The ''mogho naba'' of Wogodogo is the ruler ("king of the world") of Wogodogo, one of the
Mossi Kingdoms
The Mossi Kingdoms, sometimes referred to as the Mossi Empire, were a group of powerful kingdoms in modern-day Burkina Faso which dominated the region of the upper Volta river for hundreds of years. The largest Mossi kingdoms was that of Ouagad ...
located in present-day
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to ...
. The kingdom takes its name from its historic capital, now the Burkinabe national capital of
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural, and economic centre of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 2,415,266 in 2019. The city's ...
. Although the most politically powerful of the Mossi Kingdoms, there was no Mossi "empire", and the Wogodogo king did not have authority over the other kingdoms. The French colonial period and subsequent independence have reduced the power vested in the position, but the ''mogho naba'' retains an influential role in Burkina Faso.
The position is typically hereditary, following male-only lines of descent. Originally, the position passed primarily to brothers (or even cousins), rather than to sons, but by the reign of Zombré had transitioned to its current
order of succession
An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.selecting the ''mogho naba'', and the
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
may be passed over if, for example, he is deemed physically unfit for the position's traditional role in war or if he would fail to uphold the dignity of the office (as in cases of
adultery
Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
). This council has traditionally included: the ''baloum naba'', head of the king's servants; the ''gounga naba'', leader of the infantry; the ''larale naba'', keeper of the royal tombs; the ''kamsaogo naba'', manager of the palace eunuchs; and the ''widi naba'', the royal groom.
Rulers of Wogodogo
The
chronology
Chronology (from Latin ''chronologia'', from Ancient Greek , ''chrónos'', "time"; and , ''-logia'') is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time. Consider, for example, the use of a timeline or sequence of events. I ...
of the Mossi Kingdoms prior to the French occupation is unclear. Historian Yamba Tiendrebeogo reconstructed the history of Wogodogo from Mossi
oral tradition
Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (1985) ...
that included the lengths of the reigns of historical rulers. Other scholars propose more recent dates for many pre-colonial events—setting the start of Oubri's reign around 1495 rather than 1182—and correspondingly shorter reigns for many rulers.
As mogho naba of Tenkodogo
The first Mossi Kingdom was centered around Tenkodogo. Wogodogo, initially a
client state
A client state, in international relations, is a state that is economically, politically, and/or militarily subordinate to another more powerful state (called the "controlling state"). A client state may variously be described as satellite state, ...
of Tenkodogo, gradually grew in power until it was the dominant political power in the Mossi Kingdoms; nevertheless, the rulers of Tenkodogo prior to the formation of Wogodogo are counted as kings of Wogodogo by tradition.
As mogho naba of Oubritenga
The first capital of Oubritenga ("Oubri's land") was Guilongou, near modern-day
Ziniaré
Ziniaré is a town located in the province of Oubritenga in Burkina Faso. It is the capital of Oubritenga Province and Plateau-Central Region
Plateau-Central is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. It was created on 2 July 2001 and ...
, but typically moved to a village preferred by each new king upon his accession.
As mogho naba of Wogodogo
Naba Zombré relocated the capital to Wogodogo (
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural, and economic centre of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 2,415,266 in 2019. The city's ...
).
Scope of power
According to Titinga Frédéric Pacéré, in tradition, he is considered all powerful with right of life and death on the inhabitants of Wogodogo and Oubritenga. In practice, his power was subject to the custom and law of the fathers. He personifies the empire and embodies its unity, but power is really in the hands of the court of the ''mogho naba'', ministers who make decisions and govern the country. This complex organisation of powers is materialised every Friday during the ceremony of the false departure of the king.
The ''mogho naba'' has no authority over the other kingdoms of
Tenkodogo
Tenkodogo is the capital city of Boulgou Province and the Centre-Est Region of Burkina Faso with a population of 61,936 (2019).
Economy
The villages surrounding Tenkodogo are primarily based around animal husbandry.
The main market takes place e ...
,
Fada N'Gourma
Fada N'gourma, also written Fada-Ngourma or Noungu, is a city and an important market town in eastern Burkina Faso, lying east of Ouagadougou, in the Gourmantché area. It is the capital of the East region and of Gourma province. It is known fo ...
Ouahigouya
Ouahigouya is a town in northern Burkina Faso. It is the capital of the Yatenga Province and one of its subdivisions the Ouahigouya Department. It is also the biggest town in the Nord Region. It is the fourth largest city in the country with a ...
, whose sovereigns would be, like him, descendants of
Yennenga
Yennenga was a legendary princess, considered the mother of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso. She was a famous warrior precious for her father, Naa Gbewaa or Nedega, the founder of the kingdom of Dagbon, now in present day Ghana. But the princess ...
. Traditionally, the rulers of these four kingdoms and the ''mogho naba'' avoid each other, but they happen to meet, such as happened in 1946 to consult on the reconstruction of the Upper Volta.Lassina Simporé, « La métallurgie traditionnelle du fer et la fondation du royaume de Wogdogo» dans ''Crossroads / Carrefour Sahel: Cultural and technological developments in first millennium BC/AD West Africa, Africa Magna Verlag, 2009, p.251, note 3 '