The Dagomba are known for their hospitality, tolerance and accommodation of diverse cultures and belief systems. Their religion is the Dagbon Traditional Religion, but Islam has been around for nearly a millennium. In the late 1600s, King Zanjina, became the first ruler to practise Islam.[8] The reign of Zanjina ushered in an era of greater prosperity. Many learning centres were established and scholarship became an important part of tradition. In 1700, the university town of Moliyili was established,[9][10] but was later abandoned during European colonization. The Dagomba resisted European Colonization even after Germany burnt down and occupied its capital, Yendi,[11][12] located in Eastern Dagbon (Naya).
The Dagomba are one of few African people who reserve royal titles for women. Dagomba women rule, ascend to royal positions with male subjects, and own regal lands.[13][14][15][16] The impact of its women is prominent as it has given birth to Ghana's first female minister,[17][18] and Africa's first female cabinet minister.[19][20] Historically, its noble daughter, Yennenga, is regarded as the "mother" of the Mossi kingdoms,[21][22][23] a people who constitute nearly half of the nation of Burkina Faso. The Gundo Naa is the head of all female chiefs, and the Zosimli Naa enhances collaboration between cities of Dagbon and sister cities.[24][25]
The Dagombas established several schools prior to European arrivals in Africa. A later but more known institution is the university town of Moliyili, established in 1700.[9][10] Moliyili had a hierarchical scholastic system similar to what is found in modern universities. The Dagomba have a writing system,[26] the Dagbani script, which uses a modified Arabic alphabet but Dagbani syntax.[10] The archival manuscripts have been lost, but many transferred to Denmark. After joining Gold Coast as a protectorate (not colony), the Dagombas adopted the Greek and Latin alphabets.[27][28]
Women are held in high regard, and children fear the displeasure and wrath of the mother. Brothers protect the dignity of sisters at all cost. The Dagombas are one of the few peoples in Africa to have female chiefs who possess regal lands and rule over male subjects.[29][30] Closest family bonds are termed "Mabihili". Both males and females in such a close family bond refer to each other as Mabia (mother's child), signifying the importance of the mother. Motherland is termed Mayili and fatherland is termed Bayili. There is no English equivalent of Mabihili.
In Dagomba society, there are several gods (singular: wuni, plural: wuna).[31] The chief (Naa) of all these gods is Naawuni.[32][33] Each city has a shrine (buɣli). For example, the shrine of the People of Tolon is Jaagbo,[34][35] and that of Nyankpala is Wonoyili. There are many soothsayers (baɣa) whom people consult for prophesies and solutions to their problems.[36] The inheritance of many soothsaying is through a maternal brother.
Many Christian evangelical groups have launched failed campaigns to convert the Dagomba.[37][38] However, the Dagomba continue practising its traditional religion and Islam. The arrival of Islam to the Dagomba brought prosperity,[39][40] whiles, Christianity was brought by Europeans, who burnt their cities and displaced its people.[41][42] Today, the Dagomba have provided free lands to many Christian missionaries to undertake their activities. While Islamic schools do not mandate students to worship or visit mosques, Christian schools makes worship compulsory for all students, even for members of the Dagbon Traditional Religion and Islam.
The Dagombas celebrate the oldest festivals in Ghana, including the Fire Festival, which existed prior to the formation of the Kingdom of Dagbon. Other festivals include the Damba Festival, Guinea Fowl (Kpini Chuɣu) Festival and Yam Festival (Nyuli Dibu), Konyuri Chuɣu (Eid Al-Fitr), Chimsi Chuɣu (Eid AL-Adha).[36] Other minor localized festivals that are celebrated included the Market Festival (Daa Chuɣu) by the people of Tolon.
Naa Gbewaa is the founder of the Dagbon Kingdom. Earlier Dagombas prior to Naa Gbewaa lived in decentralized states. Gbewaa, and his descendants, centralized the kingdom. The decentralized states were headed by the Tindaamba. Today, the Tindaamba still preserve the ancient Dagbon traditions that have been passed through the ages, leading traditional religious acts and solving problems of their constituents. The Tindaamba are not appointed by the Yaa Naa, they are chosen by an oracle. Inheritance is both patrilineal and matrilineal. Royalty in Dagbon is complex as it has evolved through the centuries. Dagomba are one of the ethnic groups with a sophisticated oral tradition woven around drums and other musical instruments. Thus, Dagbon history has been passed down meticulously via oral tradition, with drummers as professional griots known as Lunsi.[45] According to oral tradition, the political history of Dagbon has its origin in the life story of a legend called Tohazie (translated as "red hunter").[46]
Dagombas practise both Islam and the Dagbon Traditional Religion. Islam was brought to the region by Soninke (known as Wangara by Ghanaians) traders between the 12th and 15th centuries. Since the time of Naa Zanjina, Islam has been the state religion and Islam seems to be growing rapidly ever since.[47] The reformist activities of Afa Ajura in the middle of the twentieth century caused entire communities to embrace the Islamic religion en masse. Inheritance in the Dagomba people is largely patrilineal, however, inheritance of certain Tindaamba is matrilineal. There are also female rulers with male subordinates, such as the Gundo Naa and the Kpatu Naa. The Gundo Naa has vast land and head all female royals of Dagbon. Important festivals include the Damba, Bugum (fire festival) and the Islamic Eid festivals. The largest settlement of the Dagomba is Tamale, Ghana's third populous and the Northern Region's capital.
The Mossi and Dagomba states are among the great West African medieval empires. Beginning in the 12th century, they eventually ruled the lands of the entire northern Volta basin, which today includes all of northern Ghana and Burkina Faso. During their second northern expansion, the Mossi invasion reached eastern Maasina and Lake Débo c. 1400, Benka in c. 1433 and Walata in 1477-83 (these empires were in present-day Mali). According to Illiasu (1971) in his work The Origins of the Mossi-Dagomba states, the second period of the Mossi-Dagomba success came to an end with the restoration of Imperial Songhai power towards the close of the 15th century. Although the Mossi-Dagomba states have the same grandfather (Naa Gbewa), the Dagomba are traditionally regarded as "senior" to the Mossi states of Ouagadougou, Yatenga and Fada N'Gourma.
Origins
Northern territories chiefs and elders at the Volta River project travelling exhibition (1950)
The Dagombas have inhabited Northern for thousands of years. Some members of the ruling class descended from Naa Gbewaa, whose ancestors migrated from around the areas of Lake Chad after the break up of the Ghana Empire at the end of the 13th Century.[48][49] Gbewaa unified the Dagomba people into a kingdom. Chiefs who are descendants of Gbewaa are the Nanima (singular: Naa) and aboriginal chiefs are the Tindaamba (singular: Tindana).[50] Other important chiefs such the chiefs of Tolon, Kumbungu and Gulkpeɣu (Tamale) may not be descendants of Gbewaa.[51]
The homeland of the Dagombas is called Dagbon and covers about 20,000km2 in area. The territories of Dagbon was decentralised until the Great Unification by the Nanima. The Dagomba share close bonds with related people whose lands were also unified. This include the Mamprusi, Nanumba, Gonja, Mossi, Gurunsi (in particular the Frafra and Kusasi peoples), the Wala people and Ligbi. The area constitutes fourteen administrative districts in present-day Ghana. These are the Tamale Metropolitan, Yendi, Savelugu and Sagnerigu municipals, and Tolon, Kumbungu, Nanton, Gushegu, Karaga, Zabzugu, Saboba, Sang, Tatale and Cheriponi districts. The king of the Dagbon Traditional Kingdom is the Ya-Na, whose court and administrative capital is at Yendi. Dagbon as a kingdom has never been subjugated until it was incorporated as a territory of the Gold Coast government. The Dagbon Kingdom has traditional administrative responsibilities hitherto acephalous groups like the Konkomba, Bimoba, Chekosi, Basaari, Chamba, Wala, Gurusi and Zantasi. The Dagombas have cordial and respectful relationships to these froups. The seat of the Yaa Naa or king of Dagbon (literally translated as "King of Absolute Power") is a collection of lion and cow skins. Thus, the Dagbon or its political system is often called the Yendi Skin (not throne or crown or stool).[citation needed] Another characteristic of the Dagomba is that their houses are arranged in a certain order, where the chief or elderly man has his hut built in the centre.[citation needed]
Chieftaincy
One of the major features of Dagomba society is chieftaincy. Their system of chieftaincy is very hierarchical, with the Yaa Naa, or paramount King, at its head and a tiered system of rulers below him. In Dagbon, chiefs traditionally sit on a stack of skins.[52]
Dagomba Festivals
The people of Ghana's Dagbon Kingdom celebrate a number of festivals. Festivals held in Dagbon include the Bugum festival (fire festival), Damba, and Kpini (festival of Guinea fowl). Additionally, there is the Chimsi festival and Konyuri chuɣu (Festival of Breaking the Fast).[53]
Bugum festival (fire festival)
Bugum Festival also known as the Fire festival is an occasion where families gather for communal celebrations, rituals, and joy at the Fire festival in order to honor their ancestors, ask for blessings, and ward off evil spirits.[54] Many different ethnic groups in Northern Ghana celebrate this festival. Most attendees of the festivity are both Muslims and non-Muslims. Muslims celebrate the fire festival, known as Bugum, to commemorate the arrival of Prophet Noah's (Nuhu) Ark following the flood. During the night, bundles of grass are utilized as torches to celebrate. Since the celebration brings in a new year, some non-Muslims use this time to give sacrifices to God and their ancestors.[55]
Tamale is the capital city of the Northern Region of Ghana. It is Ghana's third largest city, with a population of 950,000. The city has been ranked as the fastest-growing city in West Africa. It is located 600 km (370 mi) north of Accra.
Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II (1945–2002) was the King of Dagbon, the traditional kingdom of the Dagomba people in northern Ghana, from 31 May 1974 until his assassination on 27 March 2002. He was born in August 1945 in Sagnarigu, a suburb of Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana. Yakubu II was killed on 27 March 2002 at Yendi, the capital of the Kingdom of Dagbon, by unknown people when clashes broke out between the two feuding Gates of Dagbon Kingship. For 600 years the Abudu and Andani clans, named after two sons of the ancient Dagbon king Ya Naa Yakubu I, cordially rotated control of the kingdom centred in Yendi, 530 kilometres (330 mi) north of Accra, the capital of Ghana. A regent acted as sovereign of the kingdom until 18 January 2019 when a new ruler is chosen to occupy the revered Lion Skins of Yendi.
Dagbani, also known as Dagbanli or Dagbanle, is a Gur language spoken in Ghana and Northern Togo. Its native speakers are estimated around 1,170,000. Dagbani is the most widely spoken language in northern Ghana, specifically among the tribes that fall under the authority of the King of Dagbon, known as the Yaa-Naa. Dagbon is a traditional kingdom situated in northern Ghana, and the Yaa-Naa is the paramount chief or king who governs over the various tribes and communities within the Dagbon kingdom.
Yendi , is the traditional capital of the Kingdom of Dagbon and the administrative centre of the Yendi Municipal District in the Northern Region of Ghana. As of 2021, the population of Yendi was 154,421 comprising 76,142 males and 78,279 females. It is the seat of the King of the Dagbon, Ghana's oldest kingdom.
The Northern Region is one of the sixteen regions of Ghana. It is situated in the northern part of the country and ranks as the second largest of the sixteen regions. Before its division, it covered an area of 25,000 square kilometres, representing 10 percent of Ghana's area. In December 2018, the Savannah Region and North East Region were created from it. The Northern Region is divided into 16 districts. The region's capital is Tamale, Ghana's third largest city.
Yennenga was a legendary princess, considered the mother of the Mossi people of Burkina Faso. She was a famous warrior precious for her father, Naa Gbewaa or Nedega, the founder of the kingdom of Dagbon, now in present day Ghana. But the princess aspired to another destiny and decided to leave the kingdom. On the run with her horse, she meets a young hunter, Rialé with whom she had a child called Ouedraogo. Ouedraogo is a famous last name in Burkina Faso and means "male horse" in honor to the horse which leads the princess to Rialé. Yennenga or her son Ouedraogo are considered the founder of the Mossi Kingdoms. There are different versions about the escape of the princess.
The Buɣim Chuɣu is the first Dagomba festival in the year. It is celebrated in the first month of the Dagomba lunar year, the Bugum Goli, 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.
Mamprusis are an ethnic group in northern Ghana and Togo. Estimates are that there are about 200,000 Mamprusis living in the Northern Regions of Ghana as of 2013. They speak Mampruli, one of the Gur languages. In Ghana, the Mamprusis live mainly in Nalerigu, Gambaga, Walewale, and their surrounding towns and villages in the North East Region. Their origin is in the Upper East Region, principally, Bawku, and they also inhabit parts of the Upper West Region, too.
Naa Gbewaa is the founder of the Kingdom of Dagbon, in what is now northern Ghana. His sons and daughters are credited with founding several states, including the Mossi kingdoms of Burkina Faso. He established a stable and prosperous kingdom. Naa Gbewaa's shrine is located at Pusiga, 90 km east of Bolgatanga. His descendants continue to pay respects at the shrine.
The Damba festival is the largest festival in Ghana, celebrated by the peoples of the Northern, Savanna, North East, Upper East and Upper West Regions of Ghana. In recent times, Damba has become a multinational festival, attracting visitors from all over the world. The festival is annually celebrated in Germany, USA, and UK.
Dagbani music and dance is a core tradition of the Dagbamba of West Africa. The Dagbamba speak the Dagbanli language. They are the dominant ethnic group in the kingdom of Dagbon found in the Northern Region of Ghana. Music and dance plays a central role in Dagbon. It is through these arts that the Dagbamba have preserved their history over the centuries. The Dagbamba regard dancing as a form of emotional expression, social interaction, a spiritual performance or even physical exercise that aids them articulate or illustrate ideas or tell a story. In most cases, music in Dagbon is accompanied by dancing in order to form a complete story.
The Kingdom of Dagbon (Dagbaŋ) is the oldest and one of the most organised traditional kingdoms in Ghana founded by the Dagomba people (Dagbamba) in the 15th century. During its rise, it comprised, at various points, the Northern, Upper West, Upper East, Savannah Region and North East regions of present-day Ghana. It also covered portions of Burkina Faso, North East Ivory Coast and North West Togo. Since Ghana's independence in 1957, the Kingdom just like all of Ghana's kingdoms and ethnic states has assumed a traditional, customary role.
The Mole-Dagbon, also called Mossi-Dagbon or Mole-Dagbani are a meta-ethnicity and western Oti-Volta Gur ethno-linguistic group residing in six present-day West Africa countries namely: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali and Togo. They number more than 15 million. The Mole/Mossi/Moore people are located primarily in Burkina Faso while Dagbon is in Ghana.
The Nanumba people are an ethnic group whose traditional homeland is in the southeast of the Northern Region of Ghana. They speak Nanugli, a Gur language.
Bukali II, known as Gariba II, is the current Yaa Naa, traditional ruler of the Kingdom of Dagbon in Ghana.
The Yaa Naa is the king of Dagbon, the country of the Dagomba people which is located within present-day Ghana. The current Yaa Naa is Gariba II.
Gbewaa Palace is the seat of the Yaa Naa of the Kingdom of Dagbon. Located at Nayilifong along the Yendi-Saboba road in Yendi, Gbewaa Palace was named after the patriarch of the Mole-Dagbani people of Ghana. In 1896, The Gbewaa palace was burnt down and plundered during the German invasion of Dagbon. On March 4, 2023, Gariba II cut sod for the redevelopment of the palace.
Tindana 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 the Yaa Naa, although they are under his authority.
Moliyili also known as University of Moliyili was a historical centre of learning and craftsmanship in the West African kingdom of Dagbon. Presently, it is located within the Yendi Municipal District. Moliyili Flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries, and played a significant role in the kingdom's intellectual and cultural development. It had a clerical hierarchy administering educational centres led by the Yidan Moli. Today, the Yidan Moli is the head clergy officiating the Damba festival of the Yaa Naa, the king of Dagbon, who resides in the Gbewaa Palace of Northern Ghana.
↑ Staniland, Martin, ed. (1975), "The country and the people", The Lions of Dagbon: Political Change in Northern Ghana, African Studies, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.1–12, ISBN978-0-521-10143-1, retrieved 2023-10-22
↑ St.John Parsons, D. 1968, Legends of Northern Ghana. London: Longmans.
↑ A. K. Awedoba; Edward Salifu Mahama; Sylvanus M. A. Kuuire; Felix Longi (October 20, 2010). An Ethnographic Study of Northern Ghanaian Conflicts: Towards a Sustainable Peace. Sub-Saharan Publishers; revised edition. ASIN9988647387.
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