Kombo was a kingdom and later a chieftaincy in

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 ...

during the colonial period. Kombo was part of the

Mali Empire The Mali Empire ( Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or Manden; ar, مالي, Māl ...

and gained independence after its fall, and was then ruled by the

Sambou Sambou is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: People with the surname *Bassala Sambou (born 1997), English footballer *Djibril Sambou, Senegalese judoka *Emil Sambou (born 1994), Gambian footballer *Gregory Sambou ...

Bainunka clan. Mansa Karapha Yalli Jatta became the first King of Kombo, after seeking help from the then independent

Kaabu Empire The Kaabu Empire (1537–1867), also written Gabu, Ngabou, and N'Gabu, was an empire in the Senegambia region centered within modern northeastern Guinea-Bissau, larger parts of today's Gambia; extending into Koussanar, Koumpentoum, region ...

to establish the Kingdom of Kombo, he married the daughter of the

Bainuk The Bainuk people (also called Banyuk, Banun, Banyun, Bainouk, Bainunk, Banyum, Bagnoun, Banhum, Banyung, Ñuñ, Elomay, or Elunay) are an ethnic group that today lives primarily in Senegal as well as in parts of Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Histo ...

Queen Wullending Jasseh of Sanyang who sits at

Gunjur Gunjur is a small coastal town in south-western Gambia. It is located in Kombo South District in the Western Division. As of 2009, it has an estimated population of 17,520. Climate Gunjur has a tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna cli ...

and took her to Busumbala. Mansa Karapha Yalli Jatta was from the Jatta (

Lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

) clan who claim ancestry from

Sundiata Keita Sundiata Keita ( Mandinka, Malinke: ; 1217 – c. 1255) (also known as Manding Diara, Lion of Mali, Sogolon Djata, son of Sogolon, Nare Maghan and Sogo Sogo Simbon Salaba) was a prince and founder of the Mali Empire. He is also the great-uncle ...

the first Emperor of the

. Kombo was ruled by two families, the

Jatta Jatta or Jåttå is a surname and clan name. The surname originated from Prince Karapha Yalli Jatta son of Mansa Ali Djata Keita son of Mari Djata I establisher of the Mali Empire. Notable people with the surname include: *Antonio Jatta (1852– ...

(Djatta) and Bojang (Bodian) clans, when one clan becomes Mansa, the other clan gets to choose the crown prince from their own clan and vice versa. From 1840-1855 Mansa

Suling Jatta Suling Jatta (died 24 June 1855) was a Mandinka and jola of King of Kombo during the mid-nineteenth century. Jatta was persuaded to cede a portion of his territory called Kombo North/Saint Mary to the British in 1840 for African-American freed ...

was the King of Kombo, he was killed in the Soninke-Marabout war, and most of the

clan moved to other regions.

History

There are relatively few mentions of Kombo in early Western literature on the Gambia, owing primarily to the fact that European visitors primarily visited the northern ports. In 1621, as English explorer Richard Jobson was about to leave the Gambia, he recorded that he met the King of Kombo, who welcomed him to the country. Portuguese explorer André Donelha wrote in 1625 that Kombo "produces much rice and is very beautiful." Another Portuguese explorer, Francisco de Lemos Coelho, wrote in 1688 that the King of Kombo was a Falupo, a general term meaning a Jola living near Casamance and that his village was the largest anywhere on the river. Coelho further wrote that Kombo had "much wax and rice" and that the King and his people were Pagan. In reality, he was a Mandinka while his mother was a Jola and he was a Muslim who probably was not very religious to attract European tourists and traders as many Muslims do today. The Masquerade

Kumpo The Kumpo, the ''Samay'', and the ''Niasse'' are three traditional figures in the mythology of the Diola people in the Casamance (Senegal) and in Gambia. Multiple times in the course of the year, i.e. during the ''Journées culturelles'', a folk ...

is named after Kombo. An early map of the Gambia by the Courlanders in 1651 shows that they believed Kombo was an island. The Vermuyden map of 1661 and Leach's map of 1732 did not make this same error. Leach's map shows a number of locations, including Mansakunda (the King's town), a Muslim town to the east of the kingdom called Morakunda, and Kabata town. Francis Moore wrote in 1730 that the territory of Kombo spanned approximately 30 miles from Cape St. Mary's to the Kabata River.Gamble, pp. 9–10 There were originally seven villages of Kombo. namely Busumbala, Brikama, Yundum, Jamburu, Kafuta, Sanyang and Manduar.Kea, p. 70

King of Kombo

The King of Kombo was known as 'Mansa'.

List of Kings of Kombo

References

Bibliography

* Hughes, Arnold and Perfect, David. (2008). ''Historical Dictionary of The Gambia''. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. * Kea, Pamela J. (2010). ''Land, Labour and Entrustment: West African Female Farmers and the Politics of Difference.'' Boston: Brill. * Gamble, David P. (2006). ''The South Bank of the Gambia: Places, People, and Population''. Brisbane. {{Precolonial Gambian Kingdoms Precolonial kingdoms of the Gambia