Teigne (also : Teign, Tègne, Teeñ, Tin or Tañ in Wolof) was the title of the monarch of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Baol, now part of present-day Senegal.[1]
Etymology
In Wolof, "Teigne" means the support that is placed on the head to carry something heavy (e.g. a bucket of water). In this case, it means that the sovereign or king carries a heavy responsibility. The origin of the title "Teigne" could also come from the royal Wolof "Tagne" which means an individual who belongs to a royal matrilineal lineage without belonging to the ruling patrilineal lineage. This was the case with the first "Teigne" of Baol, the Wolof Demba Gueye, who belonged to the royal matrilineal lineage of the Jolof Empire but did not belong to the patrilineal ruling clan of Jolof.
History
The first rulers of Baol were known as Laman and were Mandinka, also known as Socé, from the first, Xaya Manga, to the 13th, Ñasa Maroon. The first Teigne was the Wolof Demba Gueye, the 14th ruler of Baol, placed there by the emperor of Jolof with whom he had family ties.
After Gueye's reign, a line of Serer Lamans ruled in Baol, probably as a compromise with the emperor of Jolof, starting with Felan Joom and ending with the 26th ruler of Baol, Ñoxor Ndiaye, the maternal uncle of Amary Ngoné Sobel Fall [fr]. The Serer Lamans included members of the Joof family such as Boureh Joof (Bouré Diouf in French) and Guidiane (or Jegan) Joof during the Wagadou period, and Maad Patar Kholleh Joof the conqueror. The Mandinka and the Serer Lamans had different surnames because inheritance was based on a matrilineal system.
The Faal or Fall dynasty, the Wolof patrilineal dynasty of Cayor, came to the throne of Baol after the Battle of Danki in 1549.[2][3] Starting with Amary Ngoné Sobel Fall [fr], the first Damel-Teigne (ruler of both kingdoms), all the leaders of Baol were members of the Fall family. This was based on the Wolof inheritance system of "geño"(patrilineal), and "meen" (matrilineal). Lat Dior Diop was the only Damel-Teigne who was not a Fall. After him, the dynasty regained power under Teigne Thieyacine Dior Galo Gana Fall, then the French placed Tanor Ngone Jeng (Tanor Goñ Dieng) on the throne, who reigned from 1890 to 3 July 1894.[4] After his death, the French began to appoint chiefs of canton in Baol.[5]
