List of rulers of Wogodogo

The mogho naba ^{[lower-alpha 1]} of Wogodogo is the ruler ("king of the world") of Wogodogo, one of the Mossi Kingdoms located in present-day Burkina Faso. The kingdom takes its name from its historic capital, now the Burkinabe national capital of Ouagadougou. Although the most politically powerful of the Mossi Kingdoms, there was no Mossi "empire", and the Wogodogo king did not have authority over the other kingdoms. ^[1] The French colonial period and subsequent independence have reduced the power vested in the position, but the mogho naba retains an influential role in Burkina Faso. ^[2]

The position is typically hereditary, following male-only lines of descent. Originally, the position passed primarily to brothers (or even cousins), rather than to sons, but by the reign of Zombré had transitioned to its current order of succession, ^[3] where rule generally passes to the eldest living son of the previous ruler. Children born to sons who predecease their fathers are not eligible to inherit the title. However, a tribal council is ultimately responsible for selecting the mogho naba, and the heir apparent may be passed over if, for example, he is deemed physically unfit for the position's traditional role in war or if he would fail to uphold the dignity of the office (as in cases of adultery). ^[4] This council has traditionally included: the baloum naba, head of the king's servants; the gounga naba, leader of the infantry; the larale naba, keeper of the royal tombs; the kamsaogo naba, manager of the palace eunuchs; and the widi naba, the royal groom. ^[5]

Rulers of Wogodogo

The chronology of the Mossi Kingdoms prior to the French occupation is unclear. Historian Yamba Tiendrebeogo reconstructed the history of Wogodogo from Mossi oral tradition that included the lengths of the reigns of historical rulers. ^[6] Other scholars propose more recent dates for many pre-colonial events—setting the start of Oubri's reign around 1495 rather than 1182—and correspondingly shorter reigns for many rulers. ^[7]

As mogho naba of Tenkodogo

For further rulers of Tenkodogo, see List of rulers of the Mossi state of Tenkodogo.

The first Mossi Kingdom was centered around Tenkodogo. ^[8] Wogodogo, initially a client state of Tenkodogo, gradually grew in power until it was the dominant political power in the Mossi Kingdoms; nevertheless, the rulers of Tenkodogo prior to the formation of Wogodogo are counted as kings of Wogodogo by tradition. ^[6]

No.	Ruler	Rule began	Rule ended	Notes	Ref(s)
1	Ouedraogo		1132		[6]
2	Zoungrana	1132	1182		[6]

As mogho naba of Oubritenga

The first capital of Oubritenga ("Oubri's land") was Guilongou, near modern-day Ziniaré, ^[8] but typically moved to a village preferred by each new king upon his accession. ^[9]

No.	Ruler	Rule began	Rule ended	Notes	Ref(s)
3	Oubri	1182	1244		[6]
4	Naskiemdé	1244	1286		[6]
5	Nasbiré	1286	1307		[6]
6	Soarba	1307	1323		[6]
7	Gnignemdo	1323	1337		[6]
8	Koundoumié	1337	1358		[6]
9	Kouda	1358	1401		[6]
10	Dawingna	1401	1409		[6]
11	Zoétré Bousma	1409	1441		[6]
12	Niandfo	1441	1511		[6]
13	Nakienb-Zanga	1511	1541	Also known as Nakim	[6]
14	Namégué	1541	1542		[6]
15	Kiba	1542	1561		[6]
16	Kimba	1561	1582		[6]
17	Goabga	1582	1599		[6]
18	Guirga	1599	1605		[6]
19	Zanna	1605	1633		[6]
20	Oubi	1633	1659		[6]
21	Motiba	1659	1666		[6]
22	Warga	1666	1681		[6]

As mogho naba of Wogodogo

Naba Zombré relocated the capital to Wogodogo (Ouagadougou). ^[10]

No.	Ruler	Rule began	Rule ended	Notes	Ref(s)
23	Zombré	1681	1744		[6]
24	Saga I	1744	1762		[6]
25	Kom I	1762	1783		[6]
26	Doulougou	1783	1802		[6]
27	Sawadogo	1802	1834		[6]
28	Karfo	1834	1842		[6]
29	Baongo I	1842	1850		[6]
30	Koutou	1850	1871		[6]
31	Sanem	1871	1889		[6]
32	Wobgho	1889	21 January 1897 [11]	Also known as Boukari Koutou	[6]
33	Siguiri	28 January 1897 [11]	16 February 1905 [11]		[6]
34	Kom II	27 February 1905 [11]	12 February 1942 [11]		[6]
35	Saga II	23 March 1942 [11]	12 November 1957 [11]		[6]
36	Kougri	28 November 1957 [11]	8 December 1982 [11]		[6] [12]
37	Baongo II	December 1982 [11]	present		[12]

Scope of power

According to Titinga Frédéric Pacéré, ^[13] in tradition, he is considered all powerful with right of life and death on the inhabitants of Wogodogo and Oubritenga. In practice, his power was subject to the custom and law of the fathers. He personifies the empire and embodies its unity, but power is really in the hands of the court of the mogho naba, ministers who make decisions and govern the country. ^[14] This complex organisation of powers is materialised every Friday during the ceremony of the false departure of the king.

The mogho naba has no authority over the other kingdoms of Tenkodogo, Fada N'Gourma, Boussouma and Ouahigouya, whose sovereigns would be, like him, descendants of Yennenga. Traditionally, the rulers of these four kingdoms and the mogho naba avoid each other, but they happen to meet, such as happened in 1946 to consult on the reconstruction of the Upper Volta. ^[15]

Notes

1. Also spelled moro naba, morho naba, mogh-naba or moogo naaba, it combines the words for head (naba) of the world (moro).

References

1. Englebert 1996, p. 11.
2. Belsour, Camille (2015-09-23). "Qui est le Mogho Naaba, au centre des négociations au Burkina Faso?". SlateAfrique (in French). Retrieved 2018-05-16.
3. Levtzion 1975, pp. 186–187.
4. Ouedraogo 2000, p. 73–74.
5. Englebert 1996, pp. 13–14.
6. Tiendrebeogo, Yamba (1963). "Histoire traditionnelle des Mossi de Ouagadougou". Journal de la Société des Africanistes (in French). 33 (1): 7–46. doi:10.3406/jafr.1963.1365.
7. Rupley, Bangali & Diamitani 2013, pp. 155–156.
8. Rupley, Bangali & Diamitani 2013, p. 156.
9. Levtzion 1975, p. 186.
10. Rupley, Bangali & Diamitani 2013, p. 150.
11. Stewart, John (2006). African States and Rulers (Third ed.). Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 233. ISBN   0-7864-2562-8.
12. Rupley, Bangali & Diamitani 2013, p. 23.
13. Ainsi on a assassiné tous les mosse, p 83, 84, 85
14. Mahamadou Ouédraogo, Culture et développement en Afrique p 73-75
15. Lassina Simporé, « La métallurgie traditionnelle du fer et la fondation du royaume de Wogdogo» dans Crossroads / Carrefour Sahel: Cultural and technological developments in first millennium BC/AD West Africa, Africa Magna Verlag, 2009, p.251, note 3

Bibliography

• Englebert, Pierre (1996). Burkina Faso: Unsteady Statehood in West Africa. Routledge. ISBN   978-0-8133-3680-0.
• Levtzion, Nehemia (1975). "North-West Africa: from the Maghrib to the fringes of the forest". In Gray, Richard (ed.). The Cambridge History of Africa, Volume 4: from c. 1600 to c. 1790. Cambridge University Press. pp.  142–222. ISBN   978-0-521-20413-2.
• Ouedraogo, Mahamoudou (2000). Culture et Dévelopment en Afrique: Le Temps du Repositionnement (in French). L'Harmattan. ISBN   978-2-7384-9805-2.
• Rupley, Lawrence; Bangali, Lamissa; Diamitani, Boureima (2013). Historical Dictionary of Burkina Faso (Third ed.). Scarecrow Press. ISBN   978-0-8108-6770-3.