The Principality of Bethio (also spelled Bequio, Bekio, Bitio, Bétio or Beetyo) was a small

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...

located for centuries along the lower

Senegal River The Senegal River ( or "Senegal" - compound of the Serer term "Seen" or "Sene" or "Sen" (from Roog Seen, Supreme Deity in Serer religion) and "O Gal" (meaning "body of water")); , , , ) is a river in West Africa; much of its length mark ...

valley, on the border between modern

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

and

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

, in the northeast of

Biffeche Biffeche or Bifeche is an area of Senegal centred on the town of Savoigne, around 30 kilometres north-east of the major coastal city of Saint-Louis. Low-lying and largely flat, the region is populated by Fula,, Serer-Ndut, Wolof and Moor et ...

. In the 18th century it was also called the "Royaume d'Oral." Its capital was at Poum, then moved to N'Dombo, and finally moved to Ross, Senegal in the 19th century (called Ross Béthio since then). The original, fertile farmlands of Bethio are in a region just east of the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary. In the 1720s, the Brak (king) of

Waalo Waalo () was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in West Africa, in what is now Senegal and Mauritania. It included parts of the valley proper and areas north and south, extending to the Atlantic Ocean. To the north were Moorish emirates; to the ...

was Erim M'Bagnick (Yérim Mbañik) and Béquio Malicouri, king of the ''Royaume d'Oral'' was his vassal. Maalixuri (Malichouri) (Malikhuri Diop ) played a vital intermiediary role between the Kingdom of

and the French at

Saint-Louis, Senegal Saint-Louis () or Saint Louis (), is the capital of Senegal's Saint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, and north of Senegal's capital city Dakar. It had a population of 254,171 in 2023. Saint-L ...

, accumulating power and influence. He attempted to secede from Waalo in 1724 and burned Rosso, but was defeated and driven into exile in

Cayor The Cayor Kingdom (; ) was from 1549 to 1876 the largest and most powerful kingdom that split off from the Jolof Empire in what is now Senegal. The Cayor Kingdom was located in northern and central Senegal, southeast of Waalo, west of the kingdom ...

, where he died.Barry, 188. He was succeeded by Fara Coro. Today, Abdoulaye Diop, the current Prince Bethio, lives at Ross-Bethio where he is a Senegalese political leader.

Notes

*The name also appears as Béco and appears synonymous with the ''Island of Becos'' in the river delta. It has been suggested that this is the island nowadays known as Baba Gueye.

References

*V. Monteil. ''Esquisses sénégalaises''. Dakar, IFAN, 1966, p. 34-35

External links

Indigenous chief Béquio Malicouri''Béco'' referenceArea Map
Former monarchies Geography of Senegal Kingdoms of Senegal French Senegal {{Senegal-geo-stub