kingdom · West Africa

Kingdom of Jolof

1549 CE – 1890 CE · capital Yang-Yang

The Wolof heartland kingdom left after the break-up of the Jolof Empire, whose last king Alboury Ndiaye resisted French conquest.

Origins

Until the mid-16th century the Buurba Jolof ruled an empire over all the Wolof states. In 1549 Amari Ngoone Sobel Fall of Cayor defeated and killed the Buurba at the battle of Danki, and the coastal provinces broke away. What remained was an inland kingdom centred on Yang-Yang, cut off from direct trade with European ships.

Rule and society

The Buurba was chosen by electors from royal lineages and ruled over Wolof farmers and Fulani herders of the dry interior. Without access to the coast, Jolof was poorer than Cayor or Waalo and was often drawn into their wars. Islam spread steadily during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Decline and legacy

Alboury Ndiaye, who became Buurba in 1875, built alliances against the French but was forced out in 1890 and fled east, dying in exile around 1901. Jolof was absorbed into French Senegal, and its name is still used for the region of Linguere.

Lineage

Jolof Empire 1300 CE – 1549 CEKingdom of Jolof

Connections (1)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻