Profile Topics...

Toucouleur Location and Environment

General Toucouleur Historical Background

Toucouleur Language and Literacy

Toucouleur Socio-Economical Conditions

Toucouleur Society & Culture

Toucouleur Religious Practices

Bibliography and Information Sources

Toucouleur web Home Page
 

Download this whole profile in HTML format as a 91kb ZIP file -- Toucouleur Peoples Profile.zip

The Toucouleur, a black West African people group, sub group of the Fulani people, live mostly in the Senegal River Valley in Northern Senegal and Southern Mauritania, although they are also found widely dispersed throughout other Western African countries.

The Toucouleur and the Fulani (Peul in French) people are of one and the same major ethnic group. They have the same language and often the same names, but there are never the less certain differences between the two groups.

When asked, the Toucouleur call themselves Haalpulaaren – literally meaning, "speakers of Pulaar". The origins of the Toucouleur are unclear. It is speculated that they are descendants from the rulers of the ancient Tekrour Empire. They are considered a cultural mix of the ethnic groups. Another popular explanation is that the Toucouleur are a cultural mix of the ethnic groups that used to inhabit the northern regions incorporated in the Tekrour Empire. Notably these ethnic influences include the Saragoele / Soninkes, the Maures and the Bedouins, Sereres and nomadic Fulani herders.

Traditionally sedentary farmers, the Toucouleur live in close-knit society groups and follow a patriarchal social structure. Community life is highly stratified into a hierarchy of Clans, 12 Casts and 3 social classes. The cast determines the ‘value’ of an individual in society. Toucouleur people mostly belong to the cast of religious leaders called the Tooroobe.

The ruling aristocratic, clerical class was in fact the first to embrace Islam in the 11^th century. Now most Islamic learning and scholarship comes through this class. Toucouleur Marrabouts and ‘holy men’ are renowned throughout Western African. The middle class is composed of fishers, farmers, administrators and tradesmen. The lower middle class includes skilled craftsmen, storytellers and musicians etc. The lower class is made up of day labourers, servants and slaves, both free and bound.

The Toucouleur people are Muslims at heart, and are known as 'the defenders of the faith'. It was by ‘holy war’ (Jihad) that Toucouleur religious leaders exported Islam through most of West Africa. The tenets of Islam are an integral cultural value that permeates all aspects of Toucouleur society. It is also said with pride, that to be born Toucouleur, is to be born Muslim. However, Islamic practices are inextricably mixed with traditional animistic ideas and occult folk rituals. Divination, witchcraft and magic (often practised by the Islamic cleric - the midibbo) are widespread. Amulets and charms are made and sold by religious leaders. A belief in "baraga" (supernatural power) is common and religious leaders thought to possess it are sought after for the miracles they can work.