History of Wuli, Koppe and Sheik Mamadi Lamin

It was customary for Wulli to send their annual tax to the King of Jollof.  When Jalali was on his way to the King of Jollof, he had two incidents with some people along the way and he killed them both. When Jalali arrived in Jollof another incident occurred, where his brother Sonamang cut off the head of the king’s slave who misbehaved.  The King of Jollof asked as to their reason for his actions.  He responded by telling him that, his people misbehaved and they were killed.  The king thought it was genuine and he granted them their independence. While Jalali was king of Wulli he had a dispute with the people of Niani.  During that period Niani tricked him by marrying their sister Dali, to gain access to his secrets.  When Dali was taken to him, she managed to gather all the necessary information about his secret and absconded to Niani. When she arrived in Niani, she revealed all of Jalali’s secrets, and the people of Niani went after him and shot him.  He escaped with wounds to his town of Jali, but died later.  Before Jalali died, he wanted to pass on all of his spiritual and leadership secrets to his eldest son Faring Buwareh.  King Jalali had one hundred and fifty sons, and Koppe was his last.  He had a strong guard called Konong Daba Manka who was constantly abused by all the king’s sons except Koppe. Konong Daba Manka conspired with Koppe who was nice to him, to gain the throne.  Koppe sneaked at night and went to his father Jalali, pretending to be his eldest son to get his secret.  He gave him his silver bangle and all the spiritual items required to become a king. When the eldest son returned to Jalali, he told him that he gave him everything without realizing that it was Koppe who had taken the spiritual items. As a result, they suspected that Koppe.  The Wulli people did not approve of Koppe becoming king before his brothers.  They purused him and he fled to his uncle’s, where he stayed for a while.  He later went to Kabu to prepare himself with all the necessary blessings.  On his way, he journeyed through Kossemar up to Manna Mosque. Koppe returned to Wulli and settled in a town called Madina.  He told the Walley surnames that if a king dies, they would lead until someone else inherited the throne.  A man from Kusai called Ngaleng disagreed with that arrangement and left for Jollof and then later went to Walo. Koppe became king and had four sons.  These brothers became four big families:  Matamba family, Nkoi family, Salamang family and Sambou family. Wulli had twelve kings among them was Nyana Mamadi from the Mantamba family.  During his tenure, Wulli Madina moved and they spread throughout.  Fenda Mamadi spent four years in Tamba Kunda, before returning to Pansang.  After being attacked there, returned to Tamba Kunda.  He later came back to Manjang Kunda and Sinney afterwards. Yaka Sarr the son of Nyana Mamadi went to the East and met Sheik Mamadi Lamin who wanted to go to Niani Kayai. In Kayai there was Kumba Darbo Lamin. When Sheik Mamadi was leaving for Niani, Yaka Sarr joined in.  They went through Bundou, fought them, and killed Sada Hamadi, and destroyed part of Bakkel.  He a requested permission to travel through Wulli, but they denied him.  Tamba Jali convinced them to allow him, but they still insisted on the refusing. The marabout traveled to Netebulu to deliver a message to his betrayer, Kumba Darbo Lamin.  Wulli attacked him and he fled to Kandara, Kanda Kasse Juwara’s father who had spent a long period in Wulli. The Non-believers in Wulli seized all his family.  When the marabout arrived in Sandu, he went and attacked Netebulu, killing Kumba Darbo Lamin and his wife Jeteba Hamadi. Kunkana Biram was a warrior in Wulli who advised Dali Nyinamang to avoid attacking Sheik Lamin from the west.  He ignored the advice and went on to attack Sheik Lamin.  Sheik Mamadi Lamin and his men killed and defeated many of them.

References to entities made in the recording

Culture:  Mandinka

Language:  Mandinka

Persons:  Jalali, Sonamang, Dali Nyinamang, Buwareh, Koppe, Konong Daba Manka, Nyana Mamadi, Fenda Mamadi, Yakar Sarr, Sheik Mamadi Lamin, Sada Hamadi, Tamba Jali, Jetaba Hamadi, Kandara, Kanda Kasse Juwara, Kumba Darbo Lamin and Kunkana Biram

Relationships: Dali was Jalali’s wife 

Jetaba was Kumba Darbo Lamin’s wife

Yaka Sarr the son of Nyana Mamadi

Koppe had 4 four sons, Mantamba, Nkoi, Salamang and Sambou

Places:  Jollof, Wulli, Niani, Sandu, Jali, Kabou, Kossemar, Mandina Kusai, Ngaleng, Walo, Tamba Kunda, Pansang, Manjang Kunda,  Sinney, Niani Kayai, Bakkel,  Manna

Movements: Fenda Mamadi went to Tamba Kunda for four years and later returned to Sinnney and Manjang Kunda

Actions: The people on Niani conspired with their sister Dali and killed Jalali

Koppe was chased by the people of Wulli and he fled to his uncle

Konong Daba Manka plotted with Koppe who was nice to him to gain the throne

Sheik Mamadi Lamin conquered Bundou and killed Sada Hamadi

The people of Wulli denied Sheik Mamadi Lamin passage through Wulli and attacked him

Sheik Mamadi Lamin fled to Kanda Kasse Juwara

Time references: None

Additional information:  None

Alternative names: Sheikh, Sheik, Sheick, Suso, Susso, Manekebba, Sidibeh, Bakary, Bakari, Bakery, Kebba

Published by NCAC - National Digital Archive of The Gambia, initiated by University of Hamburg, Asia-Africa-Institute, Germany, funded by Gerda Henkel Foundation, Germany