Njembot Mbodj (or Njembot Mbooj or Njëmbët Mbooj, variations: Ndjeumbeut Mbodj or ''Djembet Mbodj'', c. 1800 – 1846 or 1811—1846) was a Lingeer (Queen) of Waalo, a Senegambian precolonial kingdom which is now part of present-day Senegal. Njembot Mbodj became ruler at an early age, after the deaths of her parents. She soon proved herself an able leader despite her youth; in this, she was aided by her personality, which has been described as being both assertive and brave. In 1831 she got her uncle, Fara Penda Adam Sall Mbodj, elected as ''brak'' to replace her cousin Yerim Bagnik Teg Rela Mbodj. After the withdrawal of the French, the

Trarza Trarza ( ar, ولاية الترارزة) is a region in southwest Mauritania. Its capital is Rosso. Other major cities and towns include Mederdra and Boutilimit. Trarza borders the regions of Inchiri and Adrar to the north, Brakna to the east, an ...

invaded Waalo in an attempt to destabilize the kingdom. Njembot Mbodj arranged for herself a marriage with the leader of the Trarza, Mohammed el-Habib (with whom she had a son called Ely Ndjeumbeut el-Habib Akyeampong, Emmanuel Kwaku; Gates, Henry Louis; Niven, Steven J.; (Editors: Emmanuel Kwaku Akyeampong, Henry Louis Gates), ''Dictionary of African Biography, Volumes 1-6'', OUP, USA, (2012), p. 162

/ref>), which united the two kingdoms and made it easier for them to oppose French interests. Forced to flee to Cayor, Kayor by the invading French, she was later able to return home and to contain the power struggle in Waalo. In 1840, at the death of the '' brak'', she managed to engineer the election of

Malick Mbodj Malik, Maleek, Malek or Malyk (Arabic: مَالِك or مَلِك) (Urdu & (Persian): مالک) () is a given name of Arabic origin. It is both used as first name and surname mainly in several Muslim countries and communities. Several Semitic l ...

as replacement. Njembot Mbodj herself died in 1846, and was succeeded by her sister Ndate Yalla Mbodj.Barsi, Monica; Preda, Alessandra; ''Le Cantique des cantiques dans les lettres françaises: Convegno internazionale di studi – Gargnano Palazzo Feltrinelli – 24-27 giugno 2015'', LED Edizioni Universitarie (2016), p. 326,

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References

{{authority control 1800s births Year of birth uncertain 1846 deaths 19th-century rulers in Africa Lingeer Senegalese royalty Serer royalty Wolof people Fula people Gambian royalty Mauritanian royalty