Before the arrival of the Malinke conquerors, the region was already inhabited by various nations: the Baïnouk kingdom which will be largely colonized; a few nomadic Peul pastoralists; a few groups of Malinke and Soninke traders. This territory is bordered to the west by the kingdoms Felupe / Diola, Brâmes / Pepels and the Balante confederation in the mangroves, to the south by the kingdom Beafada de Kinara, whose aristocracy is of Mandingo origin and the people of Landuma origin. . The Bainouk Kingdom was the most important and probably the oldest. It was made up of powerful lordships, grouped into a kingdom, the capital of which was Mampating.
In 1250, part of the Bainouk kingdom, after the defeat of its king Kikikor, was colonized by the Mali Empire, other parts (the most western) became vassals.
In the 17th century, the colonized territory gained its independence from Mali and became Kaabunké. This kingdom extended over areas bordering the Gambia River - today part of Casamance, the north of present-day Guinea-Bissau (except the coast) and encroached on the west of present-day Guinea - Conakry.
Conquest, colonization and creation of the kingdom.
The kingdom of Gabou, according to oral tradition, was founded by General Malinké Thiramaghan Traoré, one of the generals of Soundiata Keita's army. In 1235, the latter, a Manding warrior, conquered the kingdom of Sosso of which the Manding was a vassal, overthrows the nobles formed by the leagues of craftsmen led by that of blacksmiths and founded the empire of Mali, of which he became the Mansa Manding (emperor ); he created a new nobility, made up of cavalry warriors. General Thiramaghan Traoré is a cousin, but also a rival of Soundiata Keita, whom he very strongly helped in his putsch. He was entrusted with military reprisals against a Wolof king (Djolofin-Mansa), under the pretext of a dispute with traders sent by the Mansa Manding to buy horses.
Having brilliantly defeated this king, whom he had executed, General Thiramaghan Traoré annexed his territory, brought back slaves, horses and gifts to Soudiata Keita. As a reward, this one gives him (reward / exile) the lands which he will be able to conquer in the west and which will allow a greater opening of the Empire towards the sea and the precious salt.
In fact, from 1235 to 12652, General Thiramaghan Traoré, at the head of an army of horsemen, followed by a column of several tens of thousands of migrant peasants and artisans (surrounded by two army corps to protect it) in constant increase, arrives from the East, crosses several times the Gambia river to install colonies on a territory in the south of the Wolof kingdoms. He divides this territory into 6 Mansayas, (provinces of the Mali Empire ruled in hierarchical order by Farims / Farangs and Mansas): 3 "majors" (entrusted to valiant warriors: Sâma, Patiana, Djimméra) and three "minor" (entrusted to the former defeated nobility: Manna, Toumanna, Kantora) which will extend and change through conquests and rivalries for 5 centuries (there were up to twenty mansayas at certain times).
For about two centuries, a drought has raged in West Africa. It will last until the sixteenth century. The Mandingo peasants who follow Thiramaghan Traoré, and those who will join them later, find in this territory conditions of fauna and flora which remind them of their native Manding. Which probably explains why General T. Traoré was hardly interested in the conquest of the Wolof kingdoms, further north.
This territory becomes in the seventeenth century an independent kingdom, under the name of Kaabunké (kingdom of Gabou), taking advantage of the decline of this empire and the loss of territories which allowed the junction between continental Mandingos and Kaabu.
Life in Kaabu
The Kaabunké is very hierarchical. As usual, there are foros (free men), castés (leagues of craftsmen) and captives. But the originality of Kaabunké is the existence of a powerful warrior nobility linked to religion in the category of free men3.
Political and military power.
The Kaabunké is divided into several Mansayas, each headed by a Mansa. Before independence, the Farims were governors with power over several mansas. When the mansa of Proponanké (sometimes called Kaabunké), decrees the whole of the independent territory, it also declares itself Mansa-Ba of Kaabunké. The other mansas owe him obedience. However, it is the Mansa of Sankolé (Sankolanké), former Farim, who is responsible for collecting taxes for the whole kingdom.
Each Mansaya has at least one stronghold (Tata) and an army. The Mansa-Ba can mobilize the armies of the different Mansayas.
Three dynasties, will reign over Kaabunké, Sané and Mané, at the same time Malinké, Bainouk and Felupes / Diola origins.