Maba Diakhou Bâ
Almamy of Rip (1809 – 1867)
Family : Place of birth : Tavacaltou (Rip) ; Date of birth : 1809 ; Mother : Diakhou Dieye (of Serer origin, from the Jolof) ; Father : Ndiogou Bâ (marabout from the Fouta Toro)
Education : Qur’anic education in Cayor (Mbakhol), then in the Jolof, where he founded a school. He met El Hadj Oumar Tall at Kabakoto in 1846.
Action : Almamy of the Rip, he had several tatas (fortifications) built and renamed Paos-Dimar as Nioro du Rip, in honour of El Hadj Oumar Tall. Lat Dior joined him, converted to Islam and became his lieutenant. In 1861 he conquered the Badibou, renamed Rip, and made Nioro du Rip his capital. The Rip, the former Badibou renamed after the conquest of 1861, is the state he ruled as almamy, with Nioro du Rip as its capital.
Trials : Between 1861 and 1867 he fought several neighbouring kingdoms and the French army.
Spiritual legacy : He was called back to God in July 1867, during the battle of Fandane-Thiouthioune, and rests near the village of Fandène. His mausoleum is now on the list of classified historic sites and monuments.
Sources
- Persée — Vincent Monteil, « Lat Dior, Damel du Kayor, et l'islamisation des Wolofs » (1963, couvre aussi Maba Diakhou)
- Persée — M. Klein, Islam and Imperialism in Senegal : Sine-Saloum, 1847-1914 (compte rendu, 1968)
- Persée — M. A. Klein, Islam and Imperialism in Senegal (compte rendu, 1973)
- K. S. Keita, Maba Diakhou Ba dans le Rip-Saloum (1861-1867)
- Wikipédia — Maba Diakhou Bâ