kingdom · West Africa
Kingdom of Yatenga
Origins
Mossi tradition says Yatenga was founded around 1540 by Yadega, a prince who left the Kingdom of Ouagadougou after a succession dispute and carried off part of the royal regalia. He and his successors conquered the northern lands of the White Volta basin from earlier inhabitants.
Rule and society
The Yatenga Naaba ruled with ministers and provincial chiefs, while earth-priests kept their role in rites of the land. Under Naaba Kango, who reigned in the late 18th century, the kingdom was reorganised and the capital fixed at Ouahigouya. Yatenga traded with Timbuktu and the Niger bend and fought the Kingdom of Ouagadougou and neighbouring peoples.
Decline and legacy
Weakened by civil wars in the late 19th century, Yatenga accepted French protection in 1895 and became part of French West Africa and later Burkina Faso. The Yatenga Naaba remains a traditional ruler at Ouahigouya.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (1)
- Kingdom of Yatenga was a protectorate of French Empire1895 CE – 1960 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Yatenga. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-yatenga
- MLA
- “Kingdom of Yatenga.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-yatenga. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Yatenga.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-yatenga.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Yatenga’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-yatenga (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻