandé group in Mali, with 80% of the population speaking the Bambara language, regardless of...
Kingdoms of Kaarta
Kaarta
Kaarta, or Ka'arta , was a short-lived Bambara kingdom in what is today the western half of Mali.As Bitòn Coulibaly tightened his control over Ségou, capital of his newly-founded Bambara Empire, a faction of Ségou Bambara dissatisfied with his rule fled west...
and Ségou
Ségou
Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, lying northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about from the present town...
, he never directly attacked the Serer people or their Kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
or Kingdom of Saloum. Maba however was in no mood for gentle persuasion. He wanted total Islamisation, wealth and power and he wanted it then and there. The victory of Kumba Ndoffene Famak at Fandane-Thioutioune was to ensure that Maba would never achieve his wish.
Maba was more interested in power and wealth than peacefully Islamizing people. Just like Taal, they had their own desire to amass wealth and build their own powerful empire and used Islam to do it. If Maba was a true martyr of Islam and was more interested in Islamisation of people than power and greed, Maba would not have signed the Nuimi Treaty with the British in The Gambia granting the people of Nuimi the right to a "Pagan" State. He did that for two reasons: he was encroaching on British territory and he could not afford to offend the British who provided him with arms. Further, the Kingdom of Saloum was very rich at the time (See David Boilat) compared to Nuimi. As such, not only did he not want to offend the British in 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....
, Saloum was more economically viable than Nuimi.
Even on the day when Maba and his men including Lat Jorr attacked Sine at Mbin o Ngoor, although the Laprade was not in Senegal but in Paris negotiating for more White troops, because the French government in Paris refused to send more troops – (they were dying from the wars also from disease), when he got back and was informed what just happened in Sine, his first reaction was:
- "Maba would be victorious if he accepts Kumba Ndoffene Famak's invitation to war."
As a result, he wanted to form a fresh start with Kumba Ndoffene Famak by promising to use his limited soldiers to help him defeat Maba. Kumba Ndoffene Famak of course didn't take him seriously. Laprade always wanted somebody else to do the job for him as in the case of Kaolack (see above). Besides, Laprade's hope of a White army from France was not forthcoming. The French Government in Paris was preoccupied with the political crisis going on in Europe and was not willing to fund troops to Senegal neither was it willing to fund weapons. As such, Paris wrote to him instructing him to "carefully avoid new complications" and to "remain on the defensive". At The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune 1867, he sat and watched and not a single member of his army joined the army of Sine. Neither the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
nor the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
armed the Kingdom of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
. Sine's victory was a victory created by the blood and sweet of the warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s of Sine and their King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
. In their desire to reduce the humiliation inflicted on them by the Warriors of Sine, certain Muslims claim that "the French armed the Sine". How could the French have armed the Sine, when they didn't even have enough for themselves and Paris was not willing to provide them supplies? In fact, after the battle, when Laprade came to offer his congratulations, Kumba Ndoffene Famak remarked:
- "Oh! You didn't come then."
Laprade's reaction that Maba would win if he goes to war against Kumba Ndoffene Famak was based on Sine's policy against Maba. As noted by Klein, for six years, Maba had avoided Kumba Ndoffene Famak and Kumba Ndoffene had not attacked Maba. Kumba Ndoffene also refused to be used as a pawn by the French against Maba. Had he allowed himself to be used by the French against Maba, Maba would have been killed long ago. Laprade mistook this for cowardice and assumed that, the King of Sine would not be able to defend his subjects against the Marabouts. That was a big mistake.
According to historians, Kumba Ndoffene Famak's policy towards Maba "was influenced by a combination of discretion and the strongly held believe that, the French were the greater enemy"(Klein p. 80). As such, most of his efforts were directed towards the French colonialists than to Maba or the Muslims. Where he took actions against the Muslim Marabouts, it was always to defend his Kingdom and his people from assault and Islamic Jihadism
Jihadism
Jihadism is a term to describe the renewed focus on armed jihad in radical Islamic fundamentalism....
. The same cannot be said for Maba and the Muslim Marabouts whose actions in the Mandinka
Mandinka
Mandinka, Mandika or Mandingo may refer to:*the Mandinka people of West Africa*the Mandinka language*Mandingo , a bestselling novel originally published in 1957*Mandingo , a 1975 film based on the novel of the same name...
Animist States of 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....
resulted in slave raiding
Slave raiding
Slave raiding is the military practise of performing a raid for the purpose of capturing people and bring them out of the raid area to serve as slaves. Sometimes seen as a normal part of warfare it is nowadays widely considered a crime. The practise of slave raiding is known to have occurred since...
, burning of villages and looting. As Klein puts it:
- "Ma Bâ destroyed and pillaged, burned villages, sold slaves and killed pagans...."
The King of Sine cannot be accused of such antics. He was far superior to Maba himself as demonstrated after the death Maba. When the French asked him what should we do with the body parts? He felt some sympathy for him and told them to give him to the Muslims so that they can bury him in a Muslim Cemetery.
The Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal
Muslim brotherhoods of Senegal
This is a list of Muslim groups in Senegal . They are active Muslim organizations that can also be found in many other parts of Africa and the Islamic world.The three largest are:...
who have tried for years to conceal the facts of history have also fabricated another account regarding the Battle of Fandane-Thioutioune.
They claim that, Maba was praying when he was killed. This is the kind of information they want to pass on in their attempt conceal the facts of history. In their attempt to make Maba a martyr, they kept fabricating the facts. Although there are various accounts deposited in the ARS (Archives de la République du Sénégal, Formerly the archives of the French West African Federation), this is the one that is revealed, quoted and requote.
Not only did Kumba Ndoffene Famak granted asylum to his relative—the King of Baol – Taign Chai Yassin Faal, who was driven out of Baol
Baol
The Kingdom of Baol or Bawol in central Senegal was one of the ancient kingdoms of the Serer people pre-the Jolof Empire, an Empire it would later join voluntarily just like the other States. However it gained prominence after the split-up of the Empire in 1555...
after The Battle of Pouri 1857. The Faal family and the Jobe family (to which Lat Jorr belonged) are blood relatives. They are also relatives of the royal family of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
, Saloum, Waalo
Waalo
The Kingdom of Waalo was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in West Africa, in what are now Senegal and Mauritania. It included parts of the valley proper and areas north and south, extending to the Atlantic Ocean...
and Jolof. One can therefore understand why the King of Sine would grant asylum to the King of Baol. Nonetheless, the young Damel-Taign Lat Jorr Ngoneh Latir Jobe who always referred to Kumba Ndoffene Famak as uncle will betray him as well as the Kingdom of Sine after what he had done at Kerr Ngoor as well as The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune
The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune
The Battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune , also known as "The Battle of Somb", occurred on 18th July 1867. It was a religious war between the Serer people against the Muslim Marabout of the 19th century in Senegal and The Gambia. Fandane-Thiouthioune was part of the old Serer Kingdom of Sine now part...
. Just as Kumba Ndoffene Famak and the people of Sine honoured El Hadj Umar Tall when he made a visit, Lat Jorr was given a special welcome at Diakhao
Diakhao Arrondissement
Diakhao Arrondissement is an arrondissement of the Fatick Department in the Fatick Region of Senegal.-Subdivisions:The arrondissement is divided administratively into rural communities and in turn into villages....
after his defeat and exile at Loro by the French.
Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof was an honourable man who always favoured nonviolence but can result to war if necessary. He always preached good dialogue for the sake of peace. Even in 1864 he signed a treaty with Faidherbe (of France), the Kings of Cayor, Boal, Saoloum, and Jolof prohibiting the use of war to deal with litigations.
Under his reign, the Kingdom of Sine was well structured—economically, socially, politically and legally.
In fact, it was during his reign that the Kingdom of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
became the first Senegambian Kingdom to have a proper:
National Anthem
"Fañ na NGORO Roga deb no kholoum O Fañ-in Fan-Fan ta tathiatia" (No one can do anything against his neighbour without the will of The Divine.)
Moto
Dial—fi—mayou to tiin (To serve and produce selflessly)
Flag
A white flag which not only represent peace, but in Serer mythology it is also the symbol of purity – (a pure heart and how you have lived your live in the living world). Those who lived a pure life in their life time are the ones who are immortalised as "Pangool" and venerated.
If one looks closely at all these, one sees the true qualities of Kumba Ndoffene Famak:
- 1. His strong belief in his Serer Religion as displayed at Fandane-Thiouthioune when he summoned his Councillors and Jaraff to perform the ancient rituals.
- 2. His generosity as commented on by El Hadj Umar Tall when the King gave him an audience.
- 3. His willingness to serve his people without aspiring for rewards. Indeed, this is the true Moto of the Joof Family of Sine as well as Saloum.
- 4. His love of peace as demonstrated in the treaty of 1864 with other Kings not to engage in war to deal with litigations. And last but not least, his desire to live a pure life in the living world in accordance with the Doctrines of the Serer Religion as displayed when he refused to allow the French to use him to get at Maba before Maba's and his men attacked his Kingdom and people.
Although the Serer Kingdom of Sine
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
and its sister Serer Kingdom (the Kingdom of Saloum) were two of few pre-colonial African Kingdoms that actually survived to the 20th century (1969) with their authority intact, it came at price.
Kumba Ndoffene Famak is still admired by the Serer people of Sine, Saloum and beyond. The Serer Griots still sings the Anthem of Fandane-Thioutioune (Somb) in his honour.
The conquest of Senegambia in the 19th century was mostly the doing of the Muslim Marabouts led by Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ
Maba Diakhou Bâ was a marabout from Rip, and a disciple of the Tijaniyya sufi brotherhood...
himself. He was far more willing to deal with the foreign invaders than the Animist States. Whilst Animist States tried to put up a resistance against the foreign invaders, instead of working with the Animists he rather worked with the invaders and tried to kill "pagans". It is true that some Animist kings were not honourable but Kumba Ndoffene Famak was not one of them. As I.D Thiam and C. Diouf puts it:
- "Maba Diakhou, the fighter of the faith died in the land of Sine without ever managing to Islamized the country deeply rooted in centuries old belief." The glorious epic of Islam in the land of Senegambia did not spread to "Ceddo" (Animist) Sine, who were determined to reject forever the religion that threatened the faith of their forefathers and to rule their lives in defiance of their customs. The Sine is an impregnable bastion of the anti-Islamic."
Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof died in the land of his ancestors. Not only did he managed to deal with the French in a way that ensures the safety of his people,but fought extremely hard in order to achieve that from the day of his coronation right up to his death. In a way, he managed to preserve the sovereignty of his Kingdom and the ancient Religion of Serer people
Serer people
The Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
, eradicating all "the germs of decay" that the French and Muslim Marabouts have planted in Holy Sine. He fought tirelessly to ensure the survival and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Sine. He respected custom and Serer Religion
Serer religion
The Serer religion, Fat Rog is the original religious beliefs, practices and teachings of the Serer people. The Serer people believe in a universal Supreme Deity called "Rog. "The Serer people are found throughout the Senegambia Region...
and used it to fight his enemies for the betterment of his people. It was after his death that the Kings of Sine succeeded each other one by one at an astounding rate. Indeed "he was a valiant warrior"and "a strong leader" whose succession to the throne went unchallenged during the 19th century.
See Also
- Coronation of Kumba Ndoffene Famak JoofCoronation of Kumba Ndoffene Famak JoofKumba Ndoffene Famak Joof Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof (see also: Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof - many variations as well as spellings: “Maad” or “Maat Siin Kumba Ndoffene Famak Joof”; “Mad a Sinig” ; “Maat Sine Coumba Ndoffène Fa mak Diouf” ; “Maat Sin Coumba...
- Serer peopleSerer peopleThe Serer people along with the Jola people are acknowledged to be the oldest inhabitants of The Senegambia....
- Kingdom of SineKingdom of SineThe Kingdom of Sine was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Much of the kingdom's population was and still is Serer.-History:...
- Kingdom of Saloum
- Kingdom of Baol
- SenegalSenegalSenegal , 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...
- The GambiaThe GambiaThe 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....