Kingdom of Niumi

Origins

Niumi, called Barra by Europeans, was one of the Mandinka kingdoms founded along the Gambia river as Mali Empire influence spread westward, probably by the 15th century. It occupied the north bank at the river mouth, including the villages of Juffure and Albreda, opposite James Island.

Rule and society

The mansa was chosen in rotation from royal lineages based in several towns, with Essau as the royal seat. Niumi collected customs from European ships entering the river and supplied food, water and slaves. English and French posts on James Island and at Albreda depended on its goodwill.

Decline and legacy

In 1826 Niumi ceded a strip of land, the Ceded Mile, to Britain, and in 1831 the Barra War between Niumi and the British ended in its defeat. It was made part of the Gambia Colony and Protectorate in the 1890s and is now a district of the Gambia.