Fouta Djallon
11 19 '03 "N 12 17' 23" W / 11.3174, -12.2897
| Fouta Djallon | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1515 m, Mount Loura |
| Area | 81 952 km 2 |
| Administration | |
| Country |  Guinea |
| Geology | |
change  | |
Fouta Djallon Fouta Djallon sometimes spelled including the English , is a mountain located in Guinea or nicknamed the "water tower of West Africa" because important during water of West Africa are born: the Tinkisso (tributary of the Niger ), the Senegal , the Gambia , the Koliba. With an area of 81,952 km2 and an average altitude of 1000 m, the Fouta Djallon is a set of plains and hills whose highest point is Mount Loura (1515 m). Indeed, he had a high rainfall, and the two main rivers in the region, The Gambia and Senegal, have their source. The plate consists of a thick sandstone formation that covers the granite basement. Erosion by rain and rivers has carved deep gorges and valleys in the sandstone.
Summary |
Geography
The territory consists of savannas, open forests, gallery forests and vast plains that make up the typical landscape, crisscrossed by many rivers including the action of the millennium has given origin to erosion of cliffs and large numerous and beautiful waterfalls.
Fouta climate is very pleasant, the real mountain air of Africa, temperate and cool. Temperatures vary greatly by location and season are divided mainly in the dry season (November to May) and rainy season (June-October):
- December-January (dry season) max. 30 min. 05.
- February-May (Dry Season) max. 36 min. 20
- June-October (rainy season) max. 32 min. 16
- October-November (end of rainy season) max. 32 min. 18
Across farmland occurred fonio , rice , potatoes , onions and peanuts. It is a privileged area for the production of fruits ( mango , citrus , papaya , lawyers , banana , guava ) and several other vegetable productions.
The main cities are Labe , Mamou , Dalaba.
Family
In Fouta Djallon, as in most African regions, the concept of family means either those who live, bundled or not, under the authority of one person they recognize a relationship, either the cell formed by the social partners and their descendants, or sometimes a group of people whose ancestors had a strong alliance through their proximity or common interests.
There are at Fouta Djallon parenting and polygynous household.
Parenting
Parenting is composed of descendants of a common ancestor, which recognize the authority, or at least the rule of a patriarch, the oldest member of the parenting. This group is called: Gorol "male line," or "all parents": musidal, "those who are from the same door": e dambugal gootal. The leader of this group is the hoore Gorol: head of male line; Mawdo musidal: old parenting. It would often be incorrect to consider this as a former chief events of his authority, authority when there are intermittent, but rather a president of the family council. This parenting may be more or less extended, is to understand that only the descendants of the same grandfather, especially among the poor people without social significance, or extend to the descendants of an ancestor earlier than five Six or more generations in the aristocratic groups, in the latter, the genealogical links are maintained with greater care and authority of the Patriarch family are compounded by political jurisdiction.
The polygynous household
Household polygynous , or small family consisting of man, his wives and concubines, his children, his servants farm of his servants. We call this group: bheyngure, that is to say "personal acquisition, aggregate grows, these are things that man has acquired itself, in addition to it, depend on him, he owns and obey him, they still say they are "under his feet" (ley koydhe Makko). The home of this group is the Galle or enclosure, within which it is divided into several huts (suudu) there may be several pens: one near the mosque parish (misiide) in the other Hamlet of crops (marga) to a third village servants (runde). The family head is the jom Gall, pens, or jom hoggo. Children are part of bheyngure (or galls) father, and after a waiting period that extends from puberty to marriage, the son founded, with the help of their father, a new Galle will be accommodated where the wife, a servant and a few head of cattle, which are the core of his bheyngure staff. Galls, swarms of Galle father, himself from the Galle's grandfather, from which come also from Galle paternal uncles, will form a single parenting (dambugal). The assembly of Galle jom meet under the chairmanship of the Old, the eldest of parenting. The real social unit tends to be more polygynous household, to the detriment of patriarchal parenting: this is due, here as elsewhere, the social dislocation caused by colonization. On the other hand, it does not appear that the Patriarch has never been among the Fulani of Futa Jallon, an authority equal to that of the Patriarch in sedentary farmers, among the Mandingo, for example.
Rights and obligations of the Group Leader
The term "principal" is too strong a word to describe this former Dean, chairman of family, what the Mawdho musidal (or absolutely: mawdho). In fact, the organization of parenting is much more than parliamentary monarchy: it is the elders who rule, not the patriarch; we hear often: "Our elders have decided this," - about family events: baptisms, marriages, estates, or decisions regarding crops and livestock; we hear much less: our old one. Fulani family life, like politics, flowed in an atmosphere of palaver (Meetings: pottal). We will return the rights and duties of Mawdho, in the sections on marriage and especially to the property. We see here the obligations of parenting to the Old.
History
The king of Mali Sundiata Keita conquers the Fouta Djallon in the thirteenth century. In the sixteenth century , the Fulani of Macina (now Mali) and Northern Senegal emerging in the region.
In 1725 , the learned Muslim Karamoko Alpha Diallo , head of the Fulani of Futa Jallon, undertook to convert or drive out the heathen. The Susu are pushed to the side of the future Guinea , others reduced to serfdom. This was the battle of Talansan. Subsequently, Karamoko Alpha founded a theocratic state feudal , strengthens the union of all the Fulani and the stability of the state based on both the Peulh traditions but also on the principles of Islam. At his death in 1751 , the learned Ibrahima Sori Maoudo is elected head of the Fulani. It pushes a strong offensive pagan Djalonkes and Soulima led Kond Birama , then grabs the Fouta Djallon. His death in 1784 ushered in a period of anarchy. The State Peul Fouta Djallon is a confederation grouping nine DIWE or ( provinces ). The title of almamy is devoted alternately to the descendants of Ibrahima Sori (Soria) and those of Alfa Karamoko (Alphaya). In 1804 , power is always exercised alternately, but every two years. The organization of the State proved particularly suitable to the times and circumstances constituting, for the time, a remarkable example of decentralization based on confronting the village councils who elected their representatives with direct consultation, those last were part of the grand council of wise men who attended the Almamy in the management of the entire territory.
In the late eighteenth century , the religious capital of the theocratic state of Fouta Djallon is Fougoumba , which was inducted into the Almamy (of Imam), who governs in the political capital, Timbo , assisted by the Council of Elders. The Fulani element dominates in a multiethnic state. The company is very hierarchical and unequal, the fundamental divide is between Muslims and non-Muslims. At the top is the aristocracy and the military class marabout (Lasli), followed by free men, then a customer base of dependents, servants and slaves. The latter are installed in villages in culture, operated for the benefit of the Fulani aristocracy. Economic prosperity and relative political stability promote coexistence. The mixing of populations, adherence to Islamic values and Fulani foster the integration that will lead to ethnic homogenization.
During the nineteenth century , the Fulbe Fouta Djallon lead resistance operations to protect against attacks from the neighboring regions.
Taking advantage of the division on the succession to the throne, the invaders under the command of Alfred Dodds , occupy the capital Timbo and the last almamy Fouta independent Bokar Biro , was defeated at the Battle of Pordaka in 1896. The chiefs of Futa who attended the French, will be murdered ( Alpha Ibrahima Sori Yilili ) or sent into exile Alpha Yaya.
In 1897 , the French installed a Almami Fouta Djallon before dismembering the Theocratic Republic. Futa is integrated into its majority in the new colony of Southern Rivers to become French Guinea. A portion is occupied by Britain in Sierra Leone and take possession of the Portuguese Gabou in Guinea-Bissau. The France imposed a harsh military occupation and sets up a slave called forced labor.
Fouta Djallon was a center of theological learning Fulani. The great poet-theologians are Thierno Mombya Samba, Thierno Saadou Dalen, Thierno Aliou Bhoubha Ndian and Thierno Diawo Pellel. They are regarded as illustrious personalities from the nobility of the Futa and preaching the good example (the Fulani learned and pious, devout in religion).
Popular culture
The action of the novel The King of Kahel of Tierno Monnembo takes place in the Fouta Djallon.
Bibliography
- Pierre-Michel Rosner, Leah Rother, Review of technical assistance to the Farmers Federation of Fouta Djallon (FPFD) in Guinea: 15 years of coaching, French Development Agency, No. 32, August 2010 See also
Related articles
External Links
- Foutapdia : The encyclopedia on the Fouta Djallon - Guinea
- Natural resource management in three basins of the Fouta Djallon
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