al-Hajj Mahmadu Lamine Drame, also known as Ma Lamine Demba Dibassi, (died 9 December 1887) was a nineteenth-century

Tijani The Tijjani order () is a Sufi order of Sunni Islam named after Ahmad al-Tijani. It originated in Algeria but now more widespread in Maghreb, West Africa, particularly in Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Niger, Chad, Ghana, Northe ...

marabout In the Muslim world, the marabout () is a Sayyid, descendant of Muhammad (Arabic: سـيّد, Romanization of Arabic, romanized: ''sayyid'' and ''sidi'' in the Maghreb) and a Islam, Muslim religious leader and teacher who historically had the f ...

who led a series of rebellions against the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

colonial government in what is now

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 ...

Early life, education, and hajj

Mahmadu Lamine Drame was born between 1835 and 1840 at

Goundiourou Goundiourou, sometimes spelled Gunjur, also known as Dougouba, is a village in Mali just south of the city of Kayes. It was historically an important center of trade and islamic thought, and may be the same town mentioned in the chronicle of Al B ...

, near

Kayes Kayes ( Bambara: ߞߊߦߌ tr. ''Kayi'', Soninké: ''Xaayi'') is a city in western Mali on the Sénégal River with a population of 127,368 at the 2009 census. Kayes is the capital of the administrative region of the same name. The city is loc ...

in what is now

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

. Educated in the Qur'an first by his father, a cleric, Lamine also studied at Tabajang in

Casamance Casamance is the area of Senegal south of the Gambia, including the Casamance River. It consists of the Lower Casamance (, —i.e. Ziguinchor Region) and the Upper Casamance (, —i.e. Kolda and Sédhiou Regions). The largest city of Casamance ...

and Bunumbu in

Kantora Kantora District is one of the four districts of the Upper River Division of the Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, s ...

before later studying under Fodé-Mohammed-Saloum at Bakel. As a youth he participated in a

jihad ''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...

against the Tenda, but was captured, held for several years, and whipped. Upon his release sometime after 1850 he traveled to

Ségou Ségou (; , ) is a town and an Communes of Mali, urban commune in south-central Mali that lies northeast of Bamako on the right bank of the River Niger. The town is the capital of the Ségou Cercle and the Ségou Region. With 130,690 inhabitant ...

, where he met

Umar Tall Hadji Oumarûl Foutiyou Tall (ʿUmar ibn Saʿīd al-Fūtī Ṭaʿl, , – 1864 CE), born in Futa Tooro, present-day Senegal, was a Senegalese Tijani sufi Toucouleur Islamic scholar and military commander who founded the short-lived Touc ...

and may have served him. Some time between 1864 and 1874, Lamine went on a

hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

, likely leaving Ségou a while after the death of

and returning between 1878 and 1880. Upon his return, he was imprisoned by Tall's son

Ahmadu Tall Ahmad al-Madani al-Kabir at-Tijani, commonly known as Ahmadou Sekou Tall or Ahmadu Sekou (June 21, 1836 – December 15, 1897) was the '' Laamdo Dioulbé'' (ruler) of the Toucouleur Empire from 1864 to 1893 and '' Faama'' of Ségou from 1864 to 1 ...

. In 1885 Tall's son Madani freed him.

Uprising

Lamine returned to the

Upper Senegal French Sudan (; ') was a French colonial empire, French colonial territory in the Federation of French West Africa from around 1880 until 1959, when it joined the Mali Federation, and then in 1960, when it became the independent state of Mali. ...

and began gathering followers, his claims of friendship with the French notwithstanding. He soon proclaimed a jihad against Tenda. When Omar Penda, the new French-aligned

almamy Almami (; Also: Almamy, Almaami) was the regnal name of Tukulor monarchs from the eighteenth century through the first half of the twentieth century. It is derived from the Arabic Al-Imam, meaning "the leader", and it has since been claimed as th ...

Bundu Bundu may refer to: * Bundu (state), a former state in what is now Senegal * Also known as the place where Aditya Kumar (BE/10023/12) was born and brought up * Bundu, India, a town in Jharkhand, India ** Bundu block, the larger administrative u ...

, refused him passage Lamine and captured the capital of Boulibani in February 1886. In response, the French seized his wives, children, and belongings in Goundiourou. Senegal-lamine.png, Senegal-lamine1886-87.png, Senegal-lamine1887.png, Between April 1 and 4 1886, the marabout's forces besieged the French in their fort at Bakel, but the siege was broken by reinforcements coming from

and he retreated south. The French, supported by Toucouleur and

Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...

auxiliaries, burned a hundred villages in the area in revenge. Mahmadu Lamine's son Souaiybou, left behind to continue the fight in the

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, was besieged for five months in the tata of Gori until April 1887. Upon his capture, he was court-martialed and shot at age 18. Lamine re-established himself at

Diana Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997), ...

, in what is now the Tambacounda region. Quickly reorganizing his state, he re-invaded Bundu, killing Omar Penda on July 16, 1886. In December 1886, two French columns led by Lt. Col.

Joseph Galliéni Joseph Simon Gallieni (24 April 1849 – 27 May 1916) was a French military officer, active for most of his career as a military commander and administrator in the French colonial empires, French colonies where he wrote several books on colon ...

and battalion chief Vallière marched on the town. Although it was fortified by two

tatas The Tata Group () is an Indian multinational conglomerate group of companies headquartered in Mumbai. Established in 1868, it is India's largest business conglomerate, with products and services in over 160 countries, and operations in 100 ...

, Lamine and his troops abandonned it without a fight. On December 26 the French troops burned the town to the ground to punish the inhabitants.Institut Fondamental de l'Afrique Noire. Musée Historique de Gorée Exhibit (August 2024). Following this defeat, Lamine regrouped at Toubakouta in Niani, launching his next attack against the

Kingdom of Wuli Wuli was a Mandinka kingdom located on the north bank of the Gambia River in what is now the eastern portion of The Gambia and the Tambacounda region of Senegal. Ruled as an independent polity by the Wali family from the early 16th century unti ...

in July 1887. The capital was sacked and the king, another puppet of the French, was executed. Galliéni seized Toubakouta on 8 December 1887. Lamine again escaped, but was tracked down and captured by the forces of

Musa Molo Mussa Moloh (mid to late 1800s-1931), also written as Musa or Moussa Molo was the last king of Fuladu in the Senegambia region. A ruthless and powerful ruler, he played different colonial powers off of each other for decades before being defeated ...

, king of

Fuladu Fuladu (; ) or Fuladugu (French: ''Fouladougou'') is a historic region and former Fula kingdom in the Upper Casamance, in the south of Senegal, and including certain areas in The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. It was the last independent pre-colonia ...

, a key French ally. Wounded in the fight, he died on the way back to Toubakouta. His head was brought to the French, and his skull currently resides in the Musée de l’Homme.

References

External links

Notes on ''The Conquest of the Western Sudan''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lamine, Mahmadu 1887 deaths People of French West Africa Senegalese Muslims Senegalese religious leaders Year of birth missing Tijaniyyah order Marabouts Soninke Wangara diaspora