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62-587: Tindana (Plural Tindamba/Tindaanima) is a title for historical rulers of the Dagbon and many other related peoples of West Africa. The tindaanima ruled over these lands before the centralisation of the states by Naa Gbewaa and his descendants . Their historical roles had been religious and spiritual, although this has been changing, with Tindaanima like the Tamale Dakpema , actively engaged in traditional political rulership. The Tindaanima are not appointed by

124-520: A distinct constitutional position before it became part of the British Togoland . Today, the Yaa Naa 's court remains at Yendi. The kingdom is divided into territorial chiefdoms, categorised from divisional to village chieftaincies. Certain chieftaincies, such as Karaga , Savalugu and Mion , are reserved for the sons of the former Yaa Naa , and their occupancy qualifies one to test for

186-512: A lot of damage to the Dagomba people. Naa Luro, though victorious over the Gonja in a later battle, could not stand the sustained warfare and relocated the capital to Yendi. The Gonja followed eastward Naa Zanjina finally halted the Gonja attacks when he decisively defeated them and killed their chief, Kumpatia, at Sang near Yendi. Naa Zanjina not only is reputed to be the first Muslim ruler of

248-534: A mixture of flours. Bugum Chugu The Buɣim Chuɣu (Fire Festival) is the first Dagomba festival in the year. It is celebrated in the first month of the Dagomba lunar year, the Bugum Goli (the month of fire), and is celebrated on the ninth day of the month. The festival is celebrated to remember the "lost son of a king" during ancient Dagbon . The origin of the Bugum Festival dates back to

310-903: A neutral zone called Salaga Area , stretching from Yeji to Yendi, that was established to forestall conflict between the Germans and the British . Dagbon had to fight the Germans to the East, resist the British to the West and South, and the French were to the North. The Germans failed to capture Dagbon after multiple attempts. After the Battle of Adibo , Yendi, the capital of Dagbon was deserted. The Gbewaa Palace

372-590: A scholarly family with a unique responsibility of the preservation of historical and genealogical knowledge structured around the lineage of chiefs and royal families. The head of the Lunsi is the Namo Naa. Their method of historical preservation involves the recitation and rhythmic drumming of proverbs, each laden with references to the history of the Dagbon royalty and their achievements. Through this oral tradition,

434-432: A semi-autonomous intellectual and spiritual elite. Notably, certain writings took on a scientific and technological character, such as works related to agriculture, medicine, pharmacology, and metallurgy. These writings not only underscore their independent economic standing but also illustrate that Mole learning was intricately linked to various societal activities, organizations, and institutions. The Lunsi of Dagbon form

496-509: A stable kingdom and a reign marked by stability and prosperity. Gbewaa fathered the following children After Gbewaa's death, his children led by his son Shitobu settled briefly at the town of Gambaga before moving south to Namburugu , near Karaga , where he resided. The king became known as Yaa Naa , meaning "king of strength/power". As Sitobu moved south, he unified indigenous Dagombas , Konkomba , Nafeba, Basare and Chamba , who did not have centralised political structures, except for

558-452: A stable political organisation by installing his sons, brothers and uncles as rulers over the conquered people. The surviving tindaamba continued to function as earth priests. In the late 19th century, Dagbon was threatened at all angles. The Germans were expanding from the East, the British from the South, and the French from the North and East. The Germans invaded Dagbon in 1896. After

620-458: A tree. He soon fell asleep. The other children forgot of him and went home when they finished playing. In the evening, the parents (king and wife) did not see him. The king thought he was with the mother and the mother also thought the child was with the father. After supper that the mother called on the king to take the child to bed. It was at that moment that they found that the child was not with any of them. The king ordered his subjects to go round

682-669: A tropical savanna climate, characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons. The predominant vegetation type is Guinean forest–savanna mosaic , characterized by a band of interlaced forest, savanna, and grassland. Dagbon scholars used a modified Arabic script, the Dagbanli Script, in its communication. Dr. Phllis Ferguson describes it as lexically  Arabic , but syntactically  Dagbani . Much of this writing system has been lost due European colonisation. Archives and manuscripts that were housed in Moliyili were burn during

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744-463: Is a Gur language and all tribes who celebrate the festivals are Gur: Mamprusi , Nanumba , Gonja , Waala and Chakosi/Anufo. One may argue that because they are among the Gur people that they adopted the festival. When the people are celebrating Bugum Chugu, they dance ziem even to this very day. Ziem is a dance for the tindaamba. It is older than any other dance in Dagbon. It is played with gungong, which

806-567: Is about six hundred years old. Bugum Chugu was celebrated before the arrival of the Islam. Now, the festival is celebrated by both Muslims, Christians and Traditionalists alike. The celebration of the festival starts on the ninth day of Bugum Goli. Normally, except essential services such as fetching of water, grinding of flour, sale of meat and taking care of the sick, no work is allowed to be done on any Dagomba festival day. So on this day everyone (men, women and children) stays at home. The men start

868-420: Is an important part of the culture of Dagbon. There are several types of dances performed individually or in groups. The kingdom holds the largest iron ore reserve in the country. Trees: Shrubs: Herbaceous plants: Grasslands: Common foods include sakoro (pounded yam), and tuya (rice and beans) Traditional breakfast is made of koko or kukuaɣli (porridge) made from either of maize, millet, guinea or

930-499: Is led a little distance from where the crowd is gathered to cast away his lit-up torch. He moves back into the palace as the multitude of people yell and chant in a war-like manner amidst the deafening sound of the tom-tom and drums. There is usually a spot at the outskirts of the town where the multitude of people move to for the celebration of the Bugum Festival. Everybody holds high his or her burning torch. To prevent drops of fire from falling onto their clothes and burning them, many of

992-513: Is older than any instrument in Dagbon. The people also play ziem when they are going to war. It is played when there is a communal labor. They again play ziem when a tindana 'land priest' dies. The early kings quickly adopted the playing of ziem during the installation and death of Yaan Naa and chiefs to make them acceptable to the aboriginal Dagbamba. In the olden days not all villages had the gungong, because of that villages which were closer to each other used to meet in one village where they celebrate

1054-462: Is the head of all female chiefs, and Zosimli Naa forges friendships, collaborations, and friendships. On 18 January 2019 Yaa Naa Abubakari Mahama , was elected by Dagbon's kingmakers as king. The Lunsi are the court historians of Dagbon and play the foremost role in preserving the kingdom's history. They constitute a guild of specialists charged with the duty of preserving historical and genealogical information, duly arranged in accordance with

1116-619: The British-administered mandated territories established by the League of Nations and reunited with the west, allowing the Yaa Naa to resume control of his people. The British implemented indirect rule, in which Dagomba chiefs administered local government. The British largely neglected the economic development of Dagbon. To pay the head tax the British imposed, Dagomba had to migrate to the southern Gold Coast to work in mines and on cocoa plantations. The Kingdom of Dagbon enjoyed

1178-504: The German Invasion and Loot of Dagbon . Significant amount of this archives were transported to Denmark in the twentieth century. Today, Dagbon uses an English derived writing system. There were several scholarly clans in ancient Dagbon, some of them are now lost to time. A prominent family was Moliyili, House of Moli/Mole. Moliyili had support and substantial material resources for their intellectual endeavours from Yaa Naa ,

1240-602: The Mali Empire . Archaeological evidence suggest that there were thriving civilisation in Dagbon before the neolithic period. There is evidence of agricultural activities and iron industries during the neolithic period. The progenitors of modern Dagomba, the aboriginal Dagombas, are known locally as Dagbon Sablisi. During this period, Dagbon was a decentralised society. It was made of Tinsi( towns) which were headed by Tindaanima (singular: tindana). The Tindaamba mainly oversaw spiritual and religious activities. They undertook

1302-694: The Yaa Naa 's protective prayers. At the Yaa Naa 's palace, Muslim titles, a sign of the integration of Muslim elders into the political structure, included the Walgu Naa , who made sure that the Yaa Naa had his portion to "Drink the Qur'an "; the Nayil Liman, the imam of the Yaa Naa , and the Yidan Kambala, were also credited with the imamship. The extension of trade with the Dyula, and later with

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1364-564: The Yaa Naa , although they are under his authority. Tindana is derived from the Dagbanli words: Tiŋ/Ting (Land/Town/City) and Dana (Lord/Owner). Kingdom of Dagbon The kingdom was formed when Naa Gbewaa and his descendants unified the Dagomba and related peoples who were ruled by decentralised chieftains known as Tindaamba . The antecedents of the Dagomba prior to Gbewaa's consolidation remain largely elusive, paralleled by

1426-531: The 100-man well-armed German army. In 1899 the British and the Germans split Dagbon between German Togoland and the Gold Coast . After the death of Yaa Na Andani II in August 1899, disputes over succession to the Dagbon throne were ongoing: Andani's eldest son aspired to become Na of Savelugu and had asked the Dagomba elders to promote the current Savelugu Na to supreme Yaa Naa.  However, this suggestion

1488-590: The Aad, a prehistoric Arab tribe that succeeded Noah and his people. This version of the festival's origin is problematic for several reasons. First, such a festival is not celebrated by the Muslim world. Second, the Mamprusi who are related to the Dagomba through their common ancestor Naa Gbewa believe in the traditional story. Finally, Dagbamba (Dagomba) do not originate from Aad and had nothing to do with Arabs. Dagbani

1550-611: The Andani House, was murdered together with forty-two of his elders in a war by supporters of the Abudu House. After eight years, on 10 April 2010, around thirty to forty people were arrested for the murder in Yendi and parts of Accra in preparation for prosecution. On 16 November 2018, a Mediation Committee that consisted of three Eminent Chiefs finalized its plan to resolve the conflict in Dagbon. The two Houses agreed to

1612-532: The Bugum Chugu and danced Ziem. Even now, it is still happening. Bugum Chugu is a typical traditional festival celebrated with traditional and local tools such as torches and the celebrants dress like warriors and they often carry cudgels and cutlasses along. They play and dance ziem as they celebrate the festival. On the night of the festival, people gather in mosques for prayers. Walgu is then shared among participants and children who drink it for blessings for

1674-639: The Committees proposal that the Abudu Royal family perform the funeral rites of the late Yaa Naa Mahamadu Abdulai from 14 to 28 of December 2018. Next was to be the funeral of the late Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II, from 4–19 January 2019. Both obsequies took place at the old Gbewaa Palace in Yendi. The Sapashina are the military of the Kingdom Dance is called Waa in the Dagbani language. Dancing

1736-610: The Dagbon, but is also credited with encouraging trade. With the relocation of the capital to Yendi and the return of peace, a Muslim community emerged at the Yaa Naa 's palace at Yendi. The Dyula , of Mande origin, led by Sabali-Yarna, and the Hausa Muslims, led by the Kamshe Naa, bolstered Islamic influence in the kingdom. Beginning with the Sabali-Yarna, and later the Kamshe Naa, these people became responsible for

1798-679: The German invasion of Eastern Dagbon at the Battle of Adibo , Eastern Dagbon fell to the Germans. The centuries-old Gbewaa Palace was burnt. Eastern Dagbon became part of German Togoland and Western Dagbon became part of the British Gold Coast as a protectorate, not a colony. The British presence prevented further German attacks into Western Dagbon. Following World War I , eastern Dagbon became part of British Togoland . The Gold Coast achieved independence in 1957 and became Ghana. The result of interference of British and German imperialism

1860-476: The Gold Coast colony and gathered up with those who had fled Yendi. These Dagomba thought they were protected from the Germans, but Rigler still attacked them in British territory on 7 April. The German troops killed at least 83 people in the battle, including Andani's son. After coming back to Yendi, Rigler appointed Alasan as the new Yaa Naa of Dagbon. Following World War I , eastern Dagbon became part of

1922-741: The Hausa, linked the Dagbon state with neighbouring kingdoms, like the Fezzan , Egypt , and the Bight of Benin . By 1788, Yendi was said to be bigger than Kumasi and Salaga . It was culturally closer to, and was the result of, other Sahelian kingdoms , especially to the Mossi Kingdoms , Mali Empire , Songhai Empire , and Hausa Bakwai , with which Dagbon were major trading partners for salt, kola nuts . When Naa Gbewaa died, many subkingdoms arose including Mamprugu and Nanung .  While Gbewaa

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1984-512: The King of Dagbon. The Mole were granted a degree of administrative and legal independence and protection from external interference. They thrived due to robust economic and political backing, which enabled them to engage in continuous intellectual pursuits. The diverse range of topics covered in their manuscripts, spanning chronicles, biographies, jurisprudence, pilgrimage guides, Arabic linguistics, and Qur'anic commentaries, mirrors their status as

2046-568: The Lunsi not only safeguard the historical legacy of their people but also serve as the storytellers who continually reaffirm the profound connection between the citizens and their revered royal ancestors. Dagbon resisted colonisation as it had a well organised and powerful army. It was a protectorate, not a colony, allowing chiefs in the Kingdom to have independence other chiefs in Southern Ghana did not have. In 1888, Dagbon became part of

2108-682: The Namship, or head chiefdom, at Yendi. Lesser chieftaincies are reserved for grandsons. Succession to the Nam has always rotated among the three royal houses, now reduced to two–the Andani and the Abudu. Over the past century, the Dagomba have faced repeated succession disputes. Following the death of Yaa-Na Mahama II in 1954, a succession dispute arose and the federal government sent troops to Yendi and intervened. In March 2002, Ya Naa Yakubu Andani II , from

2170-690: The Songhay forced Kpogonumbo and his followers southward. Kpogonumbo then seized power and ruled over Biun in Gurma . His son, Naa Gbewaa (or Bawa), left Biun with some of his followers to settle at Pusiga in the northeastern corner of Ghana, where he ruled until he became blind. His grave is located at Pusiga in the Upper East Region. Naa Gbewaa's son, Zirili, succeeded him. Not much is known of Zirili. His younger brothers–Tohagu, Shitobu and Gmantambo–each of them travelled outward eventually expanding

2232-576: The ambiguous origins of the Gbewaa lineage . Presently, governance within Dagbon entails a coalescence of authority between the Tindaamba and chiefs.The history of Dagbon is complex and misconceptions often arise regarding the Dagomba's origins, erroneously positing external origins. While lineage of chiefs are external, historical evidence affirms the presence and integral role of both the Tindaamba and

2294-610: The borders of the Dagbon Kingdoms. Naa Gbewaa remains in the histories of the kingdoms of Dagbon and the kingdoms of the Mamprugu and Nanumba , as their first king, founding their ruling dynasties through these sons. Gbewaa established Dagbon in present-day northern Ghana, unifying small decentralised states headed by the Tindaamba . He was resident in Pusiga . Unlike his predecessors who were migratory, Gbewaa established

2356-448: The boys take them to the homes of the recipients. As the afternoon approaches most house owners kill fowl, guinea-fowl, goats or sheep to feast on. The feast is done both in the afternoon and in the evening. Homes that cannot afford animals or fowl may buy meat from the butchers. The most common soup for supper on the night of the festival is made from the leaves of a tree called puhuga (Tamaridus Indica). Even though every home cooks food for

2418-426: The celebrators wet their clothes. Except for a few girls who are daredevils, women are hardly seen in the crowd. They usually stay in their homes or at the outside of the palace until the crowd returns. Then they join in the closing chants and dance for the evening. The people hold not only their torches but also swords, cutlasses , knives, bows, arrows and cudgels . The mood of the people is war-like. The atmosphere

2480-434: The day and the night, everybody distributes food to friends and relatives. There is so much food for the day that not even half of it would be eaten. After eating the evening meal, morsels and pieces of meat are cut and placed on the short walls in the house. This food is said to be for the dead ancestors of the person who put it there. The food is also said to be for God. The people make their vows and declarations while placing

2542-423: The day moving round each other's homes to say good morning and Happy New Year. Everyone is heard saying "Ni ti yuun palli" (literally and our new year ). After a brief exchange of the new year greetings, people sit at home and engage in normal conversation. The young boys look for dry grass to prepare long torches for distribution to their grandparents, grand aunts, grand uncles and maternal uncles. After preparation,

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2604-579: The festival states that it dates back to the time the Prophet Noah landed his Ark on Mount Arafat . According to this tradition, when the Ark of Noah landed at the end of the floods the passengers lit torches to 1) find their way around and 2) to find the son of prophet Noah who failed to enter the Ark when it set out with the believers. To buttress this claim of the origin of the Bugum Festival, some Muslim Dagombas further claim that they are descendants of

2666-454: The food on the walls. They ask God to give them a long life, or a husband, or children or any other thing. They vow to do or abstain from some action. The actual ceremony for the festival starts after the evening meal. The drum beater comes to the palace to sound the drum. He, through the drumming, summons the tom-tom beaters and the Elders of the state the in palace. As they arrive one after

2728-583: The general Dagomba populace within the fabric of Dagbon society, prior to Gbewaa. During the kingdom's rise, it established Ghana's oldest learning institution, the University of Moliyili , as a centre for learning and craftmanship, pioneered a writing system, and established centres of healing for the sick, similar to modern hospitals. Dagbon is one of the few kingdoms in Africa where certain chieftaincy titles are reserved for women. They rule, ascend to

2790-472: The hinterland. Naa Andani, however, had already told German colonial administrator Hans Gruner beforehand that he believed that "it is the white man who makes the roads unsafe". In 1896, the Germans led by Valentin von Massow , Hans Gruner and Gaston Thierry clashed with the Dagomba at the Battle of Adibo , destroyed Yendi and made away with valuables. It was a massacre, as the 7,000-man, poorly equipped Dagomba army merely rushed with their bows and arrows at

2852-623: The king of Dagbon's court remains at the city of Yendi. The kingdom is divided into territorial chiefdoms, categorised from divisional to village chieftaincies. The monarch of Dagbon is known as the Yaa Naa . The capital of Dagbon was relocated from Yani Dabari (Ruins of Yani), near Diare , to current Yani ( Yendi ) in the east because of the invasion of the Gonja people . Gonja attacks in Western Dagbon (Tomo), especially at Daboya dealt

2914-461: The king or the chief used to be the first to lite the fire with his torch. The chief did not go far and dropped his torch and returned home. The people continued the practice and used to go to the evil tree and threw their torches on it. While marching to the evil tree, they played and danced ziem, a dance for the tindaamba 'land priests'. The people used to and still dress as warriors when celebrating Bugum Chugu in Dagbon. An alternate origin story of

2976-471: The neighborhood in search for the son. They did not find him. Even, the children he went out with could not remember. The king quickly assembled his warriors and told them what had transpired. The warriors were instructed to look for the son. Because it was at night and dark, the people lit torches in search of him. Finally they found him under a tree deeply asleep. They sent him to his parents who were desperately waiting for his arrival. The parents thought that

3038-464: The new year. On the morning after the celebration, prayers are again said at various chief palaces and prophecies are said about the upcoming year. Prophecies include possibility of bumper harvest, drought, fires, births, diseases and deaths. Islam became a state religion in Dagbon by Naa Zanjina . However, there is evidence of Islam in Dagbon prior to Naa Zangina. For example, the Larabanga mosque

3100-445: The office of the tindana –the earth priest. The tindana presided over ritual ceremonies and acted as a mediator between the people and the gods of the land. Sitobu's son, Naa Nyaɣsi (r. 1416–1432) succeeded him and embarked on a war of expansion, overthrowing many of the Tindaamba and holding sway over the indigenous people. Naa Nyagsi established his capital at Yani Dabari , located in the area of Diyali , near Tamale , and developed

3162-420: The other, the commoners also come along. When everybody is gathered outside the palace, the Elders of state led by a wulana, the chief linguist, enter the chief's court to invite him outside. Some of the Elders lead the way and the chief follows. The rest of the elders follow the chief. Before the chief comes out, everybody is ready with his or her torch of grass. The chief is the first to light his torch. The chief

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3224-634: The pacification of the tingbana (earth gods), bina (gods), and buga (idols). Today, each town has a tindana who still oversee thes religious activities. Festivals like the Bugum Chugu can be traced back to this era. Similarly, musical instrunments like the Gungong and dances like the Zhem are all from this period. Naa Gbewaa lineage traces back to Tohazhie, the Red (fair-skinned) Hunter. These histories narrate

3286-457: The position of chieftaincy with male subjects, and own regal lands. The contribution of its women is prominent as it has given birth to Ghana's first female minister, and Africa's first female cabinet minister. Historically, its noble daughter, Yennenga , is regarded as the "mother" of the Mossi kingdoms , a people who constitute nearly half of the nation of Burkina Faso . The Gundo Naa

3348-568: The royals of Dagbon. These are the House of Abudu and the House of Andani . The royals of Dagbon are skilled in statecraft, lobbying and royal politics. The current Yaa Naa is a member of the House of Andani and the leader of his military wing the Tolon Naa is from the Abudu House. Royals in Dagbon compete intensely for chieftaincy titles but work collaboratively after ascensions. Dagbon experiences

3410-472: The story of Tohazhie, who left Tunga, east of Lake Chad , with a small band of cavalry men into Zamfara , present-day Nigeria, before moving on to Mali . Tohazhie married the daughter of the king of Mali, Pag Wabiga, and fathered a son, Kpoginumbo(Ʒinani). After serving briefly in Mali, Kpogonumbo and his followers came into conflict with the rising Songhay Empire in western Africa, and reprisal attacks from

3472-568: The succession of chiefs and noble lineages. Earlier history is known through the Lunsi and early Ajami writers. Later history is better known, because in addition to court historians, there are other sources of information, some of them independent of events in Dagbon itself. The Kingdom was founded by Naa Gbewaa , a great-grandson of a famous warrior named Tohaʒee . Tohazie fathered Kpuɣnambo (ʒinani) and these line of successors journeyed from east of Lake Chad , stopping at several places including Zamfara , present-day northern Nigeria , and in

3534-442: The time when one king lost his dear son. The name of the king and the said son are no longer known. It is thought that the event took place before the unification of Dagbon by Naa Gbewaa . Naa Gbewaa and his descendants started chieftaincy in Dagbon , Gmamprugu , Nanung , Wala , Mossi , Bouna , etc. The story has it that a child went out to play with his colleagues and as they played, he became tired and went and laid down under

3596-432: The tree stole the child and hid him. They therefore considered the tree an evil tree and threw the torches they were carrying on that tree and shamed it. The community at that time regarded that particular tree as an evil tree and many feared it. The king decreed that the event should be marked yearly to commemorate the event. Every year they assembled in front of the king's palace to celebrate the festival. When they set fire,

3658-561: Was a kingdom that was significantly robbed of its once invaluable traditional artifacts, beautiful way of life and a divided Kingdom whose wounds would not completely heal till the second decade of the 21st century. The division of Dagbon by the Germans and British without regard to the peoples history brought several challenges, mainly in its traditional leadership. The Kingdom since around the 1920s has been characterised by repeated succession disputes and conflict mainly from British and German Imperial interference in Dagbon's succession. Today,

3720-458: Was burnt and Eastern Dagbon came under German control. Western Dagbon ultimately came under British control. Yendi, where the Yaa Naa resided, came under German control, separating the Yaa Naa from his people in the west. From the point of view of German colonialists, the influential Yaan Naa Andani II had disturbed the trade route from the coast to Sansanné-Mangu , a German colonial station in

3782-524: Was met with disagreement from Alasan, Na of Karaga, who claimed the throne for himself. German colonial governor August Köhler himself supported Alasan's claim and, in late March 1900, called for a military expedition who was then led by the colonial administrator in Sansanné-Mangu, Friedrich Rigler. The latter led his troops to Yendi on 5 April 1900 but found the town deserted. Meanwhile, Na Andani's eldest son Idi had moved with his retinue to Sang in

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3844-639: Was still alive, his daughter Yennenga , travelled north and founded the Mossi Kingdoms of Ouagadougou (Dagbani: Waɣaduɣu), Tenkodogo (Dagbani: Tingkurgu) Yatenga (Dagbani: Yatiŋa), and Fada N'Grumah , who constitute the majority of present-day Burkina Faso . Other kingdoms that emerged from Dagbon include the Bouna Kingdom of Ivory Coast, and the Dagaaba states of the Upper West Region of Ghana. There are two main houses among

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