The last Buurba of a united Jolof Empire,
Leele Fuli Fak, was killed at Danki in 1549. His sons were children, and so their uncle Alboury became regent. He refused to yield power when they came of age, however, leading to a civil war where Giran Buri Jeleen defeated and killed him. With Jolof weakened, the
Deniankes of
Futa Toro made Jolof and
Waalo their vassals, although this was largely nominal. The
burbas of Jolof tried several times in the late 16th and early 17th century to reconquer
Cayor, but were not successful, although they retained some of their imperial cachet and influence with their former vassals. Biram Penda Tabara succeeded his uncle Giran, leading to a period of succession conflicts. During his reign, in 1670,
a regional rebellion against the Wolof rulers of Senegambia broke out, led by Muslim clerics from
Mauretania. He reputedly fought ten battles against the Muslims before finally driving them out of Jolof. The Mauritanians still remained a problem, however; Waalo in particular suffered from their constant raids.
Civil war Biram Penda Tabara's death inaugurated a long period of civil war in Jolof. The electoral college chose his maternal half-brother Biram Mbaakure as Buurba, but a rival claimant, Bakar Penda Xole, exiled himself in Cayor with his supporters. With the support of the
Damel and
teigne (king)
Lat Sukabe Fall, he marched on Jolof and killed Biram Mbaakure at the battle of Batal in 1693. Biram Penda Tabara's son, Bakar Kor Njaare, resisted this perceived outside invasion, however. He also exiled himself with his supporters, but upon his return he was defeated. An attack on Cayor also ended in defeat, and he died in exile in Waalo soon afterwards. Another claimant, Bakantam Ngaan, assassinated Bakar Penda Xole and was in turn crowned Buurba. His rule was short-lived, however. Alboury Jaxeer Lodo, a supporter of Bakar Kor Njaare, besieged Bakantam Ngaan in the capital of Ceng, captured the town, and killed him. After his victory, Alboury Jaxeer moved the capital from Ceng, which had supported his rival, to the more loyal Warkhokh. Only two years into his reign, however, his rule was contested by his nephew Bira Yamb Majigeen Ndaw. Two battles, one at Warkhokh and one at Njabakundam, were indecisive. Alboury Jaxeer allied with the Damel of Cayor, but was nevertheless defeated in a third battle at Ndipa and forced into exile. The accession of Bira Yamb Ndaw marked the end of the period of civil war.
19th century and the growing French presence In the early 19th century, the
Trarza Moors dominated the Senegal river valley through their monopoly on the lucrative trade in
gum arabic. They frequently raided Jolof for slaves and booty until
buurba Mba Buuri began paying an annual tribute around 1820, though raids restarted, and conflict intensified in the 1830s and 40s. During this period central rule was weak, but the
bergel Makura Niang, dominating a series of
buurbas, maintained order in the kingdom. Upon his death around 1848 Jolof was torn by succession disputes and foreign intervention until 1864. In 1865
Maba Diakhou Bâ's forces led by
Lat Jor invaded Jolof and drove
buurba Bakantam Khadi, who had refused to convert to Islam, into exile in
Bambouk. Maba was forced to retreat a few months later to deal with a revolt and French invasion in his base in Saloum, and the
buurba returned, moving the capital to
Yang-Yang, but was not able to fully restore order. In 1870 another reformer,
Shaikh Amadou Ba of the
Imamate of Futa Toro, again tried to convince the
buurba to convert. Ultimately, he succeeded in cowing the political leadership of the kingdom, Islamizing the state, and he settled there with his numerous followers.
Alboury Ndiaye Resistance remained, however, led by the
tuube Sanor Ndiaye and
Alboury Ndiaye. After many setbacks, an alliance of Ndiaye,
Lat Jor, Ibra Almaami of
Futa Toro, and the French defeated and killed Amadou Ba in the
battle of Samba Sadio on February 11, 1875. Alboury Ndiaye then became
de facto buurba, with an elder uncle as a figurehead. Ndiaye re-established firm royal control in Jolof, ended the frequent raiding, promoted trade and agricultural production, and continued the Islamization of the country. He supported his cousin Lat Jor in a dispute with the French over the construction of a railroad, creating tension temporarily resolved by a favorable treaty in 1885. In 1886 he defeated an invasion from Cayor by the
damel installed by the French in place of Lat Jor in the battle of Gile. By 1890 Jolof was the only remaining independent kingdom in western Senegal, and Alboury Ndiaye was planning to evacuate much of the population eastwards away from French influence. To prevent this, a column led by
Alfred Dodds marched on Yang-Yang in May, and Ndiaye moved eastwards across the
Ferlo Desert to Futa Toro. Dodds installed a puppet
buurba and officially established a protectorate over Jolof, ending its independence. ==Society==