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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 00:27:19
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I have always had doubt if the Chiefs were traditional gambian institutions. I want to suspect they came with colonialism. What are your thoughts.
This is another area of research for me.
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Momodou
Denmark
11645 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 00:42:10
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Chiefs and the districts in The Gambia came as a result of colonialism. They were created by the colonialists to help them to impose their rule on the people they could not reach directly. They were to run the affairs of districts to ensure respect for the colonial order.
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 00:45:51
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| Secondly, contrary to beliefs, i dont think the chiefs had any claim to any royal lineage pr-colonial times. So the notion of MANSA is quite inappropiate. |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 11:02:27
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| Is this topic about the history of Chiefs in The Gambia or is it turning a little tribal? Is it not a good idea to have someone who is "in charge" of a district or not? I for one would like to know the history of how chiefs came about?,and were there Kings in the Gambia? |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11645 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 13:11:03
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Toubab, there was no land area called Gambia or Senegal before the partitioning of Africa. There were kings but much less in number than the current chiefs we have today and their kingdoms extended into both todays Gambia and Senegal.
In 1902, the Protectorate Ordinance or law divided the Gambia into districts and divisions. The commissioners had full control of divisions and chiefs and headmen were to abide by their decisions. The chiefs were to run the affairs of districts to ensure respect for the colonial order. They were appointed by the Governor and could be removed. The headmen of villages could also be removed by the chief and his advisers. Chiefs were no longer kings but subjects of the British Crown. Kings existed in the past but chiefs were created by the colonialists to help them to impose their rule on the people they could not reach directly. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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kiwi
Sweden
661 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 14:44:26
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| Thanks for this interesting statement of the facts as I always believed that chiefs and headmens were an African tradition. |
kiwi |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 19:29:11
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quote:
Originally posted by kiwi
Thanks for this interesting statement of the facts as I always believed that chiefs and headmens were an African tradition.
The headmen are traditionally Gambian. However, the chiefs in the Gambia and are colonial institutions. They are not entitled in the traditional sense to be calle MANSA OR BURR or LAAMDO.
This is partly what led to the massacre of two colonial commissioners and some policemen(about four ibelieve) at the Battle of Sakandi when the traditional rulers were denied their positions and the office of chief went to some other family. Their epitaphs are in the grounds of the Anglican Church just by the entrance of Maccarthy Square). |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 21:31:41
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Can anyone explain in more detail what existed before colonial times? How was the area divided and organised?
I am aware that even today there is sometimes an imposition of a chief that is a government man rather than the villagers preferred person. So the Gambian government is continuing to use the system as a means of control. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 21:48:15
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quote:
Originally posted by gambiabev
Can anyone explain in more detail what existed before colonial times? How was the area divided and organised?
I am aware that even today there is sometimes an imposition of a chief that is a government man rather than the villagers preferred person. So the Gambian government is continuing to use the system as a means of control.
When children live with condemnation, they grow up to hate. We are who manages us. Post independent africa did not change. We continued the colonial principle of divide and rule and entrenched patronage.
Did you know that Citizen FM Radio was closed based on a colonial ordinance called the Telegraph Act of 1913 which is very outdated and contains fines in pounds and shillings when we now use the Dalasi. Educated Africans kept such legislations to continue to deprive their people of hope. |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 22:16:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Momodou
Toubab, there was no land area called Gambia or Senegal before the partitioning of Africa.
That makes things a great deal clearer for me,thank you, as there was no Gambia or Senegal do you know what the land wascalled before or was there no name and people just knew where they were from and what tribe they belonged to. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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kiwi
Sweden
661 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 23:08:03
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| What is the distinction between chief and headman and what are the local names? Which one is alkaali, if any? |
kiwi |
Edited by - kiwi on 12 Jun 2007 23:09:07 |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 23:17:09
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quote:
Originally posted by kiwi
What is the distinction between chief and headman and what are the local names? Which one is alkaali, if any?
Headman is the village head or locally Alkaali(Wolof) Alkalo(mandinka), Jarrga( Fulani. The Alkaali is just like a mayor in the west. The chief oversees a collection of Villages called a District or like a Canton(France),County(Liberia), or borough (UK). It does not depend on size as we have a district of one town. That town has both Alkali and a Chief) |
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kiwi
Sweden
661 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 23:29:39
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| OK! And you are both alkali and chief in spe...? |
kiwi |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 23:53:44
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quote:
Originally posted by kiwi
OK! And you are both alkali and chief in spe...?
Can you complete the spelling?Why not: KUYE KHALAM DISI JAYU |
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kiwi
Sweden
661 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2007 : 08:15:02
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I used the latin expression in spe meaning to-bi, alkali and chief to-be.
Iīm trying hard to understand your sentence, please translate it to me. I suppose you donīt mean that your cow or sheep is playing the xalam....
Just learnt to say Mungee jaay kuyam yi. |
kiwi |
Edited by - kiwi on 13 Jun 2007 23:40:51 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11645 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2007 : 12:41:06
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quote:
Originally posted by toubab1020That makes things a great deal clearer for me,thank you, as there was no Gambia or Senegal do you know what the land wascalled before or was there no name and people just knew where they were from and what tribe they belonged to.
Oral and written history give account of traders moving in caravans from the trading towns of the Niger to those of The Gambia about 400 years ago. People have been interviewed who said that their territories owed loyalty, to the Mali Kingdom.
Written records also talk about the states of Niumi, Baddibu and Niani owing loyalty to the king of Saloum at Kahone in present day Senegal.
Other written records speak of meeting Jola speaking communities on the south bank near the River Gambia 400 years ago. Written history indicates, that the inhabitants of Kantora had once claimed that they owed loyalty to the Ahmami of Timbo, ruler of Futa Jalon.
The lesson is that Serer, Serahule, Jola, Fula, Mandinka and Wolof language groupings could be found in the place we now call The Gambia at various periods during the pre-colonial times. Some of these language groups had kings who established different states. There were no big Mandinka, Wollof, Fula, Jola, Serer, Serahule speaking kingdoms which involved only the members of each language grouping. Fulas, Serahules, etc, could be found in settlements where the predominant language was mandinka.
Different kings who spoke Mandinka, Wolof, etc. established different states on the north and south banks of the river. Even though the inhabitants of some of these states spoke the same language, they were loyal to the states and not their tribal origins.
You can visit http://resourcepage.gambia.dk/biblio/citations/hist.htm if you are interested in doing more research. Its a Bibliography of Gambian Related Publications on history. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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