Home Region:  West Africa (Africa)

Kingdom of Waalo

1287 CE 1855 CE
New WA  se_waalo_k
Preceding Entity:
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Succeeding Entity:
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  General Description  
The Kingdom of Waalo originated in 1287 CE on Senegal River in northern Senegal. [1] The Kingdom of Waalo was a subgroup of the Wolof people, and the people of Waalo spoke the Wolof language. [2] In the fourteenth century, Waalo became a vassal state within the larger Jolof Empire until its break up in the sixteenth century, when the Waalo became free from Jolof hegemony. [3] Waalo had three capitals throughout its duration starting with Ndiourbel (Jurbel), Ndiangue and its final capital at Nder. [4] [1] [5] The Waalo was a monarchical society, but it was matrilineal in decent as the children of the king’s sister inherited the throne, not the offspring of the ruler. [6] Waalo was a major trade kingdom, particularly in the slave trade, as the kingdom exported many slaves to the French for the Atlantic market, but also to the western Sahara trade routes linking to north Africa. [7] The Kingdom of Waalo collapsed in 1855 CE as the French took control over the region. [8]

[1]: (Himpan Sabatier and Himpan 2019, 125) Himpan Sabatier, Diane and Himpan, Brigitte. 2019. Nomads of Mauritania. Wilmington: Vernon Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/V4D4DFVG/collection

[2]: (McLaughlin 2008, 93) McLaughlin, Fiona. 2008. ‘Senegal: The Emergence of a National Lingua Franca’. In Languages and National Identity in Africa. Edited by Andrew Simpson. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/7VBFQ96V/collection

[3]: (Barry 1999, 263) Barry, Boubacar. 1999. ‘Senegambia from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century: Evolution of the Wolof, Sereer and ‘Tukuloor.’ In General History of Africa. V: Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century. Edited by B.A. Ogot. Berkely: University of California Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/24W2293H/collection

[4]: (Barry 2012, 43) Barry, Boubacar. 2012. The Kingdom of Waalo: Senegal Before the Conquest. New York: Diasporic Africa Press. Seshat URL:https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/9KV5MEKN/collection

[5]: (Barry and Amin 1985, 171) Barry, Boubacar and Amin, Samir. 1985. Le Royaume du Waalo: Le Sénégal avant la conquête. Paris: Karthala. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/7FSQKPU9/collection

[6]: (Barry 2012, 33) Barry, Boubacar. 2012. The Kingdom of Waalo: Senegal Before the Conquest. New York: Diasporic Africa Press. Seshat URL:https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/9KV5MEKN/collection

[7]: (Webb Jr 1993, 235) Webb Jr, James L.A. 1993. ‘The Horse and Slave Trade between the Western Sahara and Senegambia.’ Journal of African History. Vol. 34:2. Pp 221-246. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/JDZFX3SC/collection

[8]: (Amin 1972, 517) Amin, Samir. 1972. ‘Underdevelopment and Dependence in Black Africa – Origins and Contemporary Forms.’ The Journal of Modern African Studies. Vol 10:4. Pp 503-524. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/MR883K86/collection

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

General Variables
Identity and Location Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 28 N 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Original Name Kingdom of Waalo 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Capital 1287 CE 1710 CE
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Capital 1711 CE 1780 CE
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Capital 1790 CE 1855 CE
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Alternative Name Kingdom of Walo 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Temporal Bounds Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Duration
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Political and Cultural Relations Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Succeeding Entity 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Language Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Linguistic Family Niger-Congo 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Language 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Religion Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Religious Tradition 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Religious Tradition 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Hierarchical Complexity Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Settlement Hierarchy 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Administrative Level 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Professions Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Specialized Government Building 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Law Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Market 1287 CE 1685 CE
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Market 1686 CE 1855 CE
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Communal Building 1287 CE 1681 CE
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Communal Building 1682 CE 1855 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Road 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Port 1287 CE 1685 CE
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Port 1686 CE 1855 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Trading Emporia 1287 CE 1685 CE
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Trading Emporia 1686 CE 1855 CE
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Special Purpose Site 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Ceremonial Site 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Burial Site 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Information / Writing System Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Sacred Text 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Religious Literature 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Calendar 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Information / Money Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Token 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Article 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Information / Postal System Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Information / Measurement System Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Weight Measurement System 1287 CE 1674 CE
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Weight Measurement System 1675 CE 1855 CE
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Volume Measurement System 1287 CE 1674 CE
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Volume Measurement System 1675 CE 1855 CE
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Time Measurement System 1287 CE  1855 CE
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Military use of Metals Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Projectiles Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Handheld weapons Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Animals used in warfare Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Armor Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Naval technology Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
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Human Sacrifice Kingdom of Waalo (se_waalo_k)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Instability Data
Power Transitions