Empires
Part 1
The Battle of Kansala (1868) was
mainly a holy Jihad waged by Muslim
Fulas against the Mandinka animists of
the Kaabu Empire in West Africa. In the preceding 15
years a coalition of forces had built up
which consisted mainly of Fula soldiers
who were joined by the Muslims of Kabada
district in south Jarra and Kiang and
the 35,000 strong army of Futa Jallon
under the Almamy of Timbo. They were
also joined by the Serahule of Manda and
some aggrieved Mandinka kings. Aside
from the religious aspect of the war
there were other reasons why it took
place. The Fulani had also had economic
grievances against their Mandinka
Nyancho rulers whose king was Mansa
Janke Wali (also spelt Dianke Walli).
The Fulani army was led by Alfa Yaya of Labé,
which began heading towards the fortress
of Kansala in 1867. The Fula army was made up of
35,000 soldiers and 12,000 men on
horseback. In 1868 they encircled and
lay siege to Kansala and
for three months there was a stand-off
with neither side willing to fire the
first shot. The reason was because the
Timbo marabout, Abdu Khudus, had said to
the Fulas that they could only defeat
the Nyanchos' army if they let them fire
first. On the opposing army a Jahanka
marabout by the name of Foday Barika
Drammeh had advised his animist Mandinka
"Don't fire at the Fulas until they
first shoot at you. If they shoot first,
you will drive them back to Futa".
As the stand-off continued
the Nyanchos became livid
and felt offended by the very presence
of the invading Fula army and that not
to attack was a sign of weakness.
Eventually the stalemate was broken when
the Nyanchos fired the first shot which
triggered the start of the battle which
lasted for 11 days. The Kabunkas (Mandinka soldiers)
decapitated many Fulas who were able to
climb over the walls which surrounded
the fort however, the enemy's sheer numbers
gradually ground down the Mandinka
defences. When the female Nyanchos saw the
Fulani entering the fort they realised
that the end was nigh and proceeded to
commit suicide by jumping head first
into their wells rather than become
slaves. After waiting until thousands of
Fulas had entered the fort, Janke Wali, told his
sons to ignite the seven gunpowder stores
which killed many of the enemy troops.
The battle was soon
over and the king surrendered the
capital which ended Mandinka rule in
Guinea-Bissau. Of the 35,000 to 40,000 soldiers of
the Futa Jallon army only 4,000 returned
home.
The Kaabu Empire was eventually
divided into two provinces of Kaabu and
Fulladu which themselves were
tributaries of Futa Jallon.
Part 1
States & Empires
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