Thierno Aliou Bhoubha Ndian (Thierno Aliou Bah; c. 1850 in
Donghol – 23 March 1927 at
Labé
Labé ( Pular 𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞤪:𞤂𞤢𞤦𞤫) is the main city and administrative capital of the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea. It has a population of about 200,000. It is the second largest city in the country after the capital Conakry ...
)
[ ] was an important
Fula
Fula may refer to:
*Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe)
*Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani)
**The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language
**The Fula variety known as the Pular language
**The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde
*Al-Fula ...
author, Muslim theologian and politician in
Fouta-Djalon,
French West Africa
French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...
.
Biography
Ancestry
Thierno Aliou was descended from Ali Kali Doukouré. Ali Kali was originally a
Fulani
The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...
from the clan of Bah or Ourourbhe. However, he adopted the name Doukoure from the
Sarakolle Chief who hosted him in Diafouna. When his grandson, Thierno Malal moved from Diafouna (modern
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
), he settled in Koin near a mountain, he named it Diafouna and also changed his last name back to Bah, his ancestor's original clan name.
Later he moved on to
Labé
Labé ( Pular 𞤆𞤵𞤤𞤢𞤪:𞤂𞤢𞤦𞤫) is the main city and administrative capital of the Fouta Djallon region of Guinea. It has a population of about 200,000. It is the second largest city in the country after the capital Conakry ...
and met
Karamoko Alpha at Dimbin who offered him presents and an estate for his family, but he was content with a small plot for his grave which he dug himself. Astonished by such great virtue, Karamoko Alpha named him Imam Ratib - a title inherited by his son Thierno Abdourrahman, who served Karamoko Alpha in his new palace at Missidé Hindé (which was later left to the family of Modi Younoussa, great grandfather of
Thierno Diawo Pellel) and died there.
Eventually, after Karamoko Alpha had settled definitively at Labé, he sent for the two children of Thierno Malal and the seven sons of Thierno Abdourrahman. He died ten years later, but the
Imamate
{{expand Arabic, date=April 2021
The term imamate or ''imamah'' ( ar, إمامة, ''imāmah'') means "leadership" and refers to the office of an ''imam'' or a state ruled by an ''imam''.
Theology
*Imamate, in Sunni doctrine the caliphate
:* Naqshb ...
he had conferred continued to be inherited in the family of Thierno Malal, passing to Thierno Mamadou Bano, Thierno Mamadou and then to Thierno Aliou.
Education
Thierno Aliou studied the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
under his father Thierno Mamadou; he completed his secondary and tertiary studies in the school of three great scholars of the time: his uncle Thierno Abdoulaye Ndouyêdio, Thierno Boubacar Poti Séléyanké of Dimbin and Thierno Abdourrahmane Kaldouyanké of Sombili (also called Thierno Doura).
He pursued the traditional subjects of the Islamic education (
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
,
Arabic language
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
,
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
, grammar, etc.). He mastered
Arabic literature
Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...
, which allowed him to write a number of works in this language and to serve as an interpreter for the Chiefs of Labé whenever they had Arab guests.
Period at Bhoubha Ndian
His last teacher (Thierno Doura) chose him over all the scholars of Fouta to translate a letter sent by the Arab chiefs of
Alamamy; he thereby became known beyond the borders of Fouta and Guinea.
Alpha Ibrahima chose him as counselor for religious affairs; his son Alpha Yaya retained him as a confidant.
Thierno Aliou gained an estate 30 km from Labé after his uncle Thierno Abdourrahmane Talibé married one of his daughters to him and offered as a dowry all his various properties in the country (livestock, lands, crops, etc.). He then took the name Thierno Aliou Bhoubha Ndian. He remained at Bhouba Ndian for 24 years, dispensing justice, receiving students from all the communities of Fouta, especially the children of chiefs and nobles. He had only income from his fields and his commercial transactions to support the needs of his family and students, redistributing any gifts given to him.
Period at Madina
He moved to Madina, 75 km from Labé in 1898. There he encountered his uncle Modi Mamadou Samba, who married one of his daughters to him. He was named chief of the Ourourbhé (Bah, Baldé) of Dowsaré Labé,
Kolia, Manda Saran, Soumma, Fétoyambi and Woundoudi. He built a mosque there and made it his place of spiritual retreat.
During the French colonisation of Guinea he became the principal judge of Labé, but he was replaced by his eldest son Thierno Siradiou in 1914.
After the administrative reform of 1912 he was named chief of the canton of Donghora - a role which he accepted without enthusiasm at the insistence of his friends and supporters who feared he would experience the repression which had befallen other scholars in Fouta.
He reigned four years and was obliged to abdicate in 1916. However, he continued with his cultural and religious activities, including a presentation at a conference of African scholars organised at
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
by the
Governor General of French West Africa.
Thierno Aliou died on 23 March 1927 at the age of 80. He is buried in a plot near the great mosque which is currently directed by his son Thierno Abdourrahmane, his two grandsons El Hadj Ibrahima Caba and El Hadj Mamadou Badr, and El Hadj Aliou Teli Laria the grandson of his friend
Thierno Mahmoudou Laria who was also Imam of the mosque of Labé.
Thierno Aliou left behind numerous children:
Thierno Siradiou, Karamoko Bano, Thierno Lamine, Thierno Mamadou, Thierno Abdoulaye, Karamoko Chaikou, Thierno Habib, Thierno Abdourrahmane, Aguibou Oubaidoullahi Dai, Assiatou, Oussoumâni, Mariama Sira, Barratou Djiwo, Fatimatou Souadou, Diaraye, Kadiatou and Aissatou.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aliou, Thierno
Guinean politicians
1850s births
1937 deaths
Guinean judges
Guinean theologians
Guinean Muslims
20th-century Muslim theologians
Fula people
19th-century Muslim theologians