The ''mogho naba'' of Wogodogo is the ruler ("king of the world") of Wogodogo, one of the
Mossi Kingdoms located in present-day
Burkina Faso. The kingdom takes its name from its historic capital, now the Burkinabe national capital of
Ouagadougou. 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
Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic inform ...
, 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, where rule generally passes to the eldest living son of the previous ruler. Children born to sons who predecease their fathers are not eligible to inherit the title. However, a tribal council is ultimately responsible for
selecting the ''mogho naba'', and the
heir apparent 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). 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
A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function.
The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...
; and the ''widi naba'', the royal
groom
A bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married or who is newlywed.
When marrying, the bridegroom's future spouse (if female) is usually referred to as the bride. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man an ...
.
Rulers of Wogodogo
The
chronology of the Mossi Kingdoms prior to the French occupation is unclear. Historian Yamba Tiendrebeogo reconstructed the history of Wogodogo from Mossi
oral tradition 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 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
Oubritenga is one of the 45 provinces of Burkina Faso, located in its Plateau-Central Region.
Its capital is Ziniaré.
Departments
Oubritenga is divided into 7 departments:
* Absouya
* Dapélogo
* Loumbila
* Nagréongo
* Ourgou-Manèga
* Z ...
("Oubri's land") was Guilongou, near modern-day
Ziniaré, 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).
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,
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 ...
,
Boussouma
Boussouma is a town in the Boussouma Department of Sanmatenga Province in northern-central Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of ...
and
Ouahigouya, 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
'
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
* {{cite book , last1=Rupley , first1=Lawrence , last2=Bangali , first2=Lamissa , last3=Diamitani , first3=Boureima , title=Historical Dictionary of Burkina Faso , edition=Third , publisher=Scarecrow Press , year=2013 , isbn=978-0-8108-6770-3
Burkina Faso-related lists
French West Africa
Lists of African rulers