Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-wbk2r Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-06T15:15:38.790Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Fula Resistance to French Expansion into Futa Jallon 1889–1896

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2009

Winston McGowan
Winston McGowan
Affiliation:
University of Guyana
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

During the period of the European Scramble for Africa, many African rulers, conscious of the military superiority of the European Powers, resorted to the use of diplomacy in a desperate but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to maintain the independence of their dominions. This approach was demonstrated in Futa Jallon's resistance to French expansion.

Among the methods of resistance used by the Alimamies of Futa were the rejection of the European version and interpretation of treaties, the grant of support to other African resistance movements, and the exploitation of Anglo-French rivalry. The Alimamies also exploited the lack of unity in French administrative organization in West Africa and the complexity of Futa's political constitution. Their resistance, marked by a considerable degree of duplicity, was facilitated by France's dependence on a policy of peaceful expansion towards Futa in contrast to its aggressive approach in many other areas of West Africa. Eventually, Fula resistance collapsed, largely because of the disintegration of the indigenous state, which enabled France to intervene and establish its authority over Futa with remarkable ease, using only a minimum of force.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of African History , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , April 1981 , pp. 245 - 261
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Rodney, W., ‘Jihad and Social Revolution in Futa Djalon in the Eighteenth Century’, Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria, iv, ii (1968), 269–84.Google Scholar

2 Rhodes House, Oxford, Ms., Afr. S 22, Journal of Mr Watt in his Expedition to and from Teembo in the year 1794; Fyfe, C., A History of Sierra Leone (London, 1962), 57, 148, 222, 390.Google Scholar

3 Archives Nationales, Section d'Outre-Mer, Paris (ANSOM), Sénégal IV/25/b/, Procès-Verbal du séance du Conseil Privé du Sénégal, 2 Mar. 1837.

4 Archives du Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, Paris (AE), Afrique 47, Ministre de la Marine et des Colonies (MMC) to Ministre des Affaires Étrangères (MAE), 12 Aug. 1864, encl. Extrait du régistre des délibérations du Conseil d'Administration, Sénégal, 21 May 1864; Hargreaves, J. D., Prelude to the Partition of West Africa (London, 1963), 125–36, 276.Google Scholar

5 The articles in the French text of the treaty stated that Futa Jallon was placed under French protection and that Frenchmen were authorized to trade there to the exclusion of all other nations. The Arabic text, however, contained no mention of the exclusion of other nations or of the establishment of a French protectorate. It merely spoke of the formation of an intimate alliance between Futa and France. See AE, Afrique 50, Vignon to MAE, 1 Mar. 1882, encl. Translator's Notes; Hargreaves, , Prelude, 265–70.Google Scholar

6 The term Rivières du Sud (Southern Rivers) was used by the French in Senegal to the north to refer to the Nunez, Pongas, Dubreka, Mellacourie and other rivers which flowed into the Atlantic between Portuguese Guinea and Sierra Leone, where they were known as the Northern Rivers.

7 Bayol, J., Voyage en Sénégambie (Paris, 1888), 78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

8 ANSOM, Guinée III/2, Ballay to Sous-secrétaire d'état pour les colonies (SSEC), 4 July 1893, encl. Notes de Route de M. G. Alby, 60, 106–7.

9 ANSOM, Guinée I/3/c/, Ballay to SSEC, 21 Nov. 1890, 21 Aug. 1891; Soudan I/4/b/, Archinard to SSEC, 6 April 1893; Person, Y., Samori: Une Révolution Dyula (Dakar, 1968)Google Scholar, Tome II, 927, 937, 1192.

10 Public Record Office, London (P.R.O.), CO. 879/32, Foreign Office (F.O.) to Colonial Office (CO.), 11 Oct. 1890, encl. d'Estournelles de Constans to MAE, 2 Oct. 1890; ANSOM, Soudan I/i/e/, Archinard to De Lamothe, 17 Aug. 1891; Soudan I/2/a/, Humbert to De Lamothe, 8 Dec. 1891.

11 ANSOM, Soudan I/2/b/, Humbert to SSEC, 11 Nov. 1891; Soudan I/2/d/, Archinard to De Lamonthe, 11 Jan., 31 Mar., 10 May 1892; Legassick, M., ‘Firearms, Horses and Samorian Army Organisation’, Journal of African History, vii, i (1966), 102Google Scholar; Person, Samori, Tome II, 1196–8.

12 ANSOM, Guinée I/6/a/, Gouverneur de la Guinée Française (GGF) to SSEC, 21 April 1893; Person, Samori, Tome I, 330. Tome III, 1389–1423, 1449–50.

13 P.R.O., CO. 879/32, F.O. to CO., 26 Mar. 1890, encl. Memorandum of Lytton to the French Government, 18 Mar. 1890.

14 P.R.O., CO. 879/41, Cardew to Ripon, 6 Oct. 1894, encl. Abi Barkar to the Queen, no date (received at Freetown 20 Sept. 1894), Parkes to the Alimami of Futa Jallon, 25 Sept. 1894.

15 ANSOM, Guinée I/7/a/, Ballay to Ministre des Colonies (MC), 7 Mar. 1895.

16 P.R.O., CO. 879/42. F.O. to CO., 25 Jan. 1895; CO. 879/43, F.O. to CO., 2 July 1895, encl. Memorandum. Stipend to the Alimami of Futa Jallon, 20 June 1895; Sierra Leone Archives (S.L.A.), Arabic Letter Book (ALB), Vol. 9, Parkes to Alimamie of Futa Jallon, 9 Nov. 1895.

17 ANSOM, Guinée I V/6/Fouta Djallon Généralités (FDG)/, Chaudié to MC, 16 June 1896, encl. Aumar to Ballay, 19 May 1896.

18 ANSOM, Sénégal I/91/a/, De Lamothe to SSEC, 7 Dec. 1891.

19 ANSOM, Guinée IV/5/b/, De Lamothe to SSEC, 21 June 1892, encl. Boubakar to De Lamothe and Boubakar to Humbert, no date; Guinée I/6/a/, Cousturier to SSEC, 21 April 1893; Guinée I/7/a/, Ballay to MC, 31 Dec. 1894.

20 ANSOM, Sénégal I/91/a/, De Lamothe to SSEC, 6 Jan. 1892.

21 ANSOM, Guinée I/7/a/, Ballay to MC, 19 Nov. 1894.

22 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié to MC, 31 Oct. 1895, encl. Chaudié to Almamy de Timbo, 31 Oct. 1895.

23 ANSOM, Guinée III/i/b/, Ballay to SSEC, 17 Feb. 1892, encl. De Beeckman to Ballay, 14 Dec. 1891; Guinée III/2/, Ballay to SSEC, 4 July 1893, encl. Notes de Route de M. G. Alby, 75–6, 88–90.

24 Ibid.

25 Noirot, E., A travers le Fouta Diallon et le Bambouc (Paris, 1885), 204–5.Google Scholar

26 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié to MC, 10, 29 April, 10, 18 May, 16 June 1896 and encls.; Quinquaud, J., L'Expansion Française en Afrique Occidentale. Les Missions De Beeckmann Au Fouta-Diallon (Paris, 1948?), 57.Google Scholar

27 ANSOM, Sénégal I/80/c, SSEC to Clément-Thomas, 24 Jan. 1890; Guinée I/2/a/, Cerisier to SSEC, 10 April 1890.

28 ANSOM, Sénégal IV/93/b/, Soudan Français. Note sur les pays cédés à la France par Samori en vertu du traité de 21 février 1889, 18 Aug. 1889.

29 ANSOM, Sénégal IV/9sbis/a/, Rapport et Propositions d'Archinard au sujet de l'organisation des divers services et de la possibilité de diminuer les frais d'occupation, 7 Dec. 1889; Guinée I/7/a/, Minute by MC on Ballay to MC, 29 May 1894.

30 ANSOM, Sénégal IV/93/c/, Archinard to Clément-Thomas, 1 Mar. 1889; Guinée IV/6/FDG/, MC to Chaudié, 28 Dec. 1895.

31 ANSOM, Sénégal I/91/b/, SSEC to De Lamothe, 24 Nov. 1891.

31 ANSOM, Guinée I/7/a/, Ballay to MC, 30 April 1894.

33 ANSOM, Guinée I/7/a/, MC to Ballay, 30 May 1894.

34 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, MC to Chaudié, 15 Feb. 1896; Chaudié to MC, 17 Mar., 15 Aug., 17 Sept. 1896 and encls.

35 Famechon, M., Notice sur la Guinée Française (Paris, 1900), 33, 66–7Google ScholarMarty, P., L'Islam en Guinée (Paris, 1921), 9.Google Scholar

36 ANSOM, Sénégal II/8/f/, Traduction du tarich par Tierno Aliou Bouba Dian, 12–3; de Sanderval, A. Olivier, Conquête du Foutah-Djallon (Paris, 1899), 67Google Scholar; Guébhard, P., ‘L'Histoire du Fouta Djallon et des Almamys’ (Bulletin du comité de l'Afriquefrancaise. Renseignements coloniaux, Paris, 1909), 88.Google Scholar

37 de Sanderval, Olivier, Conquete, 60–1, 74–5Google Scholar; Marty, P.L'Islam, 30.Google Scholar

38 Demougeot, A., ‘Notes sur l'organisation politique et administrative du Labe avant et depuis l'occupation française,’ (Mémoire de l'Institut François d'Afrique Noire, No. 6, Paris, 1944), 26–7.Google Scholar

39 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié to MC, 5, 21 Jan., 15 Feb., 17 Mar. 1896 and encls.; Olivier de Sanderval, Conquête, 67–76, 89–93.

40 ANSOM, Guinée III/i/b/. De Beeckman to Cousturier, 7 Oct. 1891.

41 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG, Chaudié to MC, 31 Oct. 1895.

42 ANSOM, Guinée I/7/a/, Ballay to SSEC, 26 May 1893; Archives Nationales du Senegal, Dakar (ANS), 7G/78/, GGF to De Beeckman, 1 April 1896; Gouverneur-Général de l'Afrique Occidentale Française (GGAOF) to GGF, 27 June 1896, encl. Trentinian to GGAOF, 20 June 1896.

43 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié to MC, 21 Jan. 1896, encl. De Beeckman, to Ballay, 13 Jan. 1896.

44 Ibid.; de Sanderval, Olivier, Conquête, 93–8.Google Scholar

45 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié, to MC, 2 June 1896 and ends.; Ballay to Chaudié, 6 June 1896 and encls.

46 P.R.O., CO. 267/320, Harley to Kimberley, 22 May 1873, end. Blyden to Bravo– Report on the Timbo Expedition, 10 Mar. 1873; Lambert, M., ‘Voyage dans le Fouta Djalon,’ (Le Tour du Monde, Paris, 01.–06 1861), 378, 386–7, 390–1Google Scholar; Bayol, , Voyage, 75–9, 108–110.Google Scholar

47 ANSOM, Guinée I/6/a/, Cousturier to SSEC, 6 Sept., 20 Nov. 1892; Senegal IV/72/a/, Hostains to Directeur des Affaires Politiques St. Louis, 1 July 1894.

48 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié to MC, 2 June 1896; Ballay to MC, 15 Aug., 17 Sept., 25 Oct. 1896 and encls.

49 ANSOM, Guinée I/9/b/, Ballay to MC, 2 July 1896; Guinee IV/6/FDG/, Ballay to MC, 28 July, 15 Aug., 17 Sept. 1896 and ends.

50 ANSOM, Guinée I/3/c/, Ballay to SSEC, 21 Jan. 1891; Guinée III/i/b, Ballay to SSEC, 7 Feb. 1892, encl. De Beeckman to Ballay, 14 Dec. 1891; Guinée I/7/a/, Ballay to MC, 7 Mar. 1895; Guinée, IV/6/FDG, Chaudie to MC, 21 Jan. 1896, encl. De Beeckman to Ballay, 13 Jan. 1896; Olivier de Sanderval, Conquête, 55–6, 60, 71–3.

51 ANSOM, Guinée I/7/a/, Ballay to MC, 30 April 1894, 4 April 1895; de Sanderval, Olivier, Conquête, 61–3.Google Scholar

52 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié to MC, 18 May 1896 and encls.; Demougeot, , ‘Notes’, 25.Google Scholar

53 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié to MC, 18 May 1896 and encls.; Guinée I/9/b/, Ballay to MC, 2 July 1896.

54 ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Ballay to MC, 15 Aug., 17 Sept., 25 Oct. 1896.

55 ANS, 7G/78/, Aumar to Boilève, 5 Nov. 1896; ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié to MC, 4 Dec. 1896 and encls.

56 ANS, 7G/78/, De Beeckman to GGF, 20 Nov. 1896; ANSOM, Guinée IV/6/FDG/, Chaudié to MC, 4 Dec. 1896, end. De Beeckman to GGF, 9 Nov. 1896.

57 ANS, 7G/78/, Aumar to GGF, 19 Nov. 1896; De Beeckman to GGF, 20 Nov. 1896.

58 ANS, 7/G/78/, Aumar to GGF, 19 Nov. 1896; De Beeckman to Chaudié, 23 Nov. 1896.

59 ANS, 7G/78/, De Beeckman to GGF, 20 Nov. 1896; de Sanderval, Olivier, Conquête, 71–2Google Scholar; Quinquaud, , L'Expansion, 106–7Google Scholar. Only 80 tirailleurs participated in the battle of Poredaka and the total strength of French forces in Futa Jallon at that time was only 214 men.

60 ANS, 7G/78/, Rapport du Capitaine Aumar, 14 Dec. 1896; 7G/74/, Traite du 6 Fevrier avec le Fouta Djallon; 7G/79/, Cousturier to Chaudie, 23 Feb. 1897, encl. De Beeckman to GGF, 9 Feb. 1897.