Toucouleur People of West Africa

<body background="images/Image4.jpg" bgcolor="#FAFDCC" text="green" link="green" vlink="green" alink="red"> <p><script language="JavaScript">    </script> </p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="7"><b>The Toucouleur People</b></font></p> <p align="center"><font size="6">of West Africa</font></p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"><img src="images/line9.gif" width="400" height="9" border="0"></p> <p align="center">  <div align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="95%"> <tr> <td width="20%" valign="top" bgcolor="#FFFF95"><p align="center"><font size="4"><b><i><a name="index">Toucouleur </a></i></b></font><font size="5"><b><i><a name="index">Web Index</a></i></b></font></p> <p><i><a href="default.htm" target="_parent">Toucouleur Home Page</a></i></p> <p><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/TrueStory.htm" target="_self">A True Toucouleur story</a></p> <p><a 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src="images/Bullet6.gif" width="15" height="11" border="0"><font size="2"> </font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Socio-Economy.htm" target="_self">Socio-Economy</a></font></p> <p><img src="images/Bullet6.gif" width="15" height="11" border="0"><font size="2"> </font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Society_and_Culture.htm" target="_self">Society & Culture</a></font></p> <p><img src="images/Bullet6.gif" width="15" height="11" border="0"><font size="2"> </font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Religious-Practices.htm" target="_self">Religious Practices</a></font></p> <p><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Bibliography.htm" target="_self">Bibliography and Information Sources</a></p> <p><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/SightsandSounds.htm" target="_self">Toucouleur Sights & Sounds !</a></p> <p><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/OtherLinks.htm" target="_self">Other Toucouleur Links</a><font size="4"> </font></p> <p><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/SiteMap.htm" target="_self">Toucouleur Site Map</a></font><font size="2">   </font></p> <p><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/ContactInfo.htm" target="_self">Contact Information for further inquires</a></font><font size="2"> </font></p> <p align="center"><font size="2"><strong><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/ContactInfo.htm" target="_self">Comments on this site?</a></strong></font> </p> <p align="center"><font size="3" color="red"><b><strong><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Sitesearch.htm" target="_self">Search the Toucouleur Web indepth!</a></strong></b></font></p> <p align="center"><a href="mailto:toucouleur@byhisgrace.com"><img src="images/sendmail.gif" align="top" width="31" height="27" border="0" alt="Send us E-Mail !"></a>  <a href="mailto:toucouleur@byhisgrace.com">E-Mail</a></td> <td width="80%" valign="top" background="images/yellzigback.gif"><p align="left"><font size="6"><b>T</b></font><font size="3">he Toucouleur, a black West African people group, sub group of the Fulani people, live mostly in the </font><font size="3"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Location_and_environment.htm#senegal" target="_self">Senegal River Valley</a></font><font size="3"> in Northern Senegal and Southern Mauritania, although they are also found widely dispersed throughout other Western African countries. </font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>S</b></font><font size="2">tretching from Senegal to Nigeria, 26 million Fula people speak 41 dialects of </font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Language_and_Literacy.htm#language" target="_self">Pulaar</a></font><font size="2"> such as Fuladou, Futa Toro, Fulacounda and Fulfuta etc. These speakers of Pulaar, or Haalpulaaren as they call themselves, are by and large Muslims and have been for centuries.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>T</b></font><font size="2">he Toucouleur and the Fulani (Peul in French) people are of one and the same ethnic group. They have the same language and often the same names, but there are never the less certain differences between the two groups.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>I</b></font><font size="2">n Cameroon, Guinea and Northern Nigeria the Fula form the ruling elite, however the majority are nomadic herdsmen wandering from place to place.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>O</b></font><font size="2">nly in Southern Mali, Nigeria and Benin have significant numbers of Fulani people come to believe in Jesus Christ. Smaller groups of believers also exist in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal. A significant turning to Christ among the Fulani peoples of Africa would significantly affect other related peoples throughout the Sahel, the semi-desert area immediately south of the Sahara.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>T</b></font><font size="2">he Toucouleur population in Senegal numbers about 901,000 according to ’96 estimates, and worldwide the total population surpasses 1.7 million people. Unconfirmed reports estimate that as many as 20,000 Toucouleur could be living in Europe. Popular destinations include France, Spain, Germany and Italy.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>W</b></font><font size="2">hen asked, the Toucouleur call themselves Haalpulaaren – literally meaning, "</font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Language_and_Literacy.htm#language" target="_self">speakers of Pulaar</a></font><font size="2">". The origins of the Toucouleur are unclear. It is speculated that they are descendants from the rulers of the ancient </font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Historic-Background.htm#empires" target="_self">Tekrour Empire</a></font><font size="2">. They are considered a cultural mix of the ethnic groups.</font><font size="2"><b> </b></font><font size="2">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.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>T</b></font><font size="2">raditionally sedentary farmers, the Toucouleur live in close-knit society groups and follow a </font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Society_and_Culture.htm#Socialgroupings" target="_self">partriarchal social structure</a></font><font size="2">. 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.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>T</b></font><font size="2">he ruling aristocratic, clerical class was in fact the first to embrace Islam in the 11</font><font size="2"><sup>th</sup></font><font size="2"> century. Now most Islamic learning and scholarship comes through this class. Toucouleur </font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Religious-Practices.htm#marabouts" target="_self">Marrabouts</a></font><font size="2"> and ‘holy men’ are renowned throughout Western African.</font><font size="2"><b> </b></font><font size="2">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.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>T</b></font><font size="2">he Toucouleur people are Muslims at heart, and are known as the defenders of the faith. It was by ‘</font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Religious-Practices.htm#jihad" target="_self">holy war</a></font><font size="2">’ 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 </font><font size="2"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/Profile/Religious-Practices.htm#folkbelieves" target="_self">folk rituals</a></font><font size="2">. 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.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><b>I</b></font><font size="2">n Senegal, a secular country open to evangelism, Christians have been sharing the Good News of the Bible with the Toucouleur for at least 30 years. While there are already more than 50 Pulaar Christians, only about 18 Toucouleur are reported to have become Christians thus far. Unfortunately these believers are widely scattered, and growth in the faith is slow and uncertain. One could be a bad Muslim and never pray – that’s OK, but there is not yet an acceptance for Christians in Toucouleur society.</font></p> <p align="center"><font size="3"><strong>T</strong></font><font size="2">his site is dedicated to the glory of God with the firm conviction of one day seeing the Great Commission completed, and disciples from every tribe, tongue, and nation worshipping God </font><font size="2"><a href="Throne.htm" target="_self">around His throne</a></font><font size="2">. <br> According to Revelation 7:9-12 in the Bible</font></td> </tr></table></div> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"><img src="images/line9.gif" width="400" height="9" border="0"></p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"><font size="3" color="green"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/ContactInfo.htm" target="_self">Comments and Contact Information</a></font></p> <p align="center"><a href="file:///C|/My%20Documents/TKL/Toucouleur%20Web/OtherLinks.htm" target="_self">Other Toucouleur Links</a><br> </p> <form method="get" action="http://search.atomz.com/search/"> <input type=hidden name="sp-a" value="sp100140be"><p align="center"><font size="1">[</font><font size="1"><a href="TrueStory.htm" target="_self">A True Story</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="SightsandSounds.htm" target="_self">Sights & Sounds</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="Statistics.htm" target="_self">Short Statistics</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="Profile.htm" target="_self">People Profile</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="Profile/Language_and_Literacy.htm" target="_self">Location and Environment</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="Profile/Historic-Background.htm" target="_self">General Historical Background</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="Profile/Language_and_Literacy.htm" target="_self">Language and Literacy</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="Profile/Socio-Economy.htm" target="_self">Socio-Economical Conditions</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="Profile/Society_and_Culture.htm" target="_self">Society & Culture</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="Profile/Religious-Practices.htm" target="_self">Religious Practices</a></font><font size="1">] [</font><font size="1"><a href="Bibliography.htm" target="_self">Bibliography and Information Sources</a></font><font size="1">]</font></p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"><font face="Symbol" size="4" color="green"><b><strong><a href="TklFrameset.htm" target="_parent" title="Toucouleur web-site Index">Ý</a></strong></b></font><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="3" color="green"><b><strong><a href="TklFrameset.htm" target="_parent" title="Toucouleur web-site Index">ndex</a></strong></b></font></p> </form> <p align="center"><font size="4"><b>] </b></font><font size="4"><b><a href="Default.htm" target="_parent" title="Toucouleur web Home Page">Home</a></b></font><font size="4"><b> [</b></font></p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="right"><font size="2" color="green">Last Updated on: - 19 June, 2001</font></p> </body>