| Tenguella Ba | |
|---|---|
| Silatigi | |
| Reign | 1464–1512 |
| Successor | Koli Tenguella |
| Born | Futa Toro |
| Died | 1512 (1513) Diarra, Mali |
| Religion | Traditional African |
Tenguella (also known asTemelá orTenguella Ba) was aFulasilatigi or chief who founded a short-lived state calledFuta Kingui in the upperSenegal river valley, a precursor of theEmpire of Great Fulo. He was referred to as theGreat Fulo orGreat king of the Fulos in Portuguese documents of the time.
The Fula are a West African nomadic people. They had been moving south within theMali Empire since the thirteenth century. They had generally submitted to the laws of the settled farmers in the region and so had avoided large confrontations. By the end of the 15th Century, they had a strong presence inFuta Tooro,Macina,Fouta Djallon andBondu.[1]
Tenguella was originally from the western part of Futa Tooro outside the immediateSenegal River valley, an area that was part of theJolof Empire at the time. He wassilatigi of the Yaalalbe clan, both a political and religious leader.[2]
Tenguella became chief of the Fula around 1464.[3] Pushed by an expansionist Jolof Empire, he led his clan along with several others on a long emigration across the Senegal towards the land ofGuidimakha, establishing a state known as Futa Kingui. From this base, Tenguella exerted a powerful attraction to oppressedFula people in the rest of the region, militarily intervening in a number of areas and disrupting trade. His sonKoli went toFuta Jallon to organize the Fula there againstMande domination.[4]
The roots of Tenguella's appeal may have lain partially in religion. Contemporary Muslim sources call him a false prophet, likely referring his syncreticization of Islam with the traditional Fula religion, as represented by his use of the title 'silatigi'. He himself, however, may have seen himself as fully Muslim and even a sort ofMahdi figure, fighting against both paganism and the traditional hierarchies of the region.[5]
Conflict with the Mali Empire started around 1480.[1] Tenguella built up an army which included a strong and effective cavalry force. By 1490 Tenguella's actions in the upperGambia river basin were threatening the communication lines between theMali Empire and their western provinces ofKaabu. Koli's attack on theWuli andNiani from his base in Futa Jallon threatened theBambuk gold fields.[6][7] In response,Mansa Mahmud II requested an alliance and firearms fromJohn II of Portugal to fight the Fula. The Portuguese embassy visited the mansa somewhere between 1493 and 1495 but weapons were not forthcoming.[1] They also sent embassies to Tenguella to appease him and safeguard their trade interests.[8]
The risingSonghai Empire were thus confronted by a power that essentially controlled the western gold trade routes and could rival them for the role of successor to Mali.[9][6] In 1511, after years of mounting tensions, Tenguella invaded theKingdom of Diarra, the rulers of which called for help from the Songhai.Umar Komajago, a brother ofAskia Mohammad I, led a powerful force on a 2 month march through the desert, then in 1512 defeated and killed Tenguella in battle. After this, Diarra likely swore fealty to the Songhai.[1][10]
Tenguella was married to Nana Keita, said in oral histories to be a descendant ofSundiata Keita.[11] At his death, Tenguella was succeeded by his sonKoli Tenguella who founded theDenianke Dynasty inFuta Toro.
Historians such as Sirre Abbas Soh have confused some of the accomplishments of Tenguella with those of his son, making the chronology of events difficult to suss out. There was another migration from Futa Tooro at around the same time that went south, crossing theGambia River, which further exacerbates the confusion.[10]