This is a timeline of the history and development of Serer religion and the Serer people of Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania. This timeline merely gives an overview of their history, consisting of calibrated archaeological discoveries in Serer countries, Serer religion, politics, royalty, etc. Dates are given according to the Common Era. For a background to these events, see Roog, Serer religion, Serer creation myth, Serer prehistory, Lamane, States headed by Serer Lamanes, Serer history and Serer people.
Prehistory
The Takrur period represents the prehistory of the Serer people. The Senegalese, Namandiru and Waalo period inaugurates Serer history.Gravrand, Henry, "La civilisation Sereer, Cosaan", p 62
Medieval era (The Golden Age of West Africa)
9th century 800 AD: John Trimingham lists states on the Senegal:"800 States on the Senegal: Sanghana (Serer), Takrur, Silla, and Galam (Soninke)."Trimingham, John Spencer, "A history of Islam in West Africa", Oxford University Press, USA, 1970, p 234 Many of the Serer village and town names they have founded still survives today.
850 AD: A state centered around Takrur may have developed at this time, either as an influx of Fulani from the east settled in the Senegal valley. or according to John Donnelly Fage formed through the interaction of Berbers from the Sahara and "Negro agricultural peoples" who were "essentially Serer".
11th century
Early 11th century: According to Serer tradition Lamane Jegan Joof founded Tukar (part of present-day Senegal). 1030: War Jabi usurped the throne of Takrur following a revolution and made himself King of Takrur. 1035: Around this time, War Jabi the revolutionist converted to Islam and introduced forced conversion of his subjects as well as Sharia law with the guidance of his Almoravid allies, Abdallah ibn Yasin in particular. Much of his religious persecution was directed at the Serer people who refused to submit to Islam as well as the Serer Lamanic class, the guardians of Serer religion and holders of economic and political power (see Persecution of the Serers). From this point to 1042, the Serers of Takrur became the subject of persecution and jihads by the African converts to Islam such as the Fula and Toucouleurs with their Almoravid allies.Page, Willie F., "Encyclopedia of African history and culture: African kingdoms (500 to 1500)", p209. Vol.2, Facts on File (2001), Despite their strong resistance, the Serers were eventually defeated by the powerful Muslim coalition forces of the Almoravids.Mwakikagile, G. (2010). The Gambia and Its People: Ethnic Identities and Cultural Integration in Africa. p. 138 This era marks the exodus of the Serers of Takrur. Those who survived the wars and refused to convert migrated southwards to what later became known as the Serer Kingdoms of Sine, Saloum and previously Baol, rather than convert to Islam. In the south, they were granted asylum by their distant Serer relatives, endorsed by the Great Council of Lamanes, the highest court in Serer country. Trimingham notes that, Takrur was the first in the region to adopt Islam but lost completely its Serer identity.Trimingham, John Spencer, "A history of Islam in West Africa", pp 174, 176 & 234, Oxford University Press, USA (1970) War Jabi died in 1040 and was succeeded by his son Leb (or Labi), also a major ally of the Almoravids.Page, Willie F., "Encyclopedia of African history and culture: African kingdoms (500 to 1500)", p 676, Vol.2, Facts on File (2001), Leb is reported to have been fighting for the Almoravids in 1056Niane, Djibril Tamsir, "General History of Africa: Africa from the twelfth to the sixteenth century", pp 119–120, UNESCO, 1984, probably as a result of the subjugation of Takrur by the Almoravids in 1042 and a well enforced Sharia law.Abdur Rahman I. Doi, "Islam in Nigeria", Gaskiya Corp., 1984, p 9
13th century c. 1235 : Mansa Jolofing (the Serer king of Jolof) ransacked the caravan of gold sent by Sundiata Keita for the purchase of horses in Jolof. After this, Mansa Sundiata sent his general and cousin Tiramakhan Traore to Jolof to assassinate the Mansa Jolofing. c. 1285/7: Lamane Jaw on the throne of Jolof.Nnoli, Okwudiba, "Ethnic conflicts in Africa", p 241. CODESRIA, 1998. During his reign, Mansa Sakoura (the Mansa of Imperial Mali) launched an expedition in Senegal (c. 1285), conquered Jolof and reduced Lamane Jaw to a mere provincial chief. c. 1290: Maad Ndaah Njemeh Joof, ancestor of the Joof dynasty of Sine and Saloum succeeded to the throne of Laah in Baol."La famille Juuf" [in] « L'épopée de Sanmoon Fay », in Éthiopiques, no 54, vol. 7, 2e semestre 1991
14th century
1350–1400: The Kingdom of Sine renamed. The Guelowar period starts from 1350. Maad a Sinig Maysa Wali Jaxateh Manneh elected first Guelowar king to ever rule in one of the Serer countries (Kingdom of Sine). Nominated and elected by the Serers of Sine and the Great Council of Lamanes whose Council he served as legal adviser for 15 years and gave his sisters and nieces to in marriage. Maysa Wali ruled in 1350–1370. The marriages between the descendants of the ancient Serer Lamanic class and the Guelowar women created the Serer paternal dynasties and the Guelowar maternal dynasty which lasted for over 600 years. Some members of the Serer nobility were opposed to the nomination and election of Maysa Wali, in particular Lamane Pangha Yaya Sarr (many variations: Penga Yaye Sarr, etc.), because Maysa Wali did not have a Serer father nor a Serer mother in spite of his assimilation into Serer culture, long service to the Great Council and coming from royalty himself. None of Maad a Sinig Maysa Wali's descendants ruled in any of the Serer kingdoms after him. The children and descendants of the Serer men and Guelowar women became Serers with loyalty to Serer religion, the Serer people, the Serer countries, culture and language, and all ties with Kaabu were severed. In this period, the old Serer paternal dynasties survived but the old Wagadou maternal dynasty collapsed in Sine and later Saloum, except in Baol and other places. The Guelowar period is the last of Serer dynastic periodizationFor the old Serer paternal dynasties such as the Joof family or Diouf and the Wagadou maternal dynasty, see: Phillips, Lucie Colvin, "Historical dictionary of Senegal", Scarecrow Press, 1981, pp 52–71 ; Clark, Andrew F. & Philips, Lucie Colvin, "Historical Dictionary of Senegal", Second Edition (1994); & Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire. Bulletin de l'Institut fondamental d'Afrique noire, Volume 38. IFAN, 1976. pp 557–504. For the Guelowars, see: Sarr, Alioune, "Histoire du Sine-Saloum", Introduction, bibliographie et notes par Charles Becker, BIFAN, Tome 46, Serie B, n° 3-4, 1986-1987, p 239 (p 21) – * 1360 : Oral tradition reports that Ndiadiane Ndiaye (also called Bourba Jolof Njajaan Njie) founded the Jolof Empire, an empire founded by a voluntary confederation of states.Diouf, Niokhobaye, "Chronique du royaume du Sine" par suivie de Notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin. Bulletin de l'Ifan, Tome 34, Série B, n° 4, 1972. p 706Charles, Eunice A., "Precolonial Senegal: the Jolof Kingdom, 1800-1890", African Studies Center, Boston University, 1977. pp 1–3 John Donnelly Fage suggests although dates in the early 13th century (and others say 12th century) are usually ascribed to this king and the founding of the empire, a more likely scenario is "that the rise of the empire was associated with the growth of Wolof power at the expense of the ancient Sudanese state of Takrur, and that this was essentially a fourteenth-century development." Maad a Sinig Maysa Wali was said to be instrumental in the founding of this empire, nominating Njajaan Njie to lead the Jolof Empire and called for the other states join this confederacy under Njajaan which they did according to the epics of Njajaan and Maysa Wali. The Maad a Sinig thus took the Kingdom of Sine to this confederacy. Though the establishment of this empire was voluntary, its disestablishment was not, resulting in the Battle of Danki in 1549. This era marks the deterioration of the Mali Empire as it began to loose some of its former vassal states. Although it did not collapse completely, Imperial Mali was not as powerful as it once was.Conrad, David C., "Empires of Medieval West Africa", p 12, Infobase Publishing, 2005,
15th century
1446: The Portuguese slave trader Nuno Tristão and his party attempted a slave raiding expedition in Serer territory. They all succumbed to Serer poisoned arrows except five young Portuguese (or less). One of them was left to charter their caravel back to Portugal. Nuno was amongst those killed.Hair, Paul Edward Hedley, "The Use of African Languages in Afro-European contacts in Guinea: 1440-1560", [in] "Sierra Leone Language Review", no. 5, 1966, p. 13 Hair, Paul Edward Hedley, "Africa encountered: European contacts and evidence, 1450-1700", Variorum, 1997, pp 213-15 & 248, 1455: the Venetian slave trader and chronicler Alvise Cadamosto having bought Wolof slaves in Cayor, decided to stop his ship at the Serer community living on the border of Wolof Cayor. Alvise wrote how these Serer community looked menacing and unwelcoming. He then went on to say that, after seeing their ship approaching, this Serer community stood guard at the beach. The captain of the ship gave the order for no one to come off the ship and the ship was parked further away from the beach. Alvise Cadamosto sent his Wolof interpreter to go and negotiate slave terms with this Serer community whilst he (Alvise) and his Portuguese party remained in the ship. The Wolof interpreter was killed on the spot by these Serers for bringing slave traders into their territory. None of Alvise's party came off, instead, the ship departed and headed towards the Gambia. Alvise also corrupted the Kingdom of Sine by calling it the Kingdom of Barbaçim and the Serer people of Sine as Barbacins among other names which many Europeans of this era referred to the Serer people as in their old maps (See: Kingdom of Sine).It was a corruption by Alvise, see: Boulègue, Jean, "Le Grand Jolof, (XVIIIe – XVIe Siècle)", (Paris, Edition Façades), Karthala (1987), p 16Alvise Cadamosto, the 15th century explorer in modern day Senegambia had never set foot in Serer country. His ship proceeded to the Gambia after one of his Wolof interpreters sent to negotiate slave terms with the local Serer community living in the Cayor border was killed on the spot by this Serer community. Neither Alvise nor any of his party left the ship. The ship proceeded to the Gambia. Since Alvise had never entered Serer country, most of his opinions about the Serers were coming from his Wolof interpreters. The Wolofs of Cayor were in constant war with Serer community living on their border and were fearful of these Serers as narrated by Alvise himself. In Kerr, Alvise refer to the Serers as without kings. However, these Serers were those living on the Wolof Cayor border and refused to submit to the kings of Cayor. Alvise did not know that the Kingdom of Sine was actually a Serer kingdom, where the Barbacini – (a corruption of the Wolof "Bur Ba Sine" which means "king of Sine") took residence. See: Boulègue, Jean, "Le Grand Jolof, (XVIIIe – XVIe Siècle)", (Paris, Edition Façades), Karthala (1987), p 16. Also: Kerr, Robert, "A general history of voyages and travels to the end of the 18th century", pp 238–240, J. Ballantyne & Co. 1811; Verrier, Frédérique, "Introduction. Voyages en Afrique noire d'Alvise Ca'da Mosto (1455 & 1456)", p 136, Chandeigne, Paris, 1994; Russell, Peter E., "Prince Henry 'the Navigator": a life, New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press, 2000, pp 299–300