Fulbe

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Fulani women with traditional face drawings

The Fulbe , actually Fula , Fulla , Fullah or Fulani , known by their French name Peul, Peulh or as Felatta , are originally a nomadic pastoral people in large parts of West Africa , who today are predominantly sedentary .

Name, distribution

There are a variety of names and names - Fulani, Fúlàní, Fula, Fulla, Fullah, Fulah, Foulah, Fulas, Futafula, Fulata, Fellah, Felatta, Felatah, Fellaata, Fulanie, Filani, Hilani, Peul, Peulh, Pulo and others. a.

Fulbe is the plural, pullo is the singular, from the two roots pul- / ful- all other names have been formed. The name Halpulaar or Haalpulaar , which is common in Senegal , is made up of haal-ude (to speak) and Pulaar (a variant of the language common in Senegal). The number of the Fulbe - like the entire West African population - is increasing enormously rapidly: Writing sources from the 1970s and 1980s (and other works that refer to these sources) still totaled 10 to 15 million Fulbe, so the number was At the beginning of the 21st century the Fulbe had already grown to 25 million, and 40 million Fulani have lived in West Africa since 2015.

This enormous increase goes hand in hand with the population explosion in the Sahel countries. In some of these countries women have an average of more than six children. In Mali z. For example, the total population has risen by 50 percent since the turn of the millennium alone (from 11 million in 2000 to 17 million at the beginning of 2016). In addition, Fulani women belong to those groups that are often above the respective birth rates per woman Country average.

The Fulbe live in mostly larger groups in the entire Sahel region from Mauritania , Senegal , Gambia , Guinea-Bissau , Mali , Burkina Faso , Niger and further south of Guinea via Nigeria and Cameroon to Chad and the Republic of Sudan . In Guinea alone there are at least 4 million Fulbe. Guinea is the only country in which the Fulani form the (relative) majority population with over 40% of the population.

The Fulani also live in smaller groups in other countries, for example in Sierra Leone (here they have almost 267,000 inhabitants as Fullah ; as of 2015), Ghana , the Ivory Coast , Togo , Benin , the Central African Republic and the Republic of Sudan, especially in the Kassala city .

The Fulbe includes a large number of clans such as Umm Bororo, Uda, Djafun, Dooga, Dindima, Adamawa, Danedji, Sisilbi, Fuuta, Boodi, all of which belong to the Wodaabe in Niger , as well as the Tukulör in Mauritania and Senegal .

origin

Two Fulani men

The ethnic origin of the Fulbe has not yet been clearly clarified. The early European ethnologists of the 19th and 20th centuries disagreed about the origin of the Fulbe. According to the Hamite theory, some theories assumed that the Fulbe were descended from Ham , the son of Noah , while others said they had a Judeo-Syrian, sometimes even European, origin.

The abundance of contradicting approaches can be explained by the somewhat strange character of the Fulbe. The phenotype of some individuals differs considerably from that of the neighboring ethnic groups. In addition, the Fulbe traditionally practice strict endogamy , which leads to extensive isolation, which is further intensified by their likewise traditional nomadic existence.

Another explanation for the European attempts to localize the Fulani ethnogenetically is the fact that at the time of colonization they held a predominant position in West Africa. The Europeans tried to reconcile this military superiority with a hypothetical superiority of the "white race". In this case, the Fulbe represented a "degenerate" representative of this breed, which, however, still had to show a minimum of superiority over the blacks due to its origin.

This representation is obsolete, since the Fulbe can be clearly assigned to the West African sphere both culturally and lingually. Nevertheless, there are some parallels to the nomadic peoples of East Africa, which cannot rule out a possible East African origin or at least a strong influence.

The Fulbe see themselves today as the descendants of Meccan Arabs who accompanied the Prophet Mohammed . This view is due to the influence of Islam and is in contradiction to the old polytheistic faith of the Fulbe. In the oral traditions of the Fulbe there is talk of a mythical country of origin "Héli e Yôyo" between the river "Milia" and the "Sea of ​​Joy". They lived in this country and twenty-two of its rulers were Fulani. After they became sinful, however, they were banished from “Héli e Yôyo” by their highest God, “Geno, the Eternal”. This story essentially corresponds to the original myths of many peoples, according to which they were banished from an earthly paradise due to a fall into sin.

Nevertheless, there are approaches to localize the country. The Guinean author Tierno Monénembo equates Héli e Yôyo in his work Peuls with Egypt. This lies between the Nile and the Red Sea.

This thesis coincides at least in part with the theory advocated by Alain Anselin . Using the comparative methods of linguistic antiquity, Anselin comes to the conclusion that the ethnogenesis of the Fulani goes back clearly to pre-Christian times and can be localized in East Africa. From the Ethiopian highlands , cattle-keeping warrior clans advanced into northern Egypt and encountered Indian Tamil herdsmen there . Together they moved to the vegetation-rich Central Sahara of the second century BC. The legacies of this time could be the rock paintings in the Tassili Mountains, which show parallels to the life style of today's shepherd fulbe. Anselin also noted that various clan names (Diallo, Ka, Kan, Dicko) showed similarities to the Tamil language.

history

As early as 1000 AD, important urban cultures had developed in the course of the flourishing Trans-Saharan trade in Senegal. The language of the Fulbe, the Fulfulde or Ful, developed in the Senegal Valley before the 10th century . Between 1300 and 1350 the first Fulani migrated from the Futa Toro into the area of ​​the Hausaaten and to Bornu . The Arab author al-Maqrīzī (1364–1442) mentions their presence in these areas. Denanke was an animistic state of the Fulbe in the Senegal Valley from 1517 to 1776.

Over the centuries, many Fulanis became sedentary. By the end of the 17th century, some of them had already adopted Islam. The discoverer Richard Jobson , who undertook an expedition to the Gambia River from 1620 to 1621, also came across the Fulbe there. In the course of the jihad of the Fulani, the Fulani established several empires, for example Alfa Ba 1725 in the Futa Djalon . In 1775, the Muslim Torobbe Fulani declared a jihad against the pagan Dayankobe Fulani in the Futa Toro between Senegal and the Ferlo .

European travelogues are important sources for the history of the Fulani. Mungo Park mentions the Fulani Empire of Bondu in what is now Upper Senegal in the report on his travels from 1795–1796 . In the report of his second journey 1805-1806 he speaks of armed conflicts between the Fulbe and their neighbors in the area of Timbuktu and the upper Niger . Dixon Denham , who explored Lake Chad between 1822 and 1824 , described larger Fulani settlements in these regions, the Mandara Mountains east of Bornu and in the valley of the Shari .

Fulani Jihad States in West Africa, around 1830.

By the early 19th century, most of the Fulani were Muslim. Around 1800, a marabout named Alfa Muhammad Diobo founded the city of Say in what is now the state of Niger. Thus began a reform movement among the Fulani of central Sudan, which culminated in the establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate . Usman dan Fodio (1754-1817) was the founder of this state with its center in northern Nigeria . Around 1808 his Fulani fighters attacked the Shehu of Bornu, who was able to repel them in 1810 with the help of Muhammad al-Amīn al-Kanemi . In 1810, however, Usman dan Fodio defeated the Hausa . In 1836 the Fulani again smashed the kingdom of Oyo in what is now Nigeria.

The caliphate of Sokoto comprised several states, including the emirate Adamaua in what is now northern Cameroon, founded in 1810 by Usman's student Modibo Adama , and the emirate Gandu , founded around the same time by his brother Abdullahi dan Fodio . Nupe , the emirate of Liptako and Djelgodji were vassals of Gando for a long time.

To this end, the Fulbe states in Adamaua annually declared “holy wars”, especially to gain prey in the surrounding territories. These were mostly slaves who were needed firstly for their own economy and secondly allowed trade with Europeans.

Another Fulani state that was independent of the Sokoto Caliphate was the Massina Empire founded by Al-Hajj Omar in 1862 . The Fulani empires were conquered by the colonial powers France , Great Britain and Germany in the late 19th century .

With the entry "Bassari County: Bassari, Bedik and Fula Cultural Landscapes", a cultural landscape in Senegal traditionally settled by the Fulbe was added to the list of  UNESCO World Heritage  in 2012.

Since 2016, Muslim semi-nomadic Fulani shepherds in Nigeria have been carrying out terrorist attacks with firearms on more Christian settled farmers with hundreds of dead.

Culture and society

Fulbe in Mali
Fulani woman in the Sangha Market, 1992

The Fulbe are traditionally a nomadic people, although the majority of them probably settled in the course of their Islamization. The Fulbe traditionally follow a strict code, the Pulaaku . The Pulaaku tells the Fulbe how to behave in any situation; it determines the entire social structure. The Pulaaku is a way of life that forms the cornerstone of the Fulbe culture.

The Pulaaku is based on three pillars:

  1. munyal : Self-control - a pullo should always behave calmly and not indulge in its emotions
  2. semteende : Restraint and above all honesty, which is of great importance for the pullo
  3. hakkile : Spirit is one of the most important qualities of the pullo - a pullo should be wise and educated, because only the wise can control himself and live modestly.

The following rules can be derived from the three principles:

  1. wata a hersa : Don't be a shame for yourself!
  2. wata a hula : have no fear!
  3. wata a fena : Don't lie!

Failure to obey Pulaaku brings expulsion from the Fulbe group. In order to be able to understand the Pulaaku, however, an exact understanding of the language is required.

Their language, the Ful or Fulfulde (the western dialect is often referred to as Pulaar / Poular), belongs to the West Atlantic branch ( Atlantic languages ) of the West Sudanese subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family . (Language code: ful according to ISO 639. ) In general, the Fulfulde is regarded as one of the most complex languages ​​because of its grammar.

In the Fulbe culture, the cow comes first. In the traditional Fulani religion, the god Geno, the highest god, created the world from a drop of milk that he received from the original cow Itoori. This is sometimes identified with Hathor , the ancient Egyptian goddess of love; the original cow Itoori can also be called "House of Horus"; hodhorde hoori , or ht-hr , to be understood for Hathor, it contains the god Horus.

Then Geno created the cow, the man and the woman. He put the woman behind the cow and the man behind the woman. Fulbe place the greatest value on their animals; in fact, if they lose their flock, some will commit suicide. Many Fulbe weep at the loss of their animals, especially that of the strongest bull in the herd, the Ngaari Mawndi (the name was also used as an epithet for the kings of the Senegalese dynasty of the Deyniankoobe). That is why milk is seen as divine water that makes you invulnerable.

The names of the clans also have a meaning. There are four major clans among the Fulbe, each of which is divided into sub-clans: Bâ, Diallo (also Ka or Dia), Barry and Sow.

The Bâ are considered to be the scholars, they are above all familiar with scientific and worldly, but also spiritual things. The Diallo are the warriors and have a soldiery attitude. The Barry are both merchants and rulers, they hold political power. The Sow are the initiators and know best about the cattle.

At the same time, this classification has largely been abolished today, due to colonialism and the upheavals of modernity.

dress

The traditional clothing of the Fulbe consists of colorful, flowing garments. Typical for Fulbe women are henna drawings on their faces. Men are dressed in the typical turbans and face veils, so that they can look like the Tuareg. The conical straw hat , as it is sometimes still worn, is also typical .

Body modifications

Tattoo on the mouth area

Women wear up to twelve earrings in each ear . These are pricked for girls from the age of one with a needle and wool thread. The thread remains tied in the ear and the pierced area is rubbed with butter to protect it from infections and to keep flies away. Wearing septum piercings is also common among women.

In addition , women tattoo their mouth area beyond their lips with indigo .

Well-known Fulbe

See also

literature

  • Abdurrahman I. Doi: Islam in Nigeria . Gaskiya Corporation Limited, Zaria, 1984, ISBN 9781940166 , pp. 22-55.
  • Laura S. Grillo:  Fulbe . In: Religion Past and Present (RGG). 4th edition. Volume 3, Mohr-Siebeck, Tübingen 2000, Sp. 406-409.
  • Thomas Krings : Sahel countries: geography, history, economy, politics. Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger . Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt, 2006, ISBN 978-3-534-11860-1 .
  • Alain Anselin: La question peule et l'histoire des égyptes ouest-africaines. Éditions Karthala, Paris, 1981, ISBN 2-86537-014-3 .
  • Alusine Jalloh: Muslim Fula Business Elites and Politics in Sierra Leone , African Economic History, R. 35, 2007, pp. 89-104.

Web links

Commons : Fulbe  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gottlieb August Wimmer: The latest painting of Africa and the islands belonging to it (= Schütz's Allgemeine Gekunde [...]). Anton Doll, Vienna 1831, vol. 1, p. 248.
  2. ↑ Martina Gajdos: The Fulbe . Author's website, accessed April 29, 2018.
  3. ↑ Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census national analytical report. Statistics Sierra Leone, October 2017, p. 89ff.
  4. ^ Togo: Languages . In: Gary F. Simons, Charles D. Fennig (Eds.): Ethnologue: Languages ​​of the World . SIL International, Dallas, 21st edition, 2018 (English).
  5. ^ Benin: Languages . In: Gary F. Simons, Charles D. Fennig (Eds.): Ethnologue: Languages ​​of the World . SIL International, Dallas, 21st edition, 2018 (English).
  6. ^ Central African Republic: Languages . In: Gary F. Simons, Charles D. Fennig (Eds.): Ethnologue: Languages ​​of the World . SIL International, Dallas, 21st edition, 2018 (English).
  7. ↑ Tierno Monénembo: Peuls. Editions du Seuil, Paris 2004; ISBN 2-02-025148-5
  8. ↑ Alain Anselin (1981), s. Lit.
  9. ↑ Thomas Krings, p. 40 f.
  10. ↑ Cf. Doi: Islam in Nigeria . 1984, pp. 22, 28.
  11. ↑ Cf. Doi: Islam in Nigeria . 1984, p. 46.
  12. ↑ Cf. Doi: Islam in Nigeria . 1984, p. 28.
  13. ↑ Cf. Doi: Islam in Nigeria . 1984, p. 33.
  14. ↑ Cf. Doi: Islam in Nigeria . 1984, p. 28.
  15. ↑ Cf. Doi: Islam in Nigeria . 1984, p. 28.
  16. ^ Sebastian Conrad: German Colonial History (= Beck'sche Reihe, 2448: CH Beck Wissen). Beck, Munich, 2008, ISBN 978-3-406-56248-8 , page 41
  17. ^ Bassari Country: Bassari, Fula and Bedik Cultural Landscapes. UNESCO World Heritage Center, archived from the original on December 28, 2012 ; accessed on April 29, 2018 (English).
  18. ↑ The Unknown Terrorists: "They are turning Nigeria into a cemetery" orf.at, June 26, 2018, accessed on June 26, 2018.
  19. ↑ West Africa - Mysterious Sahara. (No longer available online.) Arte , February 7, 2012, archived from the original on April 15, 2012 ; accessed on April 29, 2018 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / videos.arte.tv