Kingdom of Sine — the Serer heartland

~1350 – 1969 · Fatick

Around 1350, a noble from Kaabu — the Mandinka empire of present-day Guinea-Bissau — settled in the Saloum and founded the Kingdom of Sine. His name was Maysa Wali Manneh, and his lineage, the Guelwar, would rule this land for over six centuries. The people of Sine, the Serer, defended their faith, traditions and independence — against the Jolof Empire in the 16th century, against Islamic pressures in the 19th. Their capital, Diakhao, radiated power and culture. The last king of Sine, Mahecor Diouf, died in 1969 — and the memory of Sine still lives in Serer pride.

Sources

• Le Soleil — le royaume du Sine
• Persée — M. Klein, Islam and Imperialism in Senegal : Sine-Saloum (compte rendu, 1968)
• Cairn — Monarchies et royautés, ch. VII « Royautés d’ethnies et de provinces »
• Persée — J. Boulègue, Les anciens royaumes wolof : le Grand Jolof (compte rendu, 1990)
• Ch. Cros, Le pays de Sine-Saloum (Sénégal) : l’histoire et la légende

Kingdom fact sheet : Le royaume du Sine.

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