kingdom · West Africa

Fuladu

1867 CE – 1903 CE (approx.) · capital Hamdallai

A Fula kingdom in the upper Casamance, founded by Alfa Molo after the fall of Kaabu, whose son Musa Molo played Britain and France against each other.

Origins

Fuladu arose from a revolt of Fula herders and dependants against the Mandinka rulers of the Kaabu Empire. Their leader Alfa Molo, with support from the Imamate of Futa Jallon, took part in the wars that destroyed Kaabu's capital Kansala in 1867, and he built a new kingdom in the upper Casamance and the upper Gambia valley.

Rule and society

Alfa Molo's son Musa Molo, who ruled from about 1881, ruthlessly expanded the kingdom from his capital Hamdallai, with an army of Fula fighters and captives. He traded with British merchants on the Gambia and French ones in Senegal, signing treaties with both and gaining arms. Fuladu lived by farming, cattle and raiding.

Decline and legacy

The Anglo-French border cut through Fuladu, and Musa Molo's position weakened as both powers tightened control. In 1903 he burned his capital and fled into the Gambia Colony and Protectorate, and his lands were divided between French Senegal, the Gambia and Portuguese Guinea.

Lineage

Kaabu Empire 1537 CE – 1867 CEFuladu

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Fuladu. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/fuladu
MLA
“Fuladu.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/fuladu. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Fuladu.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/fuladu.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Fuladu’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/fuladu (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻