Boukar Djillakh Faye
[ Diouf, Niokhobaye, "Chronique du royaume du Sine", p 705-6 (pp 4-5)] (
Serer proper : Bugar Jilaak Fay, other variations : ''Bougar Birame Faye''
or ''Bugar Biram Fay'') was a 14th-century
Serer wrestler (
njom) from the
post-classical
In world history, post-classical history refers to the period from about 500 AD to 1500, roughly corresponding to the European Middle Ages. The period is characterized by the expansion of civilizations geographically and development of trade n ...
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine (also: ''Sin, Siine'' or Siin in the Serer-Sine language) was a post-classical Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. The inhabitants are called ''Siin-Siin'' or ''Sine-Sine'' (a Se ...
which lies within present-day
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤠ðž ...
.
Life
Originally from Djillakh (Dieghem, in the Sine), he was given the niece of
Maysa Wali in marriage after demonstrating his prowess in the wrestling arena.
According to oral tradition Maysa Wali, later a
Maad a Sinig
Maad a Sinig (variations : Mad a Sinig, 'Maad Sine, Maat Sine, Bour Sine, Bur Sine, etc.) means king of Sine. The ancient Kingdom of Sine, now part of Senegal, was a pre-colonial Serer kingdom . Their kings were titled ''Maad'' or ''Maad'' (also ...
(king of Sine), was the first member of the
Guelowar Dynasty to rule in Sine after his family's defeat by the Ñaancos at the so-called Battle of Troubang in 1335. In reporting this tradition,
Henry Gravrand
Father Henry Gravrand (France, 1921 - Abbey of Latrun, Palestine, 11 July 2003) was a French Catholic missionary to Africa and an anthropologist who has written extensively on Serer religion and culture. He was one of the leading pioneers of inte ...
did not notice that this is actually a description of the 1867 (or 1865)
Battle of Kansala
The Battle of Kansala or ''Final Battle'' (Mandinka: ''Turban Keloo'') or ''Siege of Kansala'' was a military engagement between forces of the Kaabu Empire and the Imamate of Futa Jallon. The battle ended Mandinka hegemony over Africa’s Atlantic ...
.
[ Sarr, Alioune, ''Histoire du Sine-Saloum (Sénégal)'' Introduction, bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker. 1986-87, p 19] Boukar Djillakh Faye is linked to early Guelowar dynastic history in
Senegambia
The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...
(Senegal and
Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
) as well as
Serer medieval and
dynastic
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...
history.
His marriage to
Lingeer
Lingeer (also: ''Linger'' or Linguère) was the title given to the mother or sister of a king in the Serer kingdoms of Sine, Saloum, and previously the Kingdom of Baol; and the Wolof kingdoms of Cayor, Jolof, Baol and Waalo in pre-colonial Sene ...
Tening Jom
provided many
heirs
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officially ...
to the throne of Sine, including his sons Tasse Faye and Waagaan Tening Jom Faye, who all succeeded to the throne of Sine as ''Maad a Sinigs'' and established the Faye dynasty in Sine.
Other sources suggest that he was married to Lingeer Siin o Mew Manneh (sister of Maysa Wali, whom the Kingdom of Sine was named after
following its renaming in the 14th century), not Tening Jom, and it is from that marriage the Faye dynasty of Sine derived from.
[ Sarr, Alioune, Histoire du Sine-Saloum (]Sénégal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤠ðž ...
), Introduction, bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker. Version légèrement remaniée par rapport à celle qui est parue en 1986-87, p 21[ ]Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire
IFAN (I.F.A.N., Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire or Fundamental Institute of Black Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, ...
, "Bulletin: Sciences humaines, Volume 34", IFAN (1972), p 748 However, the general consensus is that the former narrative provided in Niokhobaye Diouf's ''Chronique du royaume du Sine'' - regarding Boukar Djillakh's marriage to Tening Jom, their children and descendants is much richer and probably more historically accurate albeit the disputed dates of reign for the earlier ''Maad a Sinigs'', unlike
Alioune Sarr
Alioune Sarr (September 1, 1908 – July 12, 2001 ) was a Senegalese historian, author and politician whose family gained prominence in the Serer precolonial Kingdom of Sine and Saloum around the 14th century. They also made up the ''"sulba ...
's ''Histoire du Sine-Saloum'', whose dates are the prevailing view.
[ Gravrand, Henry, "La civilisation Sereer - ''Cosaan", p 260] The variations between the historical narratives are however minute.
Legacy
In all narratives, Boukar Djillakh Faye is regarded as one of the
patriarch
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...
s of the
Faye family
The patronym Faye (Serer language, Serer: Fay) is one of the :Serer surnames, typical surnames of the Serer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania. In French-speaking Senegal and Mauritania, and English-speaking Gambia, the surname is spell ...
, the father and direct ancestor of all the members of Faye patrilineage that ruled in Sine from the 14th to the 19th century.
As one of the
Senegambian royal families, many of
his descendants went on to shape
Senegambian history during these periods.
[Klein, pp 106-9]
See also
*
Lamane Jegan Joof
Lamane Jegan Joof (English spelling in the Gambia, Lamane Djigan Diouf French spelling in Senegal, also : Ndigan Dieye Diouf, Djigan Diouf, Laman Jegaan Juuf or Jegaan Jaay Juuf in Serer language), was a Serer lamane who according to Serer tra ...
*
Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof
Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof ( Serer : Maad Ndaah Njeeme Juuf or ''Mad Ndaah Njeeme Juuf'') is one of the patriarchs of the Joof family, himself the medieval King of Laah (or ''Lâ'') in Baol now part of independent Senegal. ''La famille Juuf'' n« L ...
*
Index of Serer patriarchs
*
Index of Serer matriarchs
*
Senegalese wrestling
Senegalese wrestling (''Njom'' in Serer, ''Lutte sénégalaise'' or simply ''Lutte avec frappe'' in French, ''Laamb'' in Wolof, ''Siɲɛta'' in Bambara) is a type of folk wrestling traditionally performed by the Serer people and now a nation ...
References
Bibliography
*Diouf, Niokhobaye. "Chronique du royaume du Sine", Suivie de notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin. (1972). Bulletin de l'Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, Tome 34, Série B, n° 4, (1972)
*
Sarr, Alioune,
Histoire du Sine-Saloum (
Sénégal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤠ðž ...
), Introduction, bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker. Version légèrement remaniée par rapport à celle qui est parue en 1986-87
*Buschinger, Danielle, "Van den vos Reynaerde: mittelniederländisch - neuhochdeutsch", (Editor & translator : Jan Willem Kloos), Presses du Centre d'Etudes médiévales
Université de Picardie
The University of Picardy Jules Verne (French: ''Université de Picardie Jules Verne''; UPJV) is a public university located in the former Picardy region of France (now part of Hauts-de-France).
It consists of several campuses located in the t ...
(1992),
*Klein, Martin A., "Islam and Imperialism in Senegal,
Sine-Saloum
Sine-Saloum is a region in Senegal located north of the Gambia and south of the Petite Côte. It encompasses an area of 24,000 square kilometers, about 12% of Senegal, with a population in the 1990s of 1,060,000.
The western portion contains the ...
, 1847 - 1914",
Edinburgh University Press
Edinburgh University Press is a scholarly publisher of academic books and journals, based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
History
Edinburgh University Press was founded in the 1940s and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Edinburgh ...
,
*
Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire
IFAN (I.F.A.N., Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire or Fundamental Institute of Black Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, ...
, Bulletin: Sciences humaines, Volume 34", IFAN (1972)
*
Gravrand, Henry, "La civilisation Sereer - Cosaan",
*Martin, V.; Becker, C. & Mbodj, M., "Trois documents d’Ernest Noirot sur l’histoire des royaumes du Siin et du Saalum" (Sénégal), Bull. IFAN, 42, B, 1 (1980)
{{Serer topics, state=collapsed
Serer royalty
Faye dynasty
Serer patriarchs
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown